Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout - Brooklyn Brewery

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

scootny

New York

4.14/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A thick rich head with some staying power and a good amount of lace from a too cold bottle. Opaque dark brown with a tinge of red. Smell is well roasted barley with a healthy ale fruitiness.
It blossoms as it warms and gives a good bouquet with a coffee like profile. A bit of dough. Some sweet molasses notes flow in here and there. Taste is like the name. Dark roasted grain front with a lots of coffee and charred grains. Sweetness is of the burnt variety and fleeting at that. Finish is short and earthy with lots of dark grains and a touch of ale yeast. Very smooth drinking. Feel is crisp and light with well proportioned carbonation that lends itself to sessioning. A very good representation of the style that is an excellent session beer with a full flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2013 00:43:22 | More by scootny

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

12oz glass @undergroundedm, during the kickoff of their Brooklyn tap takeover.

This beer appears a very dark, almost black brown, with pervasive reddish highlights, and one finger of dense, puffy beige head, which leaves some bubbling chauldron lace around the glass as it genially recedes.

It smells of dry roasted malt, bittersweet cocoa powder, day-old coffee, and muddled citrus, leafy hops. The taste is more of the same, in a goodly way, with the toasty, roasty, and lightly caramelized malt, milk chocolate, a separate lactic sweetness, subtle standing coffee, and very understated citrus and earthy hops.

The bubbles are predictably low-key and underpowered, the body medium-light in weight, mostly smooth (the char seems to interfere here), and a tad creamy overall. It finishes off-dry, the nutty chocolate pushing through the roast.

A tasty enough Irish dry stout, with a fair bit more sweetness than expected, but that doesn't really matter, as it all works together to produce a commendable alternative to you-know-who.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2013 01:38:26 | More by biboergosum

superspak

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before June 2013. Pours almost opaque dark brown color with a 1-2 finger dense tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of light milk chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, dark bread, toast, toffee, and some light and dark fruitiness. Solid and pleasant aromas with good balance; but there is hardly any strength here, very mild. Taste of milk chocolate, cocoa, roasted malt, light coffee, dark bread, toast, toffee, floral, and light fruitiness. Lingering notes of chocolate, roast, dark bread, light toffee, and light fruitiness on the finish for a short bit. Nice and pleasant balance of dark malt flavors and subtle fruitiness; with zero cloying flavors present on the finish as expected. Medium carbonation and light-medium bodied; with a lightly creamy and fairly crisp mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is well hidden with zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a good dry stout. A little mild on flavors; but has good balance and is easy to drink. A pleasantly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2013 04:38:14 | More by superspak

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a Nonic)
A- This beer pours a jet black body with a tan film of cream on top

S- The mellow roasted black malt is nice but a bit soft

T- The roasted black malt is gentle with a slightly inky note and a slight tartness in the finish.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a scrubbing fizz finish that blends in with the tartness.

O- The tartness starts to overpower the mellow black malt flavor and the overall flavor is a bit light and one-dimensional. I was a bit underwhelmed considering the quality stuff Brooklyn does.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 14:12:23 | More by rhoadsrage

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

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap into a pint glass. Pours black/dark brown in the glass with a think covering of mocha foam. Solid retention and lacing. The aroma smells of cocoa, roasted coffee and a good bit of ripe citric hops, all giving this a rich tanginess in the nostrils. The taste is the same, with a smooth mix of chocolate, dark coffee flavors, some rather assertive ripe citrus flavors and a then a dry roasted finish. The feel is medium with a smooth and creamy carbonation in the mouth. Maybe it was the freshness here on draft but those hops really had a nice pop to them, with this overall having richness to the flavors that I wasn’t expecting. Maybe not exactly to style but I really enjoyed this.

Serving type: on-tap

03-20-2013 14:31:19 | More by Kegatron

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

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brooklyn Irish Dry Stout

LOOK: Dark brown with an off white foam topping and plenty of lacework on the 22oz glass.

SMELL: Roasted malts, coffee and fresh dark bread.

TASTE: Chocolate and coffee from the hefty malt profile, mild citrusy hop for balancing. Mildly bitter, nice roast, semi dry finish. Medium bodies and well carbonated.

OVERALL: A nice little dry stout with some character. Perfect session brew.

Serving type: on-tap

03-17-2013 21:34:21 | More by Stinkypuss

JohnQVD

New York

3.68/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Deep brown, that appears ruby red when held up to the light. Pours with a half-inch head that quickly dissipates to a thin tan layer that leaves nothing on the glass. Smell is roasted malt and chocolate, with a touch of sweetness. The taste is roasted grains, with a touch of coffee-like bitterness. Mouthfeel is a little thin and a little too carbonated for what I think of as a quintessential stout. It's definitely on the light side of medium-thin with no creaminess at all. Aftertaste is mildly astringent with some tartness from the carbonation.

Overall, this isn't bad. It looks good and smells good and the flavor profile is good, but the feel is wrong and I think it's overcarbonated for the style, which detracts from the overall presentation. With some slight tweaking I think this could be a lot better but as it is it's a slightly disappointing, though still decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 19:59:58 | More by JohnQVD

CurtFromHershey

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep black with frothy tan head. Minimal lacing but otherwise very attractive.

Smell is almost good. If you fight for it, you can pickup weak notes of coffee and chocolate, but the main note is vaguely boozy and roasty.

Taste is a significant improvement over the nose, but still not quite there. Bitter dark chocolate, a bit of coffee. Bitter, but not in a hoppy way.

mouthfeel is thinner than I'd want in this stout. Plenty of carbonation though. Could use nitro in my opinion.

Overall not a bad beer, but it misses the mark in a lot of areas.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 19:06:47 | More by CurtFromHershey

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +35.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Ah, top o' the mornin' to ye lads and lasses that are readin' this! I bought the bottle last week during my latest visit to Highland Pizzeria expressly for the purpose of drinking and reviewing it today, St. Patrick's New Beer Sunday Day 2013. Slainte!

From the bottle: "Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout is a very dark beer, but don't let the color fool you. In Ireland, stouts were originally brewed to be 'session beers' that were light enough to stick with for a long evening, but flavorful enough to be fun to drink. We use large amounts of roasted grains to develop the nice coffee and chocolate flavors and the famed East Kent Golding hop lends to the earthy aroma. It's brisk enough to pair with oysters, but bold enough to handle a burger."

I am so stoked to drink this today! The label is printed in gold for Brooklyn Brewery, Kelly Green for the Irish Catholics, Orange for the Irish Protestants and White for the eventual peace that will bring an end to The Troubles. The finger of rocky, deep-tan head was active with carbonation and quickly bubbled away on the morn, leaving some lovely lacing in its wake. Color was a deep-brown with little light penetration, just enough to show off its garnet highlights, especially at the edges. Talk about truth in advertising! The nose smelled of strong black coffee, dark chocolate and freshly dug dirt. Spot on, lads! Mouthfeel was medium and the roastiness of the malt was the prevalent flavor in the mouth. I would put it more towards coffee than chocolate in terms of initial flavor. It was on the finish that I really tasted the dark chocolate strongly. The lacing clung to the glass the way I clung to my maternal Grummy's leg as she moved about in her kitchen making Irish Soda Bread and other traditional meals when I was but a wee one. This was the perfect beer to start the day. May the roof above your heads never fall in and may the friends underneath it never fall out!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 11:52:20 | More by woodychandler

champ103

Texas

4.24/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Queen Vic in Houston.

A: Pours a dark coffee brown, almost black with a bit of ruby around the edges. A two finger khaki head forms with good retention. Plenty of sticky lace is left behind.
S: Roasted and toasted malt. A bit of coffee and light cream. Dry, slightly bitter chocolate. Simple, but very nice.
T: Well balanced roasted malt and toasted bread/biscuit flavors. Some coffee and a bit of dry coco powder. Again, not a lot going on. Though everything works perfectly together.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. A crisp, dry bite. Still smooth and creamy at the same time. So easy and enjoyable to drink. This pared perfectly with my fish n chips.

I am typically not a huge fan of Brooklyn, or the style for that matter. I guess when the style is crappy nitro abominations that is to be expected. Though this is excellent. Subtle, but with plenty of character to go around. I very much enjoyed this, and highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

03-16-2013 00:24:08 | More by champ103

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

I enjoyed this as part of a mix-a-six from Giant in Linglestown, PA, enjoyed chilled from a Nonic.

The color is black with opaque clarity and thick deep beige rocky head with small beading which leaves copius lace on the glass -has a classic dry stout look. The smell is very enticing with lots of yeast notes and moderately high roasted barley aroma with mild raisin and mineral accents. The feel is very good with semi-dry entry and moderately carbonated with slight bitterness and roasted texture of dark grain with mild sweetness overall and light alcohol on the palate.

The taste has a slight fruity taste from the yeast with mild chalky mineral essence and semi-high roastiness with no real bitter burnt flavor just nutty and almost bready malt with mild creamy and raisiny taste in the back with some light bitterness and gentle woody earthy character as it finishes dry. This is a great beer, which is an excellent example of the style with appropriate abv and dry texture and plenty of flavor considering the low abv, I would order this over Guinness since it seems fresher in taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 13:57:28 | More by Slatetank

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

socon67

New York

3.66/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the brewery.

A - Black pour with no foamy head. Minimal lacing. no carbonation noted. Appearance of the pour is that this is a thin beer.

S - Scents of roasted malt, biscuits, and coffee. Could be a good breakfast beer.

T - taste is certainly dry in the finish. Has a slight smoky feel from roasted malt. Notes of fresh brewed coffee come to the tongue.

M - I found this a bit too dry (yes even knowing the style I think it was a bit too much). Maybe the balance is a little off. I do think it hits the mark for what it is supposed to be. It is an easy drinking stout that is not heavy at all.

O - I have others in this style I think I like better. For those that love Brooklyn Brewery this is a decent beer but not a standout.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2013 20:33:26 | More by socon67

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

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

A- Very dark brown, looks black once it settles into the pint glass. Bubbly tan head that leaves some slight lacing around the edges of the glass.

S- Roasty malts, slight coffee aroma, surprising hop presence in the nose.

T- Nice roasted malt flavor with the hops coming through from the middle to the end. The hop presence is more of an earthy flavor that almost comes through as a metallic flavor.

M- Medium-thin bodied, especially for a stout. Carbonation is on the medium-high side, almost a cola-like feel.

O- Nothing really stands out about this one, but it's not bad. Not a bad option if you are looking for a stout on the lighter side.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 01:16:51 | More by stephenjmoore

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

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

This is quite the roasty and toasty stout. The dry tone doesn't really show up until the back end. But the roasted character really overshadows everything else, but not in too obnoxious a fashion. Easy to drink and consistent. Nice session beer, though I think it leans more towards American stout than a dry Irish one.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 03:39:09 | More by RblWthACoz

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.96/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - I guess I poured it too hard since I got two inches of deep mocha head. As a light Irish stout I am also impressed how deeply opaque the beer is if not pitch black.
S - Has a touch of yeast and roast. Really mild if any chocolate. Smells kind of like a black lager.
T - Not too sweet or roasty but it does have a mild bit of dark chocolate tone to it. The finish is quite crisp giving me some balanced hops and a nice bit of dry yeast that flows into the next sip.
M - Medium bodied and quite creamy. An easy going Irish stout.
Overall damn I am not sure why I haven't found this around PA but this is a great session stout with just enough flavor to keep me interested. Really filled my craving for a stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 00:00:10 | More by DrDemento456

Amish_Ambush

4.13/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Appearance: Dark brown, but not so thick that you cannot see through it. Pours a billowy tan head. Retains thick lacing.
Smell: Caramel, brown sugar, dark grains
Taste: Malty, a hint of chocolate notes. Slight nut finish
Mouthfeel: Pours out a find of syrupy, Medium bodied and a bit creamy
Overall: A solid dry Irish stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 01:09:28 | More by Amish_Ambush

Gmann

New York

3.76/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Pours a deep brown color with an airy tan head that settles into a light cap.

The aroma is of roasted barley with some charred wood. Some scorched caramel as well. Pretty much spot on for the style.

The taste is of a mild roast, slightly bitter with a metallic twang. Some caramel and milk sugar sweetness. Finishes with a woody flavor. Simple but flavorful, nice to see a quality irish stout.

Moderate feel with fizzy carbonation. Only slightly bitter on the palate so this is very easy to drink.

A nice simple dry stout. Good flavors, not grainy or watery. I dig that it is under 5%abv.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 20:41:45 | More by Gmann

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.64/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Served on-tap at The Village Pourhouse in Hoboken, NJ

A: Pours an opaque very black (almost jet black but not quite that dark) in color with some light to moderate amounts of gentle visible carbonation at the surface and some deep garnet red highlights. The beer has a finger tall sudsy/frothy light tan head that slowly reduces to a very thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a thick ring at the edge of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light aromas of roasted malts with just a hint of dark malts.

T: Light to moderate flavors of roasted and dark malts with just the lightest hint of burnt malts. Very light amounts of bitterness which fade almost immediately.

M: Light bodied with moderate to heavy amounts of carbonation. Light and airy, giving a slightly thin feel and some light dryness in the finish.

O: Super easy to drink and very sessionable with well hidden alcohol - very light in the mouthfeel. Not overly complex in smell or taste but this one would be great on nitro.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2013 01:59:57 | More by dbrauneis

CFHMagnet

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

I poured a finger of head over this dark brown beer. It disappeared in about a minute. No lacing.

Smells of sweet, roasted malt. Bare hint of chocolate.

Sweet up front. Goes dry and lightly bitter after the initial sweetness. End/after taste has a slight bit of chocolate.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied. It is quite creamy.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 04:36:08 | More by CFHMagnet