Lion Stout - Ceylon / Lion Brewery Limited

JoeAmerican77

Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big 'ol two fingers of milk chocolate head over the deepest dark pits of beery dispair!!! Its almost halloween so I'm being spooky...
Anise and wet grains float like ghosts to the nose whispering hints of roasted malts and caramel. Big ghoulish flavor, cocoa nibs, ripe figs, coffee syrup, anise, some bitters and spicy alcohol. This monster is full bodied beast, breathing out a mild carbonation and some stickiness to catch you in its hold.

You really got to hand it to the boys in Sri Lanka, for the price, they make a world class stout!

Serving type: can

10-27-2011 22:23:01 | More by JoeAmerican77

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.46/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Black to super dark brown pour, not much in the way of head to this one. Aroma was roasty, lacking chocolate or coffee.

I pulled more brown sugar out of this than any type of dark fruit. Seemed thinner in body than it was in appearance, would like to see it thicker, might cover up the discernable alcohol presence a little better. The chocolate that was lacking in the nose rears its non ugly head in the taste, although it is far from awe inspiring quantities. Lots of booziness, seems the brown instead of black aspect may have been from some caramel and brown sugar.

Extra half point for it being inexpensive and made in an area you would never guess could make a decent beer. For me, its on par with Guinness, even though they are very different beers. This has more 'taste' per se, but Guinness is smoother and less inconsistency.

EDIT: After having it in the can while doing some disc golfing, I found it to be better than my previous drinking foray in the bottle. Less alcohol, more chocolate, good.

Serving type: can

10-10-2011 22:46:43 | More by Beerandraiderfan

dali27

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 11.2 oz. can into a pint glass.

A: Completely dark black. As it poured from the can, it gave the impression of syrupy liquid flowing out. Large, light caramel colored head which initially produced really nice lacing but then died out pretty fast.

S: Dark berries, roasted malts and coffee dominate the smell. Faint alcohol scent.

T: The scents move on into the taste. Big and bold, typical stout flavors of malts and coffee, but they're highlighted by the nice fruit accent. Aftertaste is coffee and alcohol.

M: Medium bodied. Smooth and creamy. Low carbonation.

O: Better than I had expected this to be. Wish I had more than just the one can. Worth a try!

Serving type: can

09-03-2011 02:19:46 | More by dali27

iDrinknewglarus

Wisconsin

3.4/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Black with a massive and dark tan, creamy looking head that has great lasing.

S: First thing I get strangely enough is fruit, like raisins and plums, soaked in rum. It kind of overpowers the roasty goodness that I usually like in a stout. To be honest, it's a little off-putting. There is some strange odor that doesn't feel like it should be in a beer. Almost smells like a wine, and I'm not fond of wine.

T: Very fruity and a hint of roasted malts on the back end. The more I sip this beer, the better it gets as it seems to build a layer of delicious dark, but not really dark, chocolate across my tongue. The best part of the taste, is IMO after you swallow and let it mellows. As it warms, the alcohol makes itself known.

M: Medium, I was a bit shocked, and this beer makes me long for that heavy chewiness I love. Good amount of carbonation. Creamy... nice.

Overall I was expecting this to be an A- beer, but it surely was not for me. This beer was way too fruity and thin bodied for my taste. Not roasty, no coffee, not a whole lot of chocolate. Not my cup of tea.

Serving type: can

08-05-2011 04:13:32 | More by iDrinknewglarus

GallowsThief

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured out of a 12 oz. can into my Duvel tulip.

A – She is big and black with a full three fingers of mocha head. Sticky lacing.

S – Coffee, mocha, dark chocolate stouty goodness.

T – Much like the taste it’s got a roasty coffee flavor. Mocha and chocolate (chocolate like those bakers squares) as well. Tastes like a bit of a vanilla sweetness. Caramel. Has sime bitterness that finishes it off.

M – Medium bodied and medium carbonation. Leaves an almost clean feel on the mouth which I find unusual in a stout but still manages a creamy texture.

O – Really decent stout here. It’s not top shelf but it holds it’s own. Well worth a buy and I certainly will again.

Serving type: can

08-03-2011 23:46:50 | More by GallowsThief

Coplains

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a can into pint glass. Pours black with a two finger breadth of mocha foam that dissipates with no lacing. Smells of coffee and chocolate with hint of alcohol. Taste is quite nice with flavor of coffee and slight sweetness. A solid stout from somewhere that I had never thought to buy beer from. Would buy again.

Serving type: can

07-05-2011 23:44:51 | More by Coplains

BeerAmbassador

Arizona

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours thick and pure black with a tan two-fingered head. Not much lacing to speak of.
Smells like coffee, molasses and dark fruit, blackberry and currants.
Flavor is roasted grain, dark roasted coffee with a bit of the fruit and a little sweetness on the end. Given the amount of alcohol and how thick it looked I was expecting more sweetness. However, the bitterness from the dark roasted malts (and I am assuming a decent hit of hops) seems to keep that in check.
As the beer starts to warm up I actually get that dark fruit a lot more.
Mouthfeel is nice although I would appreciate a little tighter carbonation.
I like this stout a lot and it was pretty inexpensive for the amount of alcohol it has in it. Another nice option for a canned beer, and I am always happy to see that.

Serving type: can

06-11-2011 02:13:35 | More by BeerAmbassador

scottyshades

Florida

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours pitch black with a solid khaki head. Good retention with ruby highlights

S: Toffee, caramel, cocoa, big roasted notes, and burnt sugar - almost brown sugar

T: Burnt sugar again, bittersweet, dark fruits and berries

MF/O: Pretty viscous but not on the extreme end. A nice one, especially given the $1.20 price tag

Serving type: can

05-13-2011 20:21:43 | More by scottyshades

SamN

Colorado

3/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Lion Stout in a can. It's gotta be done.

Pours a pretty thick blackness. Head is notable; beautiful notes of brown and tan. Loose and and little filmy. Excellent crown to a big black stout. Smell is a little sour; some vinegar, coffee notes, molasses. Not the typical stout smell; sweeter, a little sour, no oak, vanilla or bourbon notes to be found. Taste follows smell pretty closely. This definitely has a sweet edge to it. I also get some grape skins in the taste. The main roasted malt taste is upfront, which gives way pretty quickly to a sweet/sour and tinny finish. Some coffe and cocoa detectable. Not bad, interesting tastes, not a stout I'd drink very often. I can see drinking this fresh off the tap on a tropical island, beachin it up.

Has a distinct sour bite to it I don't care for. Don't know if it's a bad can; is that possible? I seem to like it much more out of the bottle.

Serving type: can

04-23-2011 05:30:25 | More by SamN

metter98

New York

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is essentially jet black in color--only some traces of brownish amber are visible near the bottom of the glass when it is held up to the light. It has a light amount of carbonation and poured with a finger high creamy tan head that never completely faded away.
S: There are moderate aromas of roasted malts in the nose along with notes of molasses and raisins plus hints of alcohol.
T: Like the smell, the taste is dominated by flavors of roasted malts and has notes of alcohol, licorice, molasses and raisins. The initial taste is slightly sweet.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied, creamy and smooth on the palate with a light to moderate amount of carbonation. A bit of dryness is present in the finish along with some warming from the alcohol.
O: The beer isn't that difficult to drink considering its strength and the presence of alcohol in the smell and taste. This is a good beer to sip on a cold day.

Serving type: can

04-08-2011 13:22:27 | More by metter98

OldIronLungs

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours like rootbeer into a snifter - big popping three finger light tan head slowly settles to a quarter inch.

Smells of coffee and lightly burnt chocolate. Thin body with low carbonation, sweet and chocolaty, some coffee bitterness. Easy to drink and zero sight of the 8% which is tricky of them.

Overall lacking the body I look for in a stout but the flavors, although sweet, make for a pretty solid drinker.

Serving type: can

03-14-2011 00:40:40 | More by OldIronLungs

kirkpjr

Alabama

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a heavy, dark black with just the faintest bits of light coming through. A finger and a half of thick, creamy milk chocolate colored head. Minimal lacing.

S: Sweet chocolate and vanilla with some caramel malts. Smells like this will be a sweet milk stout type. Some hops also round out the nose.

T: Creamy, sweet chocolate. Some vanilla here as well. A fair amount of alcohol is discernible in each sip.

M: Low carbonation and medium to full body lends well to this creamy stout - almost cask like in feel.

D: Pretty good export stout. Loved the feel on this one but the heat distracts a bit.

Serving type: can

02-13-2011 03:22:15 | More by kirkpjr

wallpaperbag

Alabama

1.73/5  rDev -56.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

Gross.
I don't waste beer, even bad ones, and after several attempts to hand out my 6-pack I almost threw the last couple into the woods.
I love big stouts but this was strong in a uniquely bad way. All the wrong dark fruits soaked in salt water and dipped in cheap chocolate.
The only good thing I got out of this was a deeper sleep and a lesson in buying stouts from Sri Lanka. Please give me a Sierra Nevada Stout or a Bell's Double Cream.

Serving type: can

01-19-2011 09:40:18 | More by wallpaperbag

ronniebruner

Arizona

3.48/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Im not typically a can beer drinker. I put together a random 6 pack from Total Wines. Ive seen this beer before, and finally decided to give it a try. It is your straight forward stout with a dark, creamy color, smoother taste, nice aroma, and that unmistakable stout taste. However, this beer is nothing to write home about. It is not bad, but it is not anything I'll remember 5 years from now.

Serving type: can

12-05-2010 06:07:03 | More by ronniebruner

Chincino

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer was served in a can which I poured into a pint glass.

It was very dark and had an aroma of coffee, chocolate, malts, and a hint of fruit.

It was medium-bodied with average carbonation. It was smooth and creamy, but not thick.

Drinkability was good.

Serving type: can

11-19-2010 14:00:35 | More by Chincino

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Completely dark, nice milk chocolate finger of head.

Smell is nice, with lots of milk chocolate and roasted malts. Nice little bit of sweetness.

Chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, espresso, sweetness, toasted malts. Slight hop finish.

Feel is medium in body, slight carbonation. I don't expect full body, but it's on the lighter side of medium.

Tasty, and easy to drink. I think the bottle was a tad better, but I'd totally drink the cans any day as well.

Serving type: can

11-07-2010 02:53:24 | More by EgadBananas

r0nyn

New York

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a can into my DFH snifter.

Pours a super dark opaque black that completely blots out all light. Big inch thick tan head at first that slowly recedes into a thin cap, leaving some sticky, stringy lacing. Smell is malty, with nuances of chocolate and coffee wafting around. Bit of sweet caramel too, along with a slight booziness that's just barely detectable.

Chocolate and coffee to start, followed by roasted malts and a little bit of barley. Caramel and toffee also make an appearance. Booziness is almost non-existent, as are the hops. Aftertaste is all bittering coffee. However, all the flavors seem a bit... subdued. Not as big and bold as I was expecting, even after letting the brew warm up for a little while. A little bit of astringency at the end. Mouthfeel is fine, creamy while also being crisp and dry thanks to the carbonation roiling around in there.

Drinkability is good for this stout. It's a bit more subdued than I'm used to from the style, but it's by no means a bad beer. Definitely a candidate for a good night of drinking. Easy to drink, easy to enjoy.

Serving type: can

11-02-2010 02:07:59 | More by r0nyn

DaveHS

California

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a Green Flash pint glass.

A-Pours a dark cola brown with 2 inches of head the color of milky coffee.

S-Condensed milk sweetness, malted milk balls, Hershey's chocolate.

T/M-Medium bodied and creamy, with low to moderate carbonation. Less roasty than I expected, given the style. Very smooth and creamy, with condensed milk sweetness and light notes of toffee. The finish had a slight metallic tang that diminished as I continued drinking.

D- A 6-pack of this excellent stout sells for just $8.99! Not a bad deal at all.

Serving type: can

10-24-2010 04:16:47 | More by DaveHS

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - opaque and black, a frothy thin mocha cover kicks up a thick finger of suds but is gone quickly. A few little islands of bubbles here and there, but a pretty bare top.

Aroma - grainy but with some semblance of roasted grain.

Taste - roasty, malty, tasty. Hints of coffee. The abv is fairly well hidden but peeks out a bit with some warming. A good basic stout, kudos for having it canned.

Mouthfeel - very nice smoothness, though the peppy carbonation could be tamer. Good sturdy body.

Drinkability - a fine sipper for the autumn fireside, though a few of these can sneak up on you.

Serving type: can

10-12-2010 03:02:10 | More by brewdlyhooked13

BeefyMee

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is one I've always been interested in trying, but I could never find it. That is until I went to Half Time in Poughkeepsie and picked up some nifty cans.

A: Oily black with tan head that faded quickly and didn't leave much lacing.

S: Dark chocolate. Sugar. Alcohol.

T: Roasty and sweet. The sweetness is weird because it reminds me of the syrupy and sometimes cloying dark fruit sweetness of a Belgian quad. Alcohol comes through in the finish. Perplexing yet pleasing.

M: Chewy and playful.

D: Very good for its high alcohol and strong flavors.

I'm quite pleased with my experience with the Lion. A very good beer that's just a little overrated.

Serving type: can

10-01-2010 00:02:45 | More by BeefyMee

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked this up at Brass Rail Deli, poured chilled from the can into a tulip.

A - an opaque, black as night color w/ thick band of beige, the lace clings decently and bead is average size

S - The smell is very good, lots of dried fruit aromas: fig, raisin and currant w/ a slight scent of roasted grain and mild alcohol in the aroma

M - A feel that has smooth carbonation with a mild level of sweetness and roastiness, the textue is full bodied and has a mild warmth of alcohol as it finishes

T - The flavor follows the nose pretty closely with mild fig, slight dark cocoa bitterness and mild hop effect w/ a moderate amount of wood/tobacco in the background a very nice flavor profile

D - I enjoyed this one a lot, a very good example of the style and nice to have from a can too. I would recommend this to anyone who likes strong stouts

Serving type: can

09-21-2010 17:07:35 | More by Slatetank

flagmantho

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 330mL aluminum can into a pint glass.

Appearance: entirely opaque black body with three thick fingers of foamy tan head. Just beautiful.

Smell: coffee, chocolate and vanilla all rolled together with a nice fruity alcohol bite. It actually smells a helluva lot like Bailey's & Kahlua mixed together. Mudslide beer? Nice.

Taste: like the aroma, but fruitier. Very Baltic-porterey. Extremely smooth, there's also almost a creamy taste. This is an extremely delicious beer.

Mouthfeel: smooth, creamy and delicious. Even though there's not a huge amount of carbonation, the thick body gives the beer a really good feel.

Drinkability: very drinkable. The alcohol contributes a lot to the nose, or at least it seems, but it's not fusely or unpleasant in any way. If they sold this around here, it would definitely be a regular in this household.

Serving type: can

08-20-2010 02:57:57 | More by flagmantho

Goliath

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours black and completely opaque. There is a one inch light brown head that forms on the pour and it lingers with excellent retention leaving some spoty lace behind as it receeds.

The aroma is nice and oh so familiar. There are some nice malty tones with a dark and rich chocolate aroma accompanied by a touch of coffee. It's lightly sweet on the nose as well.

The taste is fine. There is some chocolate and coffee. There's a nice smokiness as well. It's a little phenolic on the finish.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied and lightly efforvescent.

The drinkability is moderate to high. The flavor profile is pleasing enough making for an easy sipper. The ABV is pushing the high end, but it's well incorporated. Overall it's a decent beer.

Serving type: can

06-27-2010 00:29:25 | More by Goliath

drabmuh

Maryland

3.7/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer poured from a can into a Bruery tulip. Beer is black and forms a huge dark brown head of small and medium bubbles. Head falls away quickly leaving a lot of lacing on the glass. Carbonation is unknown but presumably low due to lack of head retention. Falling head leaves a little lacing on the glass.

Aroma is overall a little weak, kind of sweet, mildly smokey, some roasted coffee perhaps. Smells OK.

Beer is medium to thin in body, slightly sweet and finishes nicely with some roasty bitterness. There is some ash like flavors to this beer overall that are less than pleasant but fortunately for it they are minimal. Drinkability is good and mouthfeel is also good. Its a decent, kind of sweet, stout.

Serving type: can

06-23-2010 18:14:36 | More by drabmuh

Ottoman112579

Massachusetts

4.93/5  rDev +25.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is an exceptional tasting stout. The mix of roasted malts, vanilla, cherry, coffee, and chocolate make this stout among the true leaders in taste. Very easy on the pallet making this stout a good compliment to desserts.

The appearance is pitch black and the aroma is very distinct. The smell of chocolate is strong but does not overpower the subtle aroma of cherry and vanilla.

I would highly recommend this to any fan of stouts!

Serving type: can

06-10-2010 01:41:00 | More by Ottoman112579