Schlafly Irish-Style Extra Stout - Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room

DCon

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on a nitro-tap @ the Schlafly Tap-Room in St. Louis, MO. Tapped with the Small Black, Nitro-Tapper handles in a Pint Glass with the head dripping down the sides and ready to review!

Appearance- Received with 1.5 fingers of creamy, off white head. Very similar to the pour of a Guinness in color, thickness, and density. Leaves almost no head and head retention is decent.

Smell- Very strange aroma! I smell the average stout smell (chocolate, roast, coffee) but then have a hint of a HUGE soy sauce smell. Nothing like it!

Taste- There is a roasted, chocolate taste at the beginning and then a huge amount of milk stout flavor in the end. Still it was all roast in the end!

Mouthfeel- Medium- Full Bodied, Full Viscosity, Smooth, and the roast taste staying on the palate very long. Nice! Very dry and prickly. Thin (but gets thicker as it warms).

Overall- Smoothest Stout I might have ever had from an American Brewery. Have seen this out in the stores as a Special Release but as soon as I saw it was on a Nitro-Tap at the Tap-Room, I went straight for it! Great drinkability as well!

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-13-2011 18:26:26 | More by DCon

beagle75

Iowa

3.24/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip pint glass.

A: Opaque, dark brown color with over one finger of persistent mocha-tinted foam head. Moderate lacing remains on the glass.

S: Mild overall, with carbon dioxide, kalamata olives, and day-old coffee. There is some additional depth present, alternating between ashy and unctuous. No alcohol is detected.

T: Begins slightly sweet, with dark berry fruit and bread. Charred roast combines with precocious herbal bitterness in the middle. The bitterness maintains a moderate intensity into the finish where some astringent fennel seed is also revealed. No alcohol is detected.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, slightly syrupy and acidic on the palate, with low carbonation.

D/O: The decision to engage in a beer-drinking experience may be compared to an investment: the level of risk (alcohol content) should correlate positively to the size of the payoff. Beers like this stout break such a rule by being needlessly strong for the rather ordinary sensory qualities they deliver. There's nothing seriously wrong with it, save perhaps for the lack of dryness expected from members of the style, but it would be just as "extra" at 6.5% abv.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 00:28:47 | More by beagle75

DentistDave

Iowa

3.45/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

A good Irish style beer for St. Patty's Day!!

Reviewed from notes...

A: Deep brown, almost black in color with a 1 finger tan head. Moderate head retention, minimal lacing.

S: Wonderful, I'd say the aroma is the best thing about this beer. I got coffee, roasted malts, and toffee.

T: Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate and some toffee. After the smell I was expecting more in the taste department. It was all still there, just not with the same gusto.

M: Medium, good carbination. Lingers on the tongue.

O: Nothing spectacular here, but not bad by any means. I'd say it's an above average stout. I think that the aroma trumps the taste on this beer. If I'm drinking a stout, I'd rather have a Founders Breakfast Stout or a Bell's Special Double Cream Stout (of the stouts I can readily get around here), but this was certainly an enjoyable beer...especially on St. Patty's Day!

GO HAWKS!

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 20:37:34 | More by DentistDave

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12oz brown pop top with nice, simple label. Bottled with love the day after Christmas, 2012. Split with the wife into two small snifters as a 'dessert' after our St. Patrick's day dinner.

Appearance: Black brew with a nice medium-tan cap that shows pretty decent retention.

Smell: Dark fruits and alcohol, along with an ever-so-slightly smoky edge; hints of roast and burnt caramel as well.

Taste: There's certainly roasted barley here, but it stays in the background more than I was expecting. Dry roasted grains, really nice dark fruity and lightly boozy notes, and a solid, clean, and somewhat surprising hop bitterness and a touch of fruity, English hop flavor from the Golding and Pilgrim hops used. Maybe the slightest note of super-dark chocolate?

Mouthfeel: Less (and, surprisingly, I mean this in a good way) substantial than I'd expect for 8%...it works here.

Overall: In previous years, this beer always baffled me a bit, largely because my wife loves it so much. She's not one for heavy-handed (or bitter) stouts, generally, much preferring the slightly sweet, lesser-hopped English-style Russian Imperial Stouts than their American-style counterparts. We had this brew last year and I remember it having a strong molasses-like character, with higher roast levels and a bit more 'oomph'. It was good, but I could never quite tell if I really liked it or it was sort of 'meh'. I'm wondering if they changed up the recipe this year, whether I'm just drinking it much fresher than normal (we've drank this aged up to a year-plus before), or whether my palate has changed. Schlafly's website says this is meant to be a sort of bigger version of a traditional Irish Dry Stout, and that's exactly what it tastes like. It's smooth, not overly roasty, firmly bitter, and quite quaffable, even at 8% abv. It's really pretty darn tasty. With simple ingredients (Pale, crystal, and roasted barley malt, two English hop varieties, and London yeast) Schlafly has really crafted a delicious strong stout here, perfect for the changing of the seasons from winter to spring. Slainte

B+ 88 $9.99 a six-pack

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 23:27:51 | More by BedetheVenerable

Naters333

Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured into my tulip from a 12 oz bottle dated 1/9/13.

A-Pours a great dark dark black color with a nice 2 inch tan head on an aggressive pour. Not too think, but really nice looking. Very carbonated. Lots of floaties in this beer.

S-Roast, alcohol, dark malt, little coffee.

T-Bitter, bold flavors, dark malts, dark soda, bitter chocolate.

M-I really like the mouthfeel. I read some other reviews, were people talked about this beer being too thin. I thought it was just right for the style.

O-I pretty nice beer. Not my favorite, but I'm not so much into this style. Really glad I tried a six pack. Very unique. Definitely has the Schlafly taste.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 07:38:03 | More by Naters333

raznug

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: This beer pours black as the ace of spades and is topped with ¾” of tan colored head that leaves rather quickly.
Smell: The smell is just as one would expect coming from an Irish Stout roasted notes dominate but there is a sweet aroma that has me thinking.
Taste: The taste of this stout is rather complex. It has roasted flavor along with the dry finish but the sweetness that the beer has I really enjoy and makes it one tasty brew.
Mouthfeel: Thick and heavy like a stout should be but it is easy drinking for a stout making for a rather enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 18:21:48 | More by raznug

zac16125

South Carolina

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

12oz bottle poured into pint glass
bottled on 12-21-11

A:Pours an opaque jet black, 1.5 fingers width of light mocha head takes a good amount of time to dissipate down.  Leaves only the faintest spotty lacing.  

S: Smells very sweet with chocolate and dark fruit, a bit of roasted malt.  Not bad, but rather simple.

T:  Follows the nose in that its quite sweet, but its a generic sweetness, like chocolate syrup.  Some roasted malt and booze.  Again, very simple palate profile, but enjoyable.  

M/D:  Pretty nice mouthfeel.  Medium bodied with a good thickness.  Appropriate carbonation,  ABV is certainly noticed, but it adds to a rather simple flavor profile, and it is not hot going down, so the booze component is appreciated in my book.  

O: Overall, good but not great from top to bottom.  I wont seek this out, but Id gladly drink it if given to me.  Paired well with a large sunday brunch of pancakes, bacon, and eggs.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 13:23:11 | More by zac16125

GossageBrewery

Missouri

3.28/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Poured a black color, produced a thick tan head and featured outstanding lacing. The aroma consisted of roasted malt and smoke. Full bodied, this ale featured dark chocolate, roasted malt and some hop bitterness. High in alochol somewhat dry and warming on the way down. Overall its an average example of the style, about as good as Ive had from a amercian microbrewery. Prost!

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 02:55:00 | More by GossageBrewery

duracell

Quebec (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass. Best before September, 1st 2012.

A - Pitch black color with an active carbonation. Generous off-white creamy head with medium retention and limited lacing.

S - Very good smell, quite complex, a nice blend of malt, hop, and alcohol, a bit too boozy though. I pick out some dark fruits. The beer seems to be pretty sweet for a FES.

T - Very complex taste, the huge amount of malt is perfectly balanced by the hop. Notes of black liquorice, toffee, caramel, chocolate. There is a significant amount of residual sugar.

M - Very full body, really heavy on the tongue. Perfect carbonation and good smoothness. The alcohol is very noticeable for an 8.0% ABV.

O - A generous beer, BOLD, very complex and with a good drinkability! Quite far from the style but I love it!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 00:07:59 | More by duracell

Pintofbrown

Iowa

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this stout in a nonic pint.

Appearance- There are two fingers of an ecru-colored and dense foam. The cap is craggy from tons of small and exploding bubbles. The body is completely black and looks great.

Smell- A little bit of roast and then there is some slightly sweet roast. This is a pretty unimpressive and simple nose.

Taste- It starts with some slightly coffee and caramel-like qualities. After that, a little bit of a boozy background builds with more roast. Then the earthy hops really start coming into play and produce a long finish with the coffee roast. I wish this was a little more intricate, but the flavors are strong and distinct, maybe a little too boozy.

Mouth feel- This one borders on being too thin, but drinks easily regardless. It is not really that dry. The finish lasts for a good amount of time.

Overall- I'm a little torn on this stout, yes it is roasty and a little dry. However, booze is too noticeable, and it is a little thin for a stout. Not to mention, it is not the most complex dry stout out there. I guess "complexity" isn't a pre-requisite for the style, but something else could have reared it's tasty head to help this beer out.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 21:30:45 | More by Pintofbrown

BierStein711

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

bottle poured into short glass.

A: motor oil black pour, soda style head

S: Hops and mollasses

T: molasses! :( Charcoal, chocolate :)

M: The taste made this nice feeling off.

Overall, this is an average beer. I won't go out of the way for this.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 06:50:15 | More by BierStein711

scratch69

Missouri

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Very dark brown with no light coming through the glass. Only a half a fingers worth of tan head with light amount of lacing.

Smell- Dark roasted malt with chocolate notes.

Taste- Smoky dark roasted malt at the start with a slightly bitter finish. Notes of chocolate and coffee throughout.

Mouthfeel- Medium to heavy bodied with a nice amount of carbonation. Smooth and a little creamy.

Overall- Pretty good. I would buy a six pack of this.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 02:16:04 | More by scratch69

kennylopez

New Jersey

4.18/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured a 12oz bottle into a DFH Goblet.

Appearance: a jet black color with a light fingers worth of tan head that leaves little spots.

Smells: a roasted bread malt with significant hop character. some bitter sweet chocolate as it warms up come out strong in a nice way.

tastes: as the nose insisted with a light coffee note which I really enjoy.

mouthfeel: at 8% this has a light body alcohol presence. The carbonation lasts but its light towards the end but not in a bad way at all.

Overall: I payed $2 for a single if this and I honestly hope there are more when I go back because I only have one left and I would like to have more than that if possible. I like this stout quite a bit. Going to call it my St. Patrick's day brew this year and hopefully from here on out.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 02:40:27 | More by kennylopez

daledeee

Iowa

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

Schlafly has take over in mind. They are everywhere in our town now.

Poured this into a pint glass. Nice head with beautiful lacing. Near black in color.

Nose was bitter coffee and roasted malt.

Taste was a pleasant surprise. Some bitterness with coffee and roastiness. A really nice balanced beer. Easy to drink. Too easy. It is pretty strong and will catch up with you. This is not an overly dry stout which was a concern of mine when I saw "Irish". I will seek this out again. Not sure if it is available all the time.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2012 23:56:50 | More by daledeee

rhartogsq

Virginia

3.2/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass.
A. Black, Dark tan head. Lasting lacing, head not so.
S. roasted chocolate, but subtle.
T. A boozy taste from the start, which I didn't find appealing. After that it was decent....a hint of chocolate.
M. Not as smooth as a stout as I like. Carbonation was not off putting.
O. Not a bad beer. But not a great beer either.schlafly makes some good beer, and this one is not on my top Schlafly list.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 02:48:51 | More by rhartogsq

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.88/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

inflatablechair brought this surprising gem over tonight... Thanks Sammy! Poured into my Corsendonk tulip... decent dark tan head... with okay lacing... the brew is the expected black.

Nose is mildly roasty for a beer this big.. decent dark malt with some background char and some up front dark fruitiness... dark cherry essence and some odd boozy prune notes.

Flavor had good dry dark malts.. bits of dusty cocoa... light coffee .. some char with warmth... again a bit of dark fruits..

Not sure what to make of this one... I like it, but it is pretty one dimensional from front to back... a good brew, but I doubt I would ever buy it if given the opportunity.

3.5/4/4/4/3.5

Thanks Sam!!

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 05:31:10 | More by JohnGalt1

chodinheaven

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Aggressive pour yields a nice 2.5 finger tan head that sits on top for a while. The beer is a very dark brown, nearly black. Moderate amount of lacing. A bit milky in its dark roasted aroma, soft and toasty, even a bit nutty. Touches of coffee and unsweetened chocolate as well.

Soft tones of coffee behind a good foreground of dark roasted malts make this an enjoyable stout. A bit of milkiness, but it doesn't add a mocha like flavor as the chocolate notes are of the unsweetened, baking kind. Solid hoppiness in the back of the palate that rounds out some big malty, almost burnt flavors. The mouthfeel is a bit thin and allows a slight alcohol feel through, not distractingly or bad. A thicker mouthfeel would rounded this one all the way out though. The finish is a bit dry, but doesn't linger too long in the aftertaste besides a bit of burntish malt taste.

Overall, not bad. Not overly complex, but easy drinking for 8% ABV. I would buy again when in the mood for a pretty good extra stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 04:50:23 | More by chodinheaven

Merkur

Tennessee

4.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer pours a solid black with a nice bit of brown head on top.

Beer smells slight roasty coffee smell to it, but not a ton going on with the smell.

The beer tastes of roasted coffee and bit of a chocolate taste. After the initial sip, the beer mellows out with a dry, hoppy finish. Much more flavor than your usual dry stout.

Mouthfeel is fairly thick.

Very tasty Irish stout.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2012 02:30:33 | More by Merkur

dbrauneis

New Jersey

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

Bottled with love on 01-09-2012

A: Pours jet black with two fingers of dark tan head. Good head retention and moderate amounts of lacing.

S: Aromas were primarily roasted + burnt malts with hints of caramel, chocolate, and just the tiniest amount of coffee. There was nice complexity and a subtle hint of smokiness to this beer.

T: The upfront tastes were of roasted malts and caramel with a pleasant amount of bitterness in the finish. There were just touches of coffee and alcohol present as well.

M: Medium bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Some amount of creaminess to this beer as well as dryness in the finish.

O: Very enjoyable but a bold flavored beer - a very nice example of the style. Enjoyed by various types of beer drinkers at the Super Bowl party this past weekend (from casual non-craft beer folks to serious craft beer drinkers).

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 14:11:19 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a thin tan head that quickly died down, leaving only a patch of bubbles on the surface and a thin ring around the edge of the glass.
S: There are light to moderately strong aromas of burnt and roasted malts in the nose.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has flavors of roasted malts along with notes of bitterness and hints of sweetness.
M: It feels full-bodied and slightly viscous on the palate with a low to moderate amount of carbonation. The finish is very dry.
O: The beer is very enjoyable and easy to drink because the alcohol is well masked from the taste. It is a good representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2012 00:32:00 | More by metter98

secondtooth

Indiana

4.22/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep black, with a huge head of bubbles.

Nose is chocolate roasted malts.

Taste is rich and thick, but smooth-bodied. I get coffee and chocolate roastiness. There's little hint of the 8.0% ABV, just a smooth and well-balanced extra stout that's every bit as tasty as any out there. Superb!

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 13:14:14 | More by secondtooth

smakawhat

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A real nice forming creamy and foamy head, color is a real nice tan coffee, makes about three fingers tall and settles slowly. Body color is a real dark black walnut brown, some very faint chestnut/red in places where the light can hit, but pretty much dark as all get out.

Nose is very muted, faint dry roast, a little cream, not much, but nothing awful.

Taste feels somewhere between a sweet milk stout and a slightly hoppy Foreign Export. Cream and milk in the mid palate with a slight mild hop on the finish. Texture seems delicate, but also bold and big, with a little bit of tight fizz hinting. Hop angle seems very down played.

Overall it's not bad, solid, but not really grabbing me like most Schlafly beers. I certainly like the Guinness Foreign Export much more.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 23:34:43 | More by smakawhat

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

3.59/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a shaker pint glass.

The beer is pitch black with a brown hue on the edges when held up to the light. The head is a chunky cookies and cream colored head that takes time to dissipate. There is nice soapy rings of lacing.

Smells boozy and of burnt malts. Dry bitter chocolate.

Tastes dry, and of alcohol. There's a faint sweet bitter chocolate and burnt malt finish.

Mouthfeel is dry, dry, dry.

Overall, I generally detest the word "extra" in a beer name. This is a decent Irish dry stout, but I don't feel that it needs the 8.0% ABV. It's got a good dry stout feel and the taste is fair, but Schlafly always seem to do at least one thing I don't like in each of their beers. There's way too much alcohol in this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 15:39:50 | More by JuicesFlowing

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From the bottle. Served in a taster glass.

Pours near black with a good light mocha head and a bit of lace. The nose carries quite a bit of roast plus some coffee. Very mild chocolate. The flavor is a mix of roast and coffee. Quite roasty and a touch acrid. Light-medium body with good carbonation and a faint dryness to the finish. Mild bitterness as well. Pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 21:01:58 | More by Thorpe429

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.68/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “Bottled with love on” date printed on the bottom of the front label is “12 21 2011.”

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is black; only a few rays of light passed through the bottom of the glass, creating a deep ruby. Two fingers of tan head dissipated to leave a thin lacing spotted with bubbles and a ring around the edge.

Smell: I could smell the roastedness immediately after popping the cap. Lots of roasted malts offer scenes of caramel, chocolate, burnt brown sugar, molasses, and a little coffee. It has an oat balance and smoothness to it, too, and black raspberry and plum emerge as the beer continues to warm.

Taste: Yowza — this is serious stout. It has a very thick mouthfeel and imparts a roasted bitterness that almost leaves the flavors behind. There are flavors of roasted chocolate and coffee (mostly coffee), but the dark fruit — black raspberry, plum, raisin, and cherry — steal the show. Each taste is tinged with booze; it is not overpowering, but it is getting there. However, everything thankfully balances nicely when the beer has warmed significantly.

Drinkability: After a couple more of these I will be lucky to be functional by noon tomorrow. This is a double whammy of dark malts and booze. Next stop: Hangover City.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 05:36:06 | More by TheQuietMan22