Lion Stout - Ceylon / Lion Brewery Limited

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

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.88/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Lion Stout has an extraordinarily thick, creamy, beige head and a black appearance (light reddish-brown around the edges). The aroma is of dark-roasted malt, licorice, and confectionery sugar. Taste is of licorice, dark-roasted malt, dark chocolate, dark coffee, cream, brandy wine, and grain. The mouthfeel is thick and syrupy, and Lion Stout finishes heavy, sweet, syrupy, and awesomely delicious. Overall, this is one of the best beers I have every had the pleasure to drink. I rate it about as high as one could rate a beer. Terrific!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 17:21:25 | More by RonaldTheriot

ThickNStout

Georgia

2.53/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle from the Wienhous (Asheville, NC). $2.69. No bottling info. Poured into a snifter. 

Near black with 1/2 finger tan head. Almost zero lacing. 

Dates and figs with a hint of bakers chocolate. Overall a bit sweet. 

Sweet dark fruit and mild chocolate. There's a little roast/smokeyness in there. I can taste the alcohol too- I wasn't expecting that, seeing as the abv isn't that high at all. All around flat.

Medium bodied. Heavier carbonation that is really necessary. Dry finish. 

Meh. As far as I'm concerned, Sri Lanka can keep it. It's not awful but I'll never look for it again. There are too many other worthwhile stouts out there to waste any more time/money on this. 

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 06:11:46 | More by ThickNStout

bjohn84

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours deep chocolate brown with 3 fingers of foaming, creamy light brown head

S - Bitter chocolate,Unique smell for the style.. almost like some form of sour burnt sugar comes though with a slight smokiness. Not really pleasant on the nose

T - Bitter chocolate / chocolate milk upfront with a fruity bitterness throughout the middle and alcohol rounding out the back end

M - Medium High mouthfeel on this and lingering cream texture, but also feels a bit chalky. Dry bittering finish on the tongue to end things. Would be difficult to have too many of these with the lingering numbness on the tongue from the alcohol.

O - Not too bad for the price being on the lower end, and has a decent amount of complexity, but something about the strange smell vs the taste kept if a lower rating for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 00:48:19 | More by bjohn84

tvv375ia

Iowa

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from 11.2oz bottle into pint glass

A-very dark brown/black with about a 3 finger mocha head that fades to a small cap

S-a little burnt coffee smell along with some sweet cream

T-coffee and sweet dark fruit maybe plums with brown sugar

M-medium body with good carbonation

O-pretty good import stout without the heaviness kind of like a guiness with some better flavor and body

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 22:42:36 | More by tvv375ia

AdamGarcia

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

625ml bottle served in tasting glass. No discernable bottle date.

A: Pours a nearly black, coffee-like color. Larger head than expected, mocha colored. Head retention is decent. Good looking beer.

S: Even at warmer temperatures the aroma never jumps out of the glass. Mild coffee. Sweet chocolate. Faint whiff of green hops. Dark fruit and just a suggestion of tartness. Pleasant for sure, but lacking in intensity.

T: Nice roasted character. Mild coffee with cream. A little bit of chocolate flavor hiding about. Dark fruits make an appearance. Just a little nuttiness. Some bitterness here and there and then a mostly sweet finish.

M: Low carbonation. Silky smooth feel. Less viscous than it's American Imperial Stout counterparts

O: Easy to drink and seemingly simple initially. Complexity becomes apparent over the course of comsuming this one. Versatile. No indication whatsoever of it's 8.8% abv. One could easily confuse this with a much less potent beer. Very good overall.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 22:06:05 | More by AdamGarcia

StJamesGate

New York

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Impenetrible black with rimming lacey beige foam. Tar, ash, and deep roast on the nose, with some plum reduction.
Prune juice, brown sugar, oily espresso, sugar plums, branch hops and a barrel hit.
Sweet coffee finish and dry linger. Med-light, soft, round, chewy, sticky.

Sweet and light – a hot weather FES. Malt bomb, but easy and quenching. Interesting take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 13:10:44 | More by StJamesGate

samyoung

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Hamtramck liquor store on north Jo. Campau had a special on Lion. Have seen this one many times but have never bitten the bullet. This time the price was right.

A-Very nice, thick, creamy, black as night.
S-Roasted malty with hints of cream.
T-Smooth, with some hoppiness. Somewhat weak for stout. No doubt Haywards Black is a half assed copy of this recipe.
M-Fleeting.
O-Sri Lankans make a decent stout. Michael Jackson cannot be wrong as the label correctly implies.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 00:14:32 | More by samyoung

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.25/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is coffee black. The dark cream head dissipates to a wisp. Minimal lacing. Smells weird, like Elmer's glue. Tastes of sweet vanilla over roasted malts and bitter chocolate. There is a brown sugar thing in there too, I swear. And to mimic the smell, a hint of glue! ??? The mouthfeel is a carbonated soda like feel.

Overall, this beer is weird. Not necessarily in a bad way. But I do detect a weird glue smell and taste. I picked up the brown sugar presence later on as the beer warmed up. I will say that for 8.8% ABV, the alcohol is hardly detectable, which is awesome, I hate boozy beers. I've seen this in stores for years, and was curious. I won't ever have one again, but at least I know what it is. Not bad, just interesting.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 02:12:08 | More by JuicesFlowing

madeofsteel

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours as black as night, with just a trace of reddish brown the very edge of the glass. Finger and a half of brown cappuccino looking froth. Not much retention, but some very sexy lacing.

S - Not much going on in the nose. Faint smell of coffee. Burnt malts.

T - Bitter chocolate and coffee. Some balancing sweetness. Roasty, burnt, with traces of black licorice. Better when it's good and warm.

M - The alcohol here is noticeable, but is warming. Perfect for where I live right now, like a cocoa or something. Kind of dry for my liking, though.

O - This beer should definitely be consumed at a warmer temp, more flavors work together and the body really starts to come out. Reasonably priced for what it is: a very well rounded stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 01:53:02 | More by madeofsteel

plfahey

Minnesota

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

625mL bottle poured into a wine glass.

Appearance-Brown-black and almost totally opaque. Head is yellow-khaki with decent retention and great lacing.

Aroma-Chocolate syrup with intense berry aromas-tart blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Sweet, blackstrap molasses and black currants as well. Some roast and slight caramel as well. Interesting candy berry sweetness.

Flavor-Chocolatey and fruity up front, with some caramel-like sweetness. In the finish, roast flavors and slight black espresso come through, with medium low hop bitterness and low hop flavor. Some fruity ester notes linger on in the aftertaste which is mostly chocolatey/roasty and semi-dry.

Mouthfeel-Medium full body with moderately high carbonation. Soft carbonation and full body with some alcohol warmth.

Very exotic and tasty-a lovely example of a tropical export stout. Always a good go-to export stout. Love it.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 08:00:00 | More by plfahey

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.68/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from an 11.2oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a short light brown head that fades slowly and leaves a thick on the glass.

S: The aroma contains dark fruit, coffee, chocolate, licorice and roasted malts.

T: The taste starts out with a quick burst of smokiness that is followed by a hearty roasted malt character. Then some flavors of coffee, milk chocolate, dark fruit and spices come in along with a mild sweetness. The hops presence is very mild but complementary and brings a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty with good complexity, goes down easily, not too filling, good kick, good representation of style, although there are others in the style that I would choose first, this is a solid beer worth drinking for a while.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2011 04:48:08 | More by TheManiacalOne

dansmcd

Australia

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

A - Two fingers of dense, soapy tan head over the jet black body. The head recedes to a collar and some minimal lacing.

S - Chocolate, licorice, dark fruit and spices.

T - Bitter dark chocolate dominates, with a supporting hint of coffee, ash and a slight alcohol heat.

M - Chalky mouthful, moderate body, medium carbonation, bitter and warming with a dry finish.

O - A quality export stout, and just the ticket with some chocolate bisuits after dinner.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 23:29:51 | More by dansmcd

hdelavega

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle to an oversized wine glass.
Dark oily black in color, light khaki head.
Nice roasty chocolate malt character in the nose, very well masked alcohol, a tiny bit of dark fruit, carmal, and vanilla.
Taste is full of chocolate, a bit of chili, some mote vanilla. I get some mote fruit, defiantly a nice coffee bitterness,
Mouth feel has a pretty high carbonation. A bit creamy, there is a bit more chilli in the finish. Pretty thin body.
Overall not bad, I love using this stout for cooking but rarely buy it to drink. Not a bad beer at all though.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 02:00:11 | More by hdelavega

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

blakelive784

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle served into standard pint glass:

A - Pours a non transparent dark brown/black color. The head is two fingers, devoid of cream, and terrible retention. Excusable for the high abv.

S - Bitter chocolates, roasted malts, and a strange olive smell. Relatively mild, and the ethanol is present.

T - Much better than the nose predicted. Sweet cream and chocolate on the open. Roasty backbone is evident throughout. Extremely well built. High abv isn't noticeable until the finish, where it fits.

M - Full bodied, smooth and wet. Nearly perfect.

D - Hides its abv very well, well balanced, and extremely drinkable. I'm very surprised with this one and will have it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 02:24:31 | More by blakelive784

MadeInOregon

California

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

What the heck is Sri Lanka doing making beer like this?! I guess colonialism has had SOME good lasting legacies afterall...

THE APPEARANCE of the Lion Stout is the most surprising aspect of this beer: Thick, frothy lacing follows a dense, mocha-colored head, atop a completely opaque black body. Little yeast is left in the bottle when poured out, and subsequently a good amount clings to the sides of the glass and eventually makes its way to the bottom. This stout looks very malty and chewy, and could easily pass for a big, imperial stout or a barrel-aged brew.

THE SMELL, when cold, is very faint...almost zero. After it warms a lot, I picked out cocoa, big alcohol aromas, and little hops. There are strong Kahlua, sherry, and port qualities to this beer when fully warmed--it's just a shame it takes so much patience to bring out the aromas.

THE TASTE is good, just as I remember from the other times I've had it in the past. Like the smell, the taste is heavily muted and tame when cold so it really needs to warm. I found room temp to actually be the point at which I could really get a sense of everything this beer has to offer: rich, sweet, mocha, cocoa. To me, it tastes like an oatmeal stout with strong barleywine qualities. It has a dry finish and a slight wineyness to it, which are interesting for a stout.

THE FEEL is medium-thin and fairly hot for a stout, due to the high alcohol content. It is incredibly warming and despite being unusually strong for a basic stout it is very drinkable.

CONCLUSION: Lion Stout looks massive but is actually a little underwhelming considering so much of its nature is masked until you hit about 55 degrees in temp. It is a good stout and certainly should be enjoyed for that. However, this is not an "extreme" beer in the American craft beer sense so it will be a let down if approached in that way.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 03:26:12 | More by MadeInOregon

hhboulder

Colorado

4.65/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours an oil black with ruby around the rim when held up to the light. Tan with some orange head with decent retention and thin wispy lacing.

Get the typical roasted and chocolate malt nose, but, beyond that, is much more interesting than typical stouts, even compared with guiness extra foreign--a great stout. There are sweet caramel notes as well as fruity esters similar to a port wine.

Sweet roasted toffee and chocolates but also goes above and beyond with dark fruits. Minimal bitterness, definitely balanced to malts. Finish is a little dry but very enjoyable with lingering sweet caramel and toffee.

Warming alcohol that is somehow very pleasant for this ABV. Creamy with medium body and moderate carb.

Surprisingly VERY good stout in a can from Sri Lanka. I'll be buying this over Guiness Foreign Extra from now on. It just has more going on than the typical "chocolate, coffee, espresso, roasted" flavors of a stout...

Serving type: can

11-04-2011 02:40:51 | More by hhboulder

MoustacheHero

Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A canned beer from Sri Lanka? I'm skeptical... Sri Lanka, formerly Su Lan. It was about 3 in the morning and I was looking for 1000 brown M&M's to fill a brandy glass, but back to the beer.

A: This can of motor oil poured pitch black into my glass with a milk chocolate head.

S: A faint smell of sweet malt, coffee and hot liquor.

T: An amazing strong flavor of coffee, caramel, fig, and hot liquor. A real surprise.

M: A big body, light on carbonation, high on creaminess and sticky syrup.

O: A mind blowing beer from a can. Like it dark and big? Then wrestle this Lion.

Serving type: can

11-03-2011 07:37:03 | More by MoustacheHero

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

ckollias

Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this 11.5 oz bottle out of a pint glass.

A: Pours a pitch black color with a one-finger tan head that leaves a gorgeous trail all the way down the glass and ends in a wispy lace.

S: Great aromas of roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee.

T: Similar to the smell, roasted malts, chocolate and coffee flavors cross the palate. Smooth brew with a creamy body.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Hands down, one of the best stouts I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 01:08:59 | More by ckollias

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured in to Founder's tulip.

A - Poured black with 2 fingers of foamy light brown head.

S - Roasted malts, a touch of licorice, some hazelnut and a some light coffee notes. Alcohol is slightly noticeable and the overall nose is somewhat bland.

T - Roasted malts, a touch of coffee, chocolate and some sweetness. Not overly complex for the style but still an enjoyable and easy to drink beer. The alcohol is also somewhat noticeable on the palate.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 21:30:37 | More by TheSevenDuffs

welldigger888

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured an opaque inky black with a tan head that leaves envious lacing.

Roasty & yeasty with a hint of that foriegn extra sourness. Very malty roasty nose that seems to good to be true. Coffee semi sweet chocolate and a nice layering of tart souring that remind one of the old sour mash bourbon. WOW this rivals the untouchable guiness foreign extra for sure.

Thick and creamy roasty goodness leads the way. Nice chocolatey dark coffee goodness leads to a dry roasted grain. Again with the hint of sour dryness that leaves one longing for more.

Full and dry, wow this beer rocks the house.

When availible on draft and fresh, buy mass quanities.

Serving type: growler

10-20-2011 23:46:05 | More by welldigger888

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

brewskifan55

Mississippi

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

Poured into a plastic cup at Sydney's while walking around the French Quarter

Appearance: brown/black color with a 1 finger head that sticks around.

Smell: caramel, chocolate, alcohol

Taste: coffee, chocolate, with a hint of anise. A slight fruity finish. A very smooth yet complex stout. Didn't realize the ABV was so high; no wonder I was feeling so mellow.

Mouthfeel: medium, creamy, good carbonation

Overall: The guy at Sydney's said if I liked Old Rasputin, I'd enjoy this stout. It definately ain't Old Raspy, but it's got an easy drinkability like OR. Bold but enjoyable. And all the way from Sri Lanka, no less. A fine sipper while watching the Mississippi River roll on by.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 19:55:21 | More by brewskifan55