Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout - Brooklyn Brewery

PorterLambic

Florida

2.1/5  rDev -42%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Arrives dark, nearly black, with a solid finger-width of tight foam resting on top. Retention is not so great as it dropped to a film in under 60 seconds. Good lacing though.
Smell is .... restrained. Weak. Coffee, cardboard and light malt notes are all I found.
Taste is weak, too. Weak coffee, toasted malt and cardboard notes are all that show up to the party and that's sad as Brooklyn is usually way better than this. The balance is good but so underwhelming.
To top off the Guinness recreation the body is light and watery with little aftertaste. Effervescence is appropriate and well done but that and lacing alone will not save this beer. If I wanted a pin of the most famous stout I would have ordered it instead. This needs to be redone. An ashy note does show up in the aftertaste. Slight warming as well.

Serving type: on-tap

06-20-2012 22:38:15 | More by PorterLambic

mdanberg

Delaware

2.53/5  rDev -30.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours dark with a slight head that dissipates soon after.

S- Strong chocolate, roasty notes

T - The carbonation took some of the taste away for me. Seems pretty bland compared to the smell, although I do get some slight chocolaty, roasty flavors coming through.

M - This feels like it has more carbonation than most dry stouts I've tried. Other than that, it has a typical light, airy feel and is easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 05:17:33 | More by mdanberg

freystout17

Ohio

2.59/5  rDev -28.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Thin, watery, and not a nice finish. This beer is probably the most disappointing of the Brooklyn beers I've ever tasted. This is not near as good as Guinness domestic (which itself is overrated).
If you want a good stout, look elsewhere. The Brooklyn dark chocolate stout is excellent. Albeit in a different category, there is no reason this brewer cannot make a really first class dry stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 02:49:40 | More by freystout17

dedrinker

Kansas

2.86/5  rDev -21%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

The beer looks black with a tan head - just like a stout. It has a roasted grain smell that weakly suggests coffee or chocolate, but more like roasted chicory root.

The taste is a big disappointment. So bland for a stout. so mild, so...Yeungling porter.

Light body and just nothing to chew on, nothing to warm my soul on a chilly rainy night.

It's so very Garret Oliver - big on fancy talk and small on flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2013 16:11:14 | More by dedrinker

MONKandTUCK

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- It's a dry stout, not much to report. However, this beer lacked that classic, elegant white-cloud cap.

A - Some hints of roast.... like when you enter a coffee shop. Some malts.

T - Pedestrian. I'm not sure of the objective; either this was meant to be a session-worth Stout, or accessible to those who'd normally avoid the harshness of a Stout. If the former, I'd prefer a beer weaker than 6% ABV, but with more bite and complexity. If meant for the latter, they should've used more English light roast malts.
*I had had some IPA's earlier in the day, so if my palate was wrecked, mea culpa. The said, this was stunningly reminiscent of a Schwarzbier my friends and I had been drinking. Those who had avoided IPA's thought so, too.

M - I wanted to dock them some points. This beer is thin for a Stout, especially at 6%. That said, it's not a very sweet beer and it finishes dry. It squeaks by as mediocre, but you'll be disappointed if you expect the classic mouthfeel.

O - I feel that if Sam Adam's or Leinenkugel or some pseudo-microbrewery were to do an Irish Dry Stout this is what you'd get.

Brooklyn had an opportunity to really put themselves over the top here. They skimped on the Roasted malt and flaked grains, probably to generate mass appeal, causing their beer to fall short of fair expectation.

It goes without saying that O'Hara's and Yard's have MUCH better offerings in the Philly area. Honestly, I'd much prefer a Guinness Extra Stout, next time. Or even a Donnybrook or Sly Fox version of the Irish Stout, though they're half the strength.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2012 11:06:51 | More by MONKandTUCK

bum732

Maryland

3/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

S: A very ashy dryness, faint dark chocolate.

L: Dark brown bordering on black. Light tan creamy head that dissipates to a dusting. Decent lacing.

T: Touch of coffee up front before a fairly toasty maltiness. Medium bitterness with some faint fruity esters. Medium high roasty dry finish.

M: Medium thin body, but fairly creamy. Medium low carbonation.

Not bad, definitely a dry stout. I could drink a lot of this, but i prefer my own homebrewed version.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 02:42:49 | More by bum732

Bills453

Ohio

3/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.75

Appearance - very dark brown to black but the cocoa-white head dissipates far too quickly. I like drinking my stout with a good head.

Smell - small hints of chocolate and roastiness...nothing too strong tho.

Taste - again like the smell you get hints of small flavor but nothing bold like I like my brews.

Mouthfeel - is quite nice.

Overall - just not one of my favorite stouts, I think I prefer Guinness.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 21:31:41 | More by Bills453

GallowsThief

Florida

3.05/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at the House of Brews in Jensen Beach.

A – Poured out black with a nice solid finger of tan head. Not much retention and spotty light lacing.

S – Coffee and roasted malts but a light smeller.

T - Roasted malts come first on the palate. Has a campfire like flavor. Light chocolate, vanilla and dark fruit in the mix. Lingering hops finish the brew with just a trace bitterness.

M – Medium bodied. Average carbonation. Creamy to start and finishes off dry.

O – This was just an average brew to me. I just didn’t get a depth of flavor I was expecting. It is not by any means bad but I would not reach for another. Certainly worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

03-31-2012 21:14:51 | More by GallowsThief

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a shaker pint.

Appearance
Dark, dark brown (almost black) with some light penetration. Short tan head dissipates quickly.

Nose
Caramel, coffee and cocoa.

Taste
Caramel, Cola and medium roast coffee. Touches of roasted cocoa bean.

Mouthfeel
Light-medium bodied, crisp and clean.

Overall
Pretty thin on flavor and rather watery. Easy drinking and sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 19:23:17 | More by justintcoons

ThirstyBehr

Maryland

3.21/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A- dark black body with thick mocha head

S- all malt coffee and chocolate

T- coffee malt dominant, slight earthy hop, dry finish

M- thin and dry just like the style suggests, light carbonation

O- a nice dry Irish stout, a good session beer with good balance

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 17:20:49 | More by ThirstyBehr

rangerred

Tennessee

3.23/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours an opaque black with a one finger dark tan head. Good hear retention and average lacing.

Aroma of cocoa powder, roasted malt, and some metal. Some light cappaccino too.

The flavor has more milk chocolate with some very lightly roasted coffee and dark toasted bread. Unfortunately there is a little bit of a metallic note that is carried over from the aroma along with some cardboard. Some tartness and tannic bitterness that kind of throws the flavors out of balance. Mouthfeel is on the watery side ending with some moderate stickyness.

Overall, I'm not terribly impressed with this beer. The mouthfeel is watery and the off flavors get to be a little much. With Guinness and Murphy's readily available along with O'haras, I can't see any reason to pick this up again. It doesn't really stack up to the Irish offerings.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:19:17 | More by rangerred

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Picked up a bottle of this in Totowa, since this was the first Brooklyn 12 oz. beer in years that I hadn't had before. Even though Saint Patrick's Day is over a month away, I figured that this had to be released for it given that the bottle had the colors of the Irish flag on it. Indeed, this was a good session beer but this reminded me of flat soda in so many ways. Yes, a Stout that can double as a session beer is not a bad thing but it has to stand out a bit more than this did!

Dark pour to this with just a wee hint of garnet around the edges. Not a lot of an aroma to this except for a smoky malt aroma that just needed a bit more peat in it to remind me of a Scotch Ale. The carbonation was light in mouthfeel but present and there wasn't any lacing to be seen either. Not a lot of coffee and hardly any chocolate to be felt here. Just an subtle burnt mouthfeel from start to finish but not dry enough to require a glass of water to wash everything down. Just a bit sticky too, which almost made me think that I had some fermented Coke to go along with this.

Had I bought the rest of the 6-pack, I could have downed them all tonight. Yes, this was that light and this didn't remind me of beer at all. While not a bad example of the style, I wish that there was more of a creamy and toffee-like tone to this, just to make it stand out a bit more. The East Kent Golding Hops may have lent just a bit of grassy bite to this but it's not enough and this needed a signature flavor to make it stand out just a bit above the level of ordinary.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 09:48:24 | More by JerzDevl2000

DavidST

Texas

3.29/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint tulip hybrid glass, best by June 2013. This pours a mostly black color with brown edges and a mid sized tan head. The smells are of dark roasted malts, a little milk sugar. The feel is medium, perhaps a little light. The taste is okay, light roasted malts but something seems missing, not my favorite from them.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 03:18:22 | More by DavidST

merc7186

New York

3.3/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer on tap at Mammosers in Hamburg NY, poured intoa pint glass.

A: Dark Opaque Hue, Passes No Light, Mild Off Brown Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Roasted Malts, Mild Coffee

T: Mild Roasted Malt, Mild Chocolate

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium to Full Bodied, Mildly Dry

Overall, its an okay irish stout but flavor was lacking.

Serving type: on-tap

02-29-2012 23:36:16 | More by merc7186

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

3.36/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 bottle purchased in New Haven, CT at the end of 1/13, unknown brewing/bottling date, served in a 12 oz. mug, drank 4/10/13 over one hour.

A: 4.25 - dark brown coloration, unable to see through, one finger tan head dissipating into solid glass lacing, minimal alcohol legs --> best aspect of this beer for sure

S: 3.5 - bleh, very little aroma coming off this beer; nothing unpleasant though

T: 3 - again, there is really very little going on here, slightly earthiness but not picking up on any coffee or chocolate notes as advertised, slight bitterness offered by EKG, some unpleasant bleach-y notes; I rate pretty high, so a 3 for me is certainly below average

M: 4 -smooth, creamy, probably would be even creamier if on nitro, no alcohol flavors (expected for the sessionable style)

O: 3.5 - below average for style; I drank it alongside with my dry Irish stout homebrew; I really like Brooklyn's stouts, especially their BCS (see my review for glorious praise) and Black Ops, but this one was really underwhelming due to the lack of dry coffee and chocolate notes as advertised; I wouldn't purchase this again, but, if offered, I certainly wouldn't turn it down either

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 03:54:10 | More by MNishCT77

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.39/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

First time having Brooklyn Irish Dry Stout. Picked out a fresh pint glass for the occasion.

Pours dark brown with almost two-fingers of a light tan cap. I forgot I bought this from a stand at room temperature, so I'm enjoying it at nearly the same.

Smells roasty and fairly dry. Some charred grain and light coffee notes mixing in and out of the nose. There is a slight hop earthiness pulling through as well. Very mild, even at this warmth.

Coffee and cocoa are both somewhat here, with coffee the front-runner. More char from the roasted malts apparent. Exquisite dryness in a stout, indicative of style. Not overly minerally or phenolically peaty. Hints of all of that, sure. A brighter nickel note surfaces in the finality as the finish dries up. Earthy English hops carry through with some added bitterness and vegetal notes.

Has a round mouthfeel, despite the beer being thinner than expected. Carbonation is a little bit too amped up. Polishes off nicely, even well above serving temperature. A few flaws exposed here in taste and in feel. Easily sessionable.

The feel is a letdown, and I'm not saying the beer has to have that creamy nitro Guinness thing going on. This one's still just a little too coarse, doesn't offer much else in flavor other than dry roast and coffee and earthy tones, and is just too faulty with attenuation and blandness. It's definitely not standing up to the Blue Chevre I'm eating. Let's hope it cools down and pairs well with a dinner of mushroom-swiss burgers and onion rings.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 01:30:10 | More by thecheapies

dogfishandi

New York

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

served on tap into a standard pint glass at Mammoser's Tavern in Hamburg, NY.

nearly black body with about one finger's worth of light tan colored head, faded to nothing after 5 minutes or so.

not too much going on in the aroma, pretty much typical of the style. lightly roasted malts with some slightly sweet toasted malts. only slightly fruity.

very similar to the aroma. sweet toasted malts and some fruity like esters with some light roasted malt.

slightly heavier side of light bodied. carbonation is just a touch on the high side. finishes with a light dry bitter feel.

overall this was pretty average for the style. i feel like a nitro tap would improve this beer overall so much. id gladly take this over guiness, slightly more flavor and body, but really not something i would buy again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 01:25:04 | More by dogfishandi

hustlesworth

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

A- clear and black with mahogany highlights. Thin tan head disappears quickly and drops some spots of lace.

S- roasted with a grainy tartness. Tobacco and leather, damp wood and a touch of smoke.

T- mild coffee with a citrus orange hop edge. Dry flavor as the name would suggest. Not a sweet beer at all. Earthy and woodsy and slightly acidic. Finishes even drier with lingering grain flavor.

MF- lighter than it looks with assertive prickly carbonation. Coating and roasty on the cheeks.

D- a sessionable stout but rather monotone.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 01:56:00 | More by hustlesworth

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.41/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle pours a mostly black color with a thick cap of tan head. Moderate retention and good lacing.

Nose is lightly roasty with a nice balancing sweetness. Malts are chocolaty and what’s this?...there is some leafy hops in here too. Smells nice.

Taste is definitely drier than it smells, the roast is bigger too. Bitterness goes a long way on the finish. Body is thin...but not overly for the style. Pretty simple, not a whole lot of flavor, mostly just roasty malt with a slight sour twinge. I’d say this is a pretty mediocre offering in an already mediocre style category. Glad I bought a single instead of a whole sixer.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 21:55:05 | More by twiggamortis420

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.43/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – Served a black body with a light off white head. The head faded in moderate time to give a nice level of lacing.

Smell – The smell of roasted malt and a light amount of sweet caramel. There is a light aroma of roasted coffee and nut that mix with the malty base.

Taste – The taste started out a bit on the dark roasted breadier side with some light roasted coffee notes mixed within. The roasted coffee grew a bit stronger more midway through the taste and in turn gives the brew a more bitter taste. As the taste advances to its end it bitters even more as lighter hop flavors and some cocoa come to the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is a little bit on the lighter side with the carbonation level being slightly above average. The body could use a bit of the boost to accentuating the nice roasted flavors, with possibly a nitrogen pour enhancing the overall drinking experience.

Overall – It had some nice flavors due to the lighter hop and more cocoa at the end of the taste (which did it well), but the body was a little on the low side. Overall it was a just above average dry Irish.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2012 00:23:30 | More by Darkmagus82

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Somehow, this beer seems funnier after having just watched Gangs of New York... Anyway, this stuff pours a deep black-brown topped by a finger of khaki foam. The nose comprises mild coffee, roasted malts, and a twinge of bitter dark chocolate. The taste brings in more of the same, focusing on the coffee, darkening the roast of the malts, and adding a hint of cola in the background. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a surprisingly watery feel. Overall, a decent little Irish stout, but one that's way too thin for its own good and not creamy enough for mine.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 04:20:09 | More by TMoney2591

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.46/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours brown to black and leaves a pretty small light tan head and sparse lacing.

Aroma wise it's more like a brown ale to me, somewhat sweet and caramelly, with roasty and toasty notes.

Taste includes some brown sugar, roasty and toasty flavors, caramel, some coffee and chocolate. It's far sweeter than most dry stouts.

Body is pretty good, medium to thick, with a sweet, roasty aftertaste.

It's tasty but if I were doing the whole thing blind I would assume it was a brown ale. I'm still happy to drink it tho.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 20:34:37 | More by AlCaponeJunior

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap several mos. ago at House of 1000 Beers in New Kensington, PA.

Poured into a shaker pint: Solid opaque brown body under 3 fingers of glistening mocha head. Looks like mousse. Never saw a beer that looked like this. Head stands well, interesting, stays put. Not sure what's going on here.

Smells of light roast malt, light cocoa, slight fruit. Hop aroma grows, nutty.

Tastes of light roast grain, a little coffee, dry bread, very dry & surprisingly hoppy. Bitterness is strong for the style. I think part of the opacity in the appearance is suspended hop matter, which comes through in the taste. This tastes like hop sediment, really spicy & tannic.

Medium-full-bodied, creamy but sharply bitter, very dry, kind of tannic & sucks the moisture right out.

Not bad, some interesting stuff going on, not all pleasant. Can't get around thinking it actually has some hop material suspended in it.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 23:58:57 | More by OneDropSoup

Mora2000

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Common Table.

The beer pours a dark brown color with an off-white head. The aroma has a good bit of chocolate in it, as well as a hint of roasted malt. The flavor is very similar. There is a ton of dry cocoa notes in the flavor, as well as some roasted malt. The beer is very dry overall. Thin mouthfeel and low carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2012 01:59:22 | More by Mora2000

Amalak

New York

3.48/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A. It's basically pure black with a two-finger foamy tan head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving a bit of lacing behind.

S. Very strong nutty malt scent.

T/M. It has a dry metallic flavor. Some nuttiness underneath. Roasted malts to give it a burnt flavor. A hint of chocolate. Tingly on the palate.

O. I nice, if not very special. Nothing really jumps out, it's very unassuming. But it's not bad in any way. Refreshing and a nice session stout feel to it.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 00:20:06 | More by Amalak