Arcadia Starboard Stout With Cinnamon - Arcadia Brewing Company

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Imbibed at Owen & Engine, Chicago, 07/28/2011. Arcadia's Starboard Stout 'dry-hopped' with cinnamon and cask conditioned.
 
Appearance -- Pours a dark woody brown with a slim sudsy mocha brown head. Nice hue, decent head retention for a cask ale.
 
Smell -- Lots of cinnamon present, but not overwhelming. Dark malt, pseudo-coffee roast, and mild molasses-like malt sweetness.
 
Taste -- Malting is very roast-forward, nearing acrid: black malt, coffee hints. Low molasses-like malt sweetness lends a nice balance. The cinnamon is gentle, but still quite noticeable – well-spiced.
 
Mouthfeel -- Medium-bodied, gentle cask carbonation. Feels somewhat velvety thanks to the oats. Good.
 
Overall -- I like it. Admittedly, I've never tried the regular Starboard Stout, but the way the cinnamon was incorporated (whole stick?) worked very well and added a pleasant new dimension to the oatmeal stout as I know it. The base beer seems like a competent oatmeal stout, and the uniqueness of the cinnamon gives it a boost, not to mention that oatmeal stout is a style that seems to benefit from cask conditioning more than many other stouts. If given the option, I’d suggest trying this.

Serving type: cask

07-29-2011 18:17:37 | More by yeahnatenelson