Lion Stout - Ceylon / Lion Brewery Limited

spointon

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I poured this one from a 12oz brown bottle into a tulip pint glass.

A= At fridge temp, this stout poured a deep dark black (no light was getting through this beauty) with a 2.5" foamy tan head. After letting the glass sit for a good 10 minutes, the head dropped to a ¼" cap that retained well. Incredible sticky lacing clung to my glass all the way down.

S= A nice blend of sweet and roasty-bitter aromas here. The sweetness was reminiscent of raisins, molasses, and chocolate. The rest of the smell was made up of dark roasty malts, coffee, and maybe a hint of chickory.

T= This tasted like a highly sweetened and carbonated café au lait coffee. Lactose sugar, milk chocolate, and treacle came first, followed by some roasted grain and dark chocolate bitterness. There was a complex yet subtle array of ripe dark fruit and earthiness running all through the middle of this beer. Finish was more sweet than bitter, though the roasted grain notes did linger on to the aftertaste.

MF= Heavy body with just a moderate carbonation level. Felt slick and tongue-coating in the mouth.

D= This was a very interesting and delicious beer. The ABV is really well hidden and is not a factor at all. If you are into sweet stouts, this is very sessionable in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2009 16:42:49 | More by spointon

rapidsequence

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

330 ml bottle. Perfect pint glass.

Appearance: Pours nice and black, some light passes around the edges. The off white- light brown head looks thick and rich and fills the remainder of the glass and almost overflows-- beauty. Sadly it only lasts half the glass or so. A little thin lacing.

Smell: Roasty dark malts, sweetness, and some chocolate. Really pretty nice, not overstated, but not wanting for much.

Taste: Surprisingly good. Roasted malts with some nice bitterness and sweetness. There's notes of chocolate and coffee. Its really balanced and finishes clean.

Mouthfeel: Seems appropriately full for the style. Not thick like an imperial, but its not one. Smooth and nicely carbonated.

Drinkability: This is 8% so watch out. Would be easy to accidentally pound this. Delicious and very drinkable. Nice surprise from a foreign stout. Best beer ever from Sri Lanka-- although its the only one I've had.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2009 02:31:12 | More by rapidsequence

Ghenna

California

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hard pour into a pint glass, gives 3 fingers of mocha colored foam with little to no lacing. The beer itself is a opaque brown/black.

Smells of roasted malts and coffee. Definitely a sweet and inviting smell. Taste follows smell heavy with coffee, dark chocolate, and malts. There is a little bit of bitterness in its aftertaste, though more that of dark chocolate than hops.

It is surprisingly light bodied for a beer that is this dark and sweet- I was expecting a residual sweetness. The relatively simple, but good, flavor makes this a fairly drinkable brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2009 02:27:20 | More by Ghenna

boudreaux

Alabama

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

The local stores are starting to branch out. They got this in the other day.
Nice stout roasted malt aroma with hints of ginger and, dare I say it, soy sauce. Very intriguing.
Pours pitch black with a voluminous medium brown head which lingers for a while as it gradually sinks down to a small creamy film on top of the beer.
As for the taste, there's rich deep fruit and chocolate/coffee flavors, tempered by the stout sourness typical of this style. It finishes with a bitter chocolate taste that has a moderate duration.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 08:16:33 | More by boudreaux

bayougutter

Louisiana

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Let me start by saying my wife went on a "girl weekend in New Orleans and brought home five sixpacks of great beer. WOW.

Great looking beer, pours dark as night with a full two finger caramel head which stay a while before settling to a 1/4 inch. good lacing all the way thru the drink. Poured from 11.2 oz bottle to a snifter at fifty degrees.

damn good smell too, roasted malt, caramel toffee, mild coffee. Can smell a bit of bitter hops at the end. Really nice well blended smell.

Pretty complex, taste as well as it smells. I get a stronger coffee with slight sweetness. Not as bitter on the end as I would like

This beer surprised me in a good way, wasn't expecting this. Overall an exellent beer and would give two thumbs up. Give this one a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 15:39:01 | More by bayougutter

mscudder

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I've been looking at this beer in stores for well over a year and finally committed to grabbing a bottle. Poured into a snifter.

A - Dark chocolate brown with a massive tan head. Seems a bit less viscous than other stouts. Interesting.

S - There things here: caramel, chocolate and a bit of coffee. The combination leads to a rich coffee aroma that is not overpowering, good stuff!

T - Starts smooth with a silky texture. The beer moves on following some rich caramel malts into a bit of bitter/tart notes from the coffee. ABV is well hidden with just a pinch of warmth on the back end.

M - A medium body that has very little carbonation (which is a good thing to compliment the silky composition). Drinks fairly heavy but soft to the palette. I like it.

O - Very surprised with this beer, for I anticipated for it to much worse! A unique blend of flavors makes this one to try for sure. A fine way to mix up my normal rotation of stouts. Bravo!

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 04:00:04 | More by mscudder

pbrian

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sweet, fruity nose with hints of burnt malts. Many flavors present that all mesh quite well. Chocolate/cocoa, raisins/plums. It's light bodied for its complexity and strength and drinks quite well. I think my package store did me a favor by aging it for me(it was 4 months past its "exp." date).

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2002 06:30:17 | More by pbrian

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours with a two-finger light brown head that fades slowly and leaves a good lace. Totally black color. Good carbonation. Nose is coffee/caramel. Strong coffee/carmel flavor, nice, sweet, beefy stout. $6.49 for a 6-pack of 330ml bottles from Colonial Spirits, Acton, MA.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2004 22:50:35 | More by jdhilt

crwills

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is marketed as "Sinha Stout," rather than "Lion Stout" in Ontario, although I'm pretty sure it's the same thing (I bought it at an LCBO in Toronto, so YMMV).

Pours a deep brown, almost black, with some orangish highlights when held up to the light. My pour resulted in a billowing mocha head that stuck around for a nice long time, and left residue as I drank it.

Smell is very nice, if a bit simplistic (or maybe that's just my nose!) -- caramel, coffee, chocolate, and cherries.

Mouthfeel surprised me, as it was lighter and fresher than I expected for such a strong, dark beer. However, I found it matched the flavour of the beer very well.

Flavour is malts, coffee, ear-warming alcohol, lots of hay, with some planty and earthy elements. Some bitterness creeps in to compete with the sweetness of this beer's odour and initial taste, which makes the flavour much more complex and enjoyable in my mind.

At 8% ABV, this beer is extremely, dangerously drinkable for the alcohol content. I could easily sit down and have three or four without even thinking about it -- and then fall on the floor when I tried to stand up again. Might be worth it though -- one of my favourite stouts so far!

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2005 02:42:25 | More by crwills

Golden2wenty1

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A pleasant surprise as part of a "Beers of the World" sampler I got for my 22nd birthday as I've been wanting to try this one.

Pours pitch black with a finger of creamy tan head. Dark and milk chocolates, roasted espresso bean and smoked peat dominate the senses. Mouthfeel is rich and the alcohol is warming. A decadent stout here, quite a surprise out of Sri Lanka, but kudos to Ceylon brewery, Michael Jackson can't be wrong....go ahead, it's there for the taking. No seriously, it's a gimme...

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2006 02:49:14 | More by Golden2wenty1

Jmamay22

New York

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Some love this beer and others call it over hyped. Time to find out for myself. Some spotty, but generally no lacing.

A gentle pour creates a thick creamy dark tan head atop an opaque black brew.

Smells of chocolate malts, anise and black currant. There are some very distinct coffee notes as well as a whiff of toffee.

Time for a taste. Less chocolate taste than in the nose, but what is there is more of a bittersweet chocolate. In place of the diminished chocolate is a wonderful roasted near smoke flavor that is very original that blends well with the anise.

Smooth mouthfeel provided by the smoke and on the heavier side of medium. Very drinkable for a stout of this abv. I really wish I picked up more.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2007 00:59:03 | More by Jmamay22

Wasatch

Utah

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Bitterbill for this brew.

Pours a dark brown/black color, nice carbonation, nice one-finger plus creamy tan head, which leaves some nice sticky lacing. The nose is malty, slight vanilla/roast, good touch of toffee, chocolate, and caramel. The taste is slightly sweet/roasty, malty, with some nice toffee/chocolate/caramel tones. The alcohol is hidden very well. Medium body. Very drinkable, a very nice stout in deed, recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2007 03:26:36 | More by Wasatch

WHROO

Australia

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is the best stout i have so far tasted, rich...full of body, everything you'd expect from a stout with a higher ABV. Chocolate, cocoa, dark fruits...roasty...all hid the alcohol taste
It smelt full, tasted full & loved it. Mouthfeel was very pleasant as well.
The only downside was I bought just 1 stubby...bumma!!

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2008 08:08:18 | More by WHROO

optiontwo

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Very dark brown with a half inch tan head. OK retention, not much lacing.

Smell: Spicy chocolate, caramel, and toffee commingle with earthy hops and sweet coffee. Smells good!

Taste: Beautifully balanced. Roasted malts meet caramel and chocolate flavors instantaneously followed by a good amount of citrus hop and bittersweet hazelnut and vanilla.

Mouthfeel: Thick but not too heavy, spot on.

Drinkability: Fairly high for a bigger stout.

Overall: I had heard a lot of good things about this beer and seeing Michael Jackson's face on the back of the bottle is pretty reassuring but I still had my doubts for some reason. Well, those were all wiped away as soon as I took my first sip of this delicious brew. If you think you only like American stouts try this. It has all the deliciousness you'd expect from any hop forward American stout. Will definitely be getting this again very soon.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2009 21:33:28 | More by optiontwo

Mayhem976

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Very dark, unable to pass light through my glass as I hold it up to the light. Has a medium tan size head that fades quickly with small fingers.

S- Strong coffee smell, finishes off with a slight semi sweet chocolate smell. On smell alone I have to say this is the best smelling stout I've ever had the pleasure of inhaling.

T- Strong coffee and hop flavor, finishes with a "slight" bit of sweetness but not a chocolate sweetness which I would have loved.

M- Medium thickness with slight carbonation.

D- Great stout from Sri Lanka, almost perfect!

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2009 03:10:38 | More by Mayhem976

Jayli

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap 7/18 at The Dirty Truth
This beer pours a nice dark brown with a one finger soapy/sudsy dark tan head with phenomenal retention. Thick, solid, sheets of lacing coat the glass the entire way down. Nose is of fruitiness at the beginning - some raisin and date notes, bitter chocolate, a touch of vanilla, and very mild hint of alcohol. Taste is much inline with the nose - starts of with some molasses and caramel malts at first and then moves to a bitter chocolate and coffee flavoring and just a touch of smokey flavoring, the end finishes with some fruitiness most detectable is the mild raisin flavoring. Medium bodied, moderate carbonation with a bone dry finish to it. Mouthfeel is very nice...lively but not abrasive, with a medium body and lightly dry finish. This is a really well balanced beer, one that with a lower ABV would be worthy of sitting with for a night.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2009 02:47:26 | More by Jayli

tigg924

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: one inch light brown head, black brown in color, opaque

Smell: coffee and dark chocolate

Taste: coffee, dark chocolate, light creaminess, and alcohol in the finish

Mouthfeel: super smooth, low carbonation, sweet with a bitterness that appears in the middle, light body for the style

Drinkability: I really liked this one. It is so nice and light and for the abv, the alcohol is not overly noticable. Very enjoyable, glad I went with the six on this instead of the single.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2010 15:35:04 | More by tigg924

Halcyondays

California

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

21.1 oz. bottle, a weird size, real heavy bottle, great label,

A: Pours black, with a creamy medium tan head, good retention and some spotty lace.

S: Light cacao count dark chocolate, like the 60% stuff, licorice, with a hint of banana liqueur and rum, it's a tropical stout for Pete's sake.

T: Great chocolate taste with some sour twang and that "tropical" dark malt character I find in Cooper's Export Stout and Xingu. Definite mocha characteristics, with notes of cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and roasted malt.

M: On the lighter side body for a big stout, but I like it as this is a style that needs to be drinkable and refreshing in the hot sun. Creamy and silky, enjoyable aftertaste that doesn't go on for too long, but makes you want another sip. That finishing vanilla note works wonders. The 8% is completely hidden.

D: I was excited to see a bottle of this at Hollingshead's; I've always wanted to try it, I'm a big fan of the style, yet there are so few examples around town. The price is real good, I think it was $3.99, and you get a delicious stout perfect for a hot summer day, a beer that can be drunk in droves, so be careful out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2010 02:56:00 | More by Halcyondays

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I CAN't believe how many different CANned beers are available. The CANQuest began as a lark and has become an obsession. CAN you dig it?

First, this lion came roaring out of its CAN! It looked like oil from the current slick in the Gulf of Mexico, courtesy of BP. The head was outrageous, demanding my immediate attention lest its deep-brown rise above the lip of the glass and spill onto my computer. Two fingers that eventually tamed themselves and sat atop the beer like a real lion on a stool. F**ing rampant animals! I despise that! This cat had a real bite on the nose. Deeply roasty with a bit of dark chocolate sweetness, if that passes for sweet for you. Color was ebony black with the light penetration of a black hole. NONE! Zee-roh! Mouthfeel was somewhat thin for a stout, but the taste was dark chocolate, raisins, prunes, my morning coffee (I am a retired US Navy sailor), and smoke. This tasted like the aftermath of a house fire smells. Wow! The finish was dry, smoky, worth seeking out. Good kitty!

Serving type: can

05-09-2010 19:27:48 | More by woodychandler

biglite351

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - dark with some red at the edges. Tight medium tan lasting head

S - solid, malty, mild chocolate, inviting. A stout hug.

T - rich and complex. Not as hood as on tap (which I hope to review soon) but great. Malty, chocolate, and it changes from sip through after taste. Complex and nice.

M - good coating but only minor tingle at front sides of tongue.

D - I could drink this all night.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 01:16:52 | More by biglite351

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into an over sized sipper after I had let it sit outside of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

A-Pours nearly pitch black with a two finger mocha head that slowly dissipates. It leaves some cascading and lacing on the glass.

S-Dark chocolate, espresso, molasses, hint of brown sugar, alcohol. Hops are present, but the malt clearly dominates.

T-Chocolate flavors dominate; not dark chocolate like the nose, but more of a milk chocolate. There is also a somewhat strong alcohol presence. It has a really nice caramel finish. It is delicious.

M-It seems slightly thin. However, its has a smooth and creamy feel.

D-This beer is delicious and much more complex than I ever expected. The booziness and sweetness of this beer cut into its sessionability, but it is great for sipping.

Overall, I loved this beer. I recently drank Guinness Foreign Extra Stout and this was much better all across the board. I will definitely purchase this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 21:36:20 | More by thegodfather2701

AmericanGothic

Iowa

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Sam Adams pint.

A: Pours a nearly opaque, dark brown with two fingers of dark tan head. Good retention and lace.

S: Chocolate, brown sugar and a bit of spice.

T: Dark, roasted malts, semi-sweet chocolate, beginning to end. A little spicy hop bite on the end, accented by the alcohol. Tasty.

M: Not too heavy, quite smooth.

O: A delicious beer, and one I will look forward to enjoying again. Relatively low complexity but the flavors are true. First beer from Sri Lanka as far as I remember-- pleasant introduction to the country.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 22:53:45 | More by AmericanGothic

Sunnanek

Sweden

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours pitch, motor-oil black with an enormous tall brown thick head; it's so very thick, almost like hard whipped cream. Slow dissipation leaves quite nice lacings.

S: Roasted sweet malts, some chocolate and strong black coffee. Dark dried fruits. A salty sour backbone, not bad but interesting...

T: Sweet, syrupy dark roasted malts. Dark dried fruits; mainly figs (the figs are both dried but also ripe - kind of strange). Some caramell in the back.

M: Short aftertaste. Medium body and very low carbonation. I expected more.

O: Considering the geography of Sri Lanka/Ceylon this is probably the best beer ever. I you don't take the logistics in consideration, still a damn good producte.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 19:25:35 | More by Sunnanek

horshack7

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: It's quite the glass of darkness top to bottom even the head is decently dark beige.

Aroma: Herbs and spice, dark fruits notes of sour cherries. It's mostly citrus hop that lingers. Faint espresso, and some vanilla bean in the back.

Taste: Light carbonation up front but mostly a smooth mouthfeel. Touches of vanilla, bourbon, dark fruits, roasted malt and hops not quite burnt. In the end is a black licorice finish.

Notes: It's a solid beer all over. It's not overpowering even with it's 8.8% abv. Very drinkable and a good pick up. Cheers.

Serving type: can

02-06-2012 01:22:23 | More by horshack7

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a huge head of coffee caramel foam in a tulip glass. Dissipates slowly, leaving an attractive film and lacing. Visible carbonation. Colour is jet black.

Nose is really rich. Lot of thick molasses, strong coffee. Roast malt and chocolate flavour comes through. Quite a thick and rich aroma.

Flavour is pleasing and complex. Lot of smooth chocolate, and a bit of tartness. Coffee and slight smoky roastiness also pronounced. The sweetness is present. Finish is subtle and smooth with lingering notes of coffee and a bit dry. Incredibly drinkable and alcohol is not at all present.

This one was a very pleasant surprise. It drinks very nicely, and I found the flavours all blended very nicely. It does drink like quite a full/heavy beer. For the style I think it is quite a solid representation and worth buying again.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 23:35:50 | More by mick303