Collaboration No. 3 - Stingo - Boulevard Brewing Co.

emerge077

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark murky russet brown, a sizable head on the first pour, second not so much. Retention is pretty good as it takes awhile for the foam to break. Not much lace.

Brown sugar, rum raisin, almond, shortcake aromas, lightly sweet but not cloyingly so.

Dried fruit and caramel, slight nutty almond. Lightly bitter with a slight tanginess, clean dry finish with some residual toasty, nutty malt derived flavors. Alcohol is ever so slightly perceptible as it warms up. Creamy and fairly smooth, punctuated by that light tangy tart plum note in the back (intentional as described on the label). Overall pleasant to drink, seems suited for cool Fall weather. May pick up another to cellar until late winter.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2012 00:14:15 | More by emerge077

Arbitrator

California

3.7/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Chilled bottle into a glass. Thanks to JeepCop for this one!

A: Pours a clear, mahogany body that darkens to opaque in larger quantities. The head is a creamy, substantial affair that rises to 1.5 fingers and maintains a thick collar throughout the drink.

S: Earthy and malty; this Stingo has a breakfast coffee aroma with grain, plums, ripe apples, and caramel.

T: This reminds me a little of holiday bread. Grain, caramel, plums, apples. The finish has a little mineral quality to it, along with a burst of astringency near the close. Hops contribute an underlying earthiness.

M: Velvety carbonation. The beer finishes dry; this is probably in line with the style, but I'd like something a little richer for a strong ale.

O: I've only had one other Stingo, so I'm not sure how to judge this one. I found it fairly tasty, but it's not particularly my style. The dryness and mineral finish were off-putting for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 02:41:06 | More by Arbitrator

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is the second beer that I've had that claims to be in the stingo style, ironically the other one made by Samuel Smith is rumored to be a recipe designed by Dann Paquette. Pours a dark brown with ruby highlights and a huge beige head that sticks around forever as it laces the sides of the glass. I got lots of chocolate and a bit of banana right after popping the cork on this brew, but those seem to have subsided. Lots of caramel and dark sugars with some dark and tart fruits along with a hint of spice. this reminds me a lot of a Belgian Strong Dark. The flavor is really complex and varied. I get a rush of caramel, chocolate, and dark dried fruit maltiness right up front. Tart fruit and a hint of ethanol break through that and never really let go of you. There's and earthy almost salty flavor that cuts in somewhere towards the end. Medium to thick body with a moderate to ample level of carbonation and a sweet salty tart mouthfeel going on. I thought I had reviewed the Yorkshire one, I guess I didn't, I would have really liked to compare the two. This is an interesting beer, it's wildly complex and varied, but maybe to its detriment, as the flavors seem a bit less than harmonious. If I come across another bottle I may pick it up just to see what a little age does to this.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 21:40:25 | More by johnnnniee

bump8628

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Much anticipated - I love big English-style beers and Pretty Things does them really well, and Boulevard rarely misses on their limited release beers. Pours chestnut brown with a dense head of khaki foam aided by generous carbonation. Aroma is surprisingly mild with a light toasted gain note, faint toffee, roast, and an herbal flair. Things become a little more interesting on the palate. Balance leans towards the bitter side. Classic English strong ale flavors - caramel, short bread, biscuit, and toffee, along with a fairly strong Breakfast Blend coffee note. A musky, earthy wood note is persistent from start to finish. The dry finish is accented by a very subtle lactic twang. Nice indeed, but not quite as great as I hoped, perhaps my expectations were a bit too lofty. The biggest drawbacks are the dryness and slightly excessive carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 16:41:51 | More by bump8628

FosterJM

California

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

1503rd Review on BA
Bottle to Smokestack Chalice
750 ml C/C

Batch 1-2012-1

Thanks to my mom for bringing this to CA for me.

App- When you pop the cork and pour this out, you are greeted with a mahogany/amber looking brew. A bit of a shimmering beer with deep highlights and good density in the glass. The head was quite a bit large on each pour. A good 2-1/2-3 fingers worth. My glass was solid with cling and lace. Quite a good looking beer.

Smell- This was a bit of a mish mash of aromatics in the glass. It was similar to a quad for me with a lot of dark rich fruits. Plums, dark cherries and figs. A bit earthy and full of malts as well. Balanced out by a sort of tart, grassy, earthy aroma with a tinge of bitter hops.

Taste- The nose was correct on this one. The quad flavors carry over on the 1st couple sips and as the beer integrates in the glass you are moved to a hoppy, bitter and tart flavor. The middle has a very English Mild ale flavor with a bready, malty flavor and the finish has a little bit of chocolate to it.

Mouth- A very nice feel to this one. It was a bit bubbly on the pour and I was skeptical at 1st. The body on this one was a lighter medium with a bit of a chewy caramel malt flavor remaining. The carbonation was a bit prickly and pushed the higher carbonation threshold.

Drink- For some reason, I have become a big Boulevard homer ever since my parents moved to KS. Great beers that dont break the bank. This was an another example. Good flavors intermixed with some flaws, wasnt expecting perfection. Just a good collaboration beer and got that.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 14:52:43 | More by FosterJM

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: one inch head, cloudy, dark caramel brown in color, high carbonation

Smell: toffee and dark chocolate

Taste: toffee, dark chocolate, hazelnut, coffee, and tobacco

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, medium carbonation, sweet

Overall: A very English style tasting beer. Complex. This almost tastes like a winter warmer out of season. Tobacco and toffee play very strong here. Interesting, not sure if I would get it again, but worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 13:24:42 | More by tigg924

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for sharing this

Review adapted from notes taken 9/7/12

Appearance: Hazy, dark amber/brown - pours with a nice, beige, creamy head - leaves some sticky, chunky lacing

Smell: Loads of caramel malts - grainy bread and some lighter malts - dry English hops, grassy/weedy - very British, with minerality (smells of rocks), and a musty sour/tart character - some dark fruits

Taste: Caramel malts and caramelized grains - cooked sugar, with some dried, dark fruits - grassy, with some herbal notes, earthy, some musty, vaguely sour and tart rocks - tastes more English than some beers actually brewed in England

Mouthfeel: Medium, nicely smooth, with a sticky/tart aftertaste

Overall: Good for what it is, but not something to write home about

If the goal was to make a beer that tastes genuinely British, that goal has been accomplished. Otherwise, this is not particularly good. Dark fruits and grass, with a distinctive sour/tartness that I have previously complained about in regard to some Samuel Smith beers. But that's just my opinion, I understand this is an intended aspect of the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 04:33:36 | More by angrybabboon

EgadBananas

Louisiana

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750mL bottle poured into my Boulevard Smokestack Chalice.

Pours a dark ruby colour. Some blood red, lighter colours shine through around the edges and bottom. A dark cream coloured head adorns, laces nicely.

There is an aroma of chocolate, dark fruits, plums.

Hints of chocolate in the taste, slight sweet dark fruits, and notes of tart fruits.

Nice creamy, near full body. Tinges of carbonation breaks of the slickness.

Not familiar too much with this type of English ale, but it's well made and quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 18:58:10 | More by EgadBananas

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.25/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to FTowne for this bottle...

A: Pours a deep mahogany, deeps brown and red hues abound. There is about two full fingers of a light khaki colored head. The foam takes quite awhile to settle, and there is good lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is malt heavy with a bit of funk. I get a lot of soaked pumpernickel bread, raisin, caramel, and sour cherry. It's a weird one.

T: This beer starts out with a mix of sweet and tart. The are notes of caramel and raisin right up front with a definite tart funk to it. The middle is really bready and malty. As it progresses to the middle, I get a bunch of funk. It's tart, sour, and bitter.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's wet to start and coats the palate in caramel, malt, and funk. The flavors oscillate from between sweet and sour all the way through the beer. There is a lingering sour/bitter note in the finish.

O: This is definitely not one of my favorites from Boulevard and/or Pretty Things. It's just all over the place and the flavors seem to clash more then blend. I'm happy to have tried it, but I'll pass on any future bottles.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 18:00:56 | More by trxxpaxxs

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Big fluffy, light khaki head. Massive retention. Creamy. Lively carbonation. Beer is. Nice deep copper. Slight haze. Nice burnt orange hues when held to the light.

Smell: Hyper malty. Big caramel, roasted malts in abundance. Toffee, some phenolic astringency. Aspirin bitterness. Biscuity. Bite of alcohol on the back. Cooked malts. Extremely caramelized. Minerals and rocks. Toasted rocks.

Taste: Burnt sugar, caramel, toffee, and hyper cooked malts. Caramelized into oblivion. Big hit of minerality on the finish. Almost vegetal. Earthy and herbal. Musty. Big sugary, earthy sweetness. Huge toasted edge. As it warms the phenols go in to overdrive. It's not infected, but oxidation is real kids.

Mouthfeel: Carbonation is over high. Nice medium body. Clean.

Overall: I expected more from this beer. It's amazingly British which is nice, but the flavors fall apart in the long run. Big malts.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 18:08:35 | More by Goblinmunkey7

brentk56

North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a cloudy ice tea color with a rocky head that leaves a few shards behind

Smell: Rather fruity, with a range of overripe stone fruit buttressed by caramel and a hint of figs

Taste: Overripe, and almost rotting stone fruit, up front, with an earthy hop character developing by mid-palate; somewhat harsh and metallic, after the swallow, though the fruit flavors linger in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: I like many of the beers from both of these breweries but I wasn't crazy about the metallic and rotting fruit flavors in this beer; then again, I am not the biggest fan of Yorkshire Stingo, either

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 02:34:39 | More by brentk56

champ103

Texas

4.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a lovely garnet/brown color. A two finger beige head forms with excellent retention, and the spiderweb looking lace is impressive.
S: Chocolate and toffee sweetness. The chocolate is slightly bitter. Coffee in the nose as well. Some wood aromas in the finish.
T: Follows the nose with a slightly bitter chocolate flavor. Toffee sweetness, bread and biscuit. Very slight tart cherries. Wood lingers. More an more dark fruits come out as this warms.I like it.
M/D: A medium to full body. Good carbonation that is creamy and smooth. So easy and enjoyable to drink. I will finish the bottle in no time. A treat to sip on.

I really enjoy this. Another hit from the Smokestack Series, and a great collaboration as well. If you like Fuller's 1845 or Sam Smith Stingo, this is for you. Something I would highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 02:12:55 | More by champ103

Chirpie

Kansas

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked up four bottles of this. For a limited release it was nice to see the price not in the stratosphere ($9 for a big bottle) unlike a few others I had recently. (Love Child No 2 comes to mind.)

I was surprised to see other people see pours with only a finger and a half on them. I didn't pour very aggressively at all and had a three finger head easy in a tulip.

With a light behind the glass it gives off a dark auburn tan appearance that's quite nice.

Nose gives off aroma of bitter chocolate, caramel, and coffee grinds.

The taste? Copy/paste the smell. Only downside is the coffe-like flavor tends to run the show where I'd like a bit more balance from the other stuff.

The mouthfeel is the highlight of this brew for me. Nice and creamy. (The really fine bubbles from the pour should've been my first clue this might've been the case.)

Overall, it's a solid beer. Just good enough that I'm glad I picked up 4 of them on a chance that I might not get more. Glad to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 02:04:12 | More by Chirpie

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottles served in a wine glass. Pours a beautiful, deep, plum-colored hue with a half inch, dense, cream-colored head embedded with pinpricks and ringlets. Nose is somewhat subdued expressing only some faint, fruity esters. Taste is reminiscent of a Quad, although not as full-bodied, with the addition of some smokey and slightly metallic notes. Mouthfeel is medium-light with an even carbonation. Overall, I can't say that I'm overly familiar with the style, having only had Sam Smith's Stingo to compare this one to. As such, in rating this to my personal preferences, I thought that it was a decent beer, but not something I need to try again, and a far cry from the better beers produced by these two breweries.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 21:28:09 | More by Jwale73

scratch69

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I poured the bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance- Semi transparent, dark brown color with a finger and a half worth of tan head. Fair amount of lacing.

Smell- Nutty malt sweetness with notes of fruit and some yeast.

Taste- Malt flavors and some nuttiness at the start with tart fruit flavors at the finish. Well blended.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied and crisp. Large amount of prickly carbonation.

Overall- Good beer. It reminded me of a brown ale mixed with wild ale. I will be having this one again.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 14:58:57 | More by scratch69

homebrew311

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into Chimay glass. Appearance is murky and purple in hue, thin head settles into a layer. Aroma is fruity at the start with some Belgiany esters. This is quickly countered by a more robust malt presence with notes of coffee, light roast. Taste starts sweet with notes of grape and berry. This is followed with a touch of lactic tartness and a bit of bitter coffee. The flavors are mending very nicely, the tartness throws off the robust qualities. The mouthfeel is medium with medium carbonation. Overall, interesting and unique, but not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 21:14:26 | More by homebrew311

csiewert

Oregon

3.43/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - hazy nut brown color with a finger of solid tan head that retains extrememly well an leaves a good bit of lacing. When I think 'English ale' this is exactly what I imagine it looks like.

S - nutty, bready malts, with some coffee and dark chocolate. A touch of dark fruit and yeasty notes thrown in there as well.

T - this is where it falls short for me... You get the strong malty character with the roasted and bready malts up front and some dark fruit, but it is quickly taken over by strong harsh phenolic and sometimes metallic flavors... These stick around for quite some time on the tongue.

M - slightly overcarbed, burning sensation in the mouth... Residual sweetness also coats the tounge a bit

O - I'm beginning to wonder if maybe mine was mishandled pretty bad by the store... Otherwise some off flavors from the yeast really got through on this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 01:00:55 | More by csiewert

Reaper16

Alabama

4.4/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750mL bottle served into a tulip glass

Pours a ruddy looking reddish brown color, like ruby red splashed with mud. It's not so dark that you can't see through it. Two fingers of tight, light tan head (with a hint of pink in it). It dissipates to 1/4 of a finger after a few minutes, but the lacing is real nice. As most Smokestack Series beers are, this looks fantastic.

The aroma, however, is not. There's a dominant note of cardboard or wood shavings. It's like paper treated with plastic or something. Underneath that you can tell there's some interesting malt dynamics going on. Deep toasted breadcrust aromas meet a sort of light butterscotch component. There's some rose hips in here (a floral note for sure; rose hips is just what my mind associated). A healthy degree of coffee bean aroma opens up as the beer warms. Too bad for that heavy cardboardy note.

That cardboard/wood shavings note is entirely absent on the palate, thankfully. The dynamics of the malt flavors and English yeast here are quite complex. Breadcrusts and toffee and banana bread and stewed pear and rosewater and coffee beans and alcohol heat and underneath it all is some TART pear/apple. Man, that subtle tartness is refreshing. Part of the blend of this beer was allowed to sour, so this tart note is here as a result. It helps to break up the heavy coffee-and-dark-bread malt flavors. Another review here intimated that this beer, while complex, is somewhat disjointed. I must disagree. This tastes like an English Strong Ale for sure. It's coherent at every step; the tart note makes so much sense in this beer.

This bottle is perhaps a touch overcarbonated. This isn't very "stingy" with alcohol, not really, but that feeling is amplified because of the active carbonation. But I'm nitpicking. The body itself has a great feel and carries the flavors well; any thicker and this could get to be a bit much.

Overall, I find this to be a tremendous English Strong Ale. It's deeply complex and delicious. This is a smashing success.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2012 01:35:15 | More by Reaper16

JoEBoBpr

Missouri

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a tulip glass from a 750ml bottle.

Pours a very nice dark mahogany with some caramel and amber edges. There is a nice light tan head that forms and is about 1.5 inches tall. Quite small bubbles are present but the head is light and fluffy. Retention is pretty nice with some slight lacing.

Aromas of some figs and some nice sweet yet mild caramel. A bit of barrel in there? Nice rich malt nose is present. The sweetness in the nose is pretty nice with some good rich caramel notes and some darker fruits. There are some yeasty esters to it almost like it could be a wild ale. Very nice nose.

Flavor starts off with some interesting rich and slightly roasty notes. Then there is some sweetness that pops up. Malty grain notes with some underlying caramel. There is some bready notes mixed in with the sweetness and some slight tart notes that pop up here an there. There is some yeasty chalky flavors to the brew as well. Mouthfeel is a bit lighter than expected.

Not my favorite from the series but still an interesting brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 22:49:12 | More by JoEBoBpr

claspada

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poura a clear, dark burgundy color with a rather large tan bubbly head. As the foam recedes there are some fairly long lasting rings of sticky lace on the glass.

Aromas begin quite dark and earthy with dark carmelized maltiness, sweeter butterscotch and some lighter fruity notes. As it warms you get some mild floral hops and some earthy, musty, oaky, leathery notes.

The tastes begin with heavy on the malts highlighted by toasted nuts, sweet toffee and caramelized sugars. Light, tart, almost tangy fruity flavors in the background with emerging leather and oak once again.

M - It was crisp and smooth. The mouthfeel is meadium to full-bodied with medium carbonation. Finish is a little heavy/chewy with some warming alcohol.

Overall this was a very tasty beer, but it should really be shared because of the intense and complex nature of the flavor profile. Glad I bought a few to see how it changes in 6 months or so.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 16:46:45 | More by claspada

billab914

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle poured into my Bruery snifter. Dark brown in color with a frothy, dense head to it. Pretty decent head retention to it.

The aroma has a rich maltiness to it with caramel, toffee and a little dark fruit. It's got a bit of a toasty, roasted malt quality to it with a some coffee and dark chocolate to it. I'm getting some sweeter, banana like flavors coming out as it warmed.

The taste shows a little more of the darker, roasted malts to it with some stronger notes of coffee and dark chocolate. The finish is where I get a little more of the sweeter caramel and dark fruits. It's got some tartness lingering into the finish as well.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side of the style with carbonation being moderate. Overall, it was a good beer. It had some bold flavors to it, and they come together well. Pretty enjoyable beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 21:05:39 | More by billab914

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 750ml bottle into Globe glass.

A. Wouldn't be a Smokestack series beer without a well carbonated pour. Pours 3 fingers of offwhite head. Great retention. Pretty thick lacing. Color is a very dark amber brown.

S. Some earthiness, and some musty yeast smell. Followed by some pretty sweet malt, with a touch of dark fruit. A little bit of brown sugar, and molasses with some spiciness. Get a little bit of Brett on the nose.

T. Some earthy nutty malt flavor is predominant. A bit of sweetness comes out towards the end with some caramel and brown sugar, but it is pretty dry up front. Some amber/nut brown qualities. Pretty smooth. No alcohol flavor or presence. Not overly complex or extremely flavorful. As it warmed up got more Brett flavors on the back of the tongue.

M. Medium/full bodied. Good carbonation. Finishes with a slight touch of lingering sweetness.

O. Probably not the most exciting Smokestack series beer that I have had, but its different. Its nice to see the exploration of different styles.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 21:32:21 | More by siradmiralnelson

mdfb79

New York

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From 08/17/12 notes. Had on tap at Stoddard's in Boston, MA. Served in a pint glass.

a - Pours a very dark brown color with one inch of light tan head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of roasted malts, toasted malts, caramel malts, bananas, and burnt malts, and some like brett. Pretty nice malty nose.

t - Tastes or burnt malts, toasted malts, roasted malts, nuts, light fruits, caramel malts, toffee, light funk/brett.

m - Medium body and moderate to high carbonation. A little bit overcarbonated but nice.

o - Overall a pretty good beer. Tons of dark malts and some light brett, another nice beer from Boulevard I'd have again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2012 20:37:00 | More by mdfb79

GregSVT

Texas

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a hazy brown with a big tan head that fades to a ring and leaves some lacing on the glass.

S: The nose is pretty fragrant with nice notes of chocolate malt, dark ripe grapes, figs, and a hint of vanilla.

T: The taste follows the nose pretty closely. There are flavors of tart cherries, dark fruits, cocoa, and chocolate milk.

M: The feel is creamy but the carbonation is a bit too bubbly for my tastes. It almost seems overcarbed a bit...may be better with some age.

O: This was an interesting beer but not something I would drink all the time. I would like to try this again in a few years.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 01:57:56 | More by GregSVT

ncfranklin

Alabama

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750mo cork & caged. I've never had a "stingo" before, so here we go.

A: Rusty dark brown pours with a small finger frothy tan head. Thick and very hazy.

S: What an odd aroma. Roasty aromas, biscuit, light chocolate? Fitting of the dark color.

T: Very curious beer. Rich and malt up front. A middle of some biting grassy english hops is present, and this odd sourlike tartness in the finish. The blending here is very good, as the flavors aren't overpowered by any other.

M: Medium body, but it's surprisingly crisp. Dry finish.

O: Well, a "stingo" has a little sting... and a lot of o. Malty, tart, bitter, it's kinda all over the place. Enjoyable however in depth.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 01:04:01 | More by ncfranklin