Lump Of Coal - Ridgeway Brewing

tito42

Missouri

3.1/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle to an imperial pint. If this is a Julian date stamp on the label, it was bottled in July 2011.

A: Dark sepia, rather clear, with a very foamy cocoa head that leaves decent lacing and sticks around. Not quite as dark as I like my stouts to be.

S: Roasted malt with notes of coffee, tobacco, and fig. A whiff of alcohol as well. Somewhat faint but comes on as the beer warms.

T: Roasted malt and barley up front gives way quickly to a burnt coffee flavor. A peppery kick at the end and cherry and fig throughout. Also a hint of chocolate. Somewhat unbalanced compared to other foreign stouts, too much competing for my taste bud's attention here, without coordinating the effort. A pepper, like cayenne, lingers afterward.

M: Malty and dextrous. The finish is a bit harsh, really dries the tongue out, but fades away quickly as well.

O: An average effort at a foreign/export stout. Doesn't hold 8% necessarily well, with an unbalanced flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 04:16:40 | More by tito42

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 16.9 oz. bottle. Has a cola color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, a bit of coffee. Taste is coffee, some chocolate, alcohol is well hidden. smooth and easy drinking. Feels a bit creamy in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 12:05:38 | More by tone77

Laslomcd

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +8.7%

04-17-2013 23:54:01 | More by Laslomcd

BGsWo22

New York

2/5  rDev -42%

03-21-2013 00:04:30 | More by BGsWo22

DruRho

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%

03-19-2013 00:01:53 | More by DruRho

spycow

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -5.8%

03-10-2013 20:04:56 | More by spycow

Ilafan

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 1.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Either my nose doesn't work, or this awesomely named and cleverly labeled beer has no discernible smell. It pours very dark with a centimeter high, fast-dissolving whitish head. Its coloring is very dark, as it should given its name, right? But when stuffing my schnozz into my glass, I could barely detect a faint sweet aroma of ... what? I don't know. The taste is lighter than I thought it would be, too. I still like it; the roasted bean with a hint of caramel is pleasing. But the relatively high alcohol content of 8% isn't balanced as well with flavoring like other similar stouts.

Still, I am charmed by this beer, and of various holiday offerings I have tried, this ranks in the upper echelon. Nice beer for a cold Minnesota winter's night.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 20:42:05 | More by Ilafan

im4beer

Utah

3.75/5  rDev +8.7%

02-17-2013 01:31:33 | More by im4beer

MaximalC

Illinois

3.44/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

*This bottle is well over a year old, and I have no idea if this beer ages, so take this review with a grain of salt.

Pours molasses in color with caramel highlights and a modest, khaki head. Smells of molasses, caramel, a hint of chocolate, and some alcohol. The flavor is surprisingly mild compared to the aroma, with far less sweetness than I expected and a decent dose of hop bitterness to counter. There's a roasted character that evokes burnt sugar, but the character of the malt is otherwise difficult to pin down. Warming allows some dark fruit to come through as well. An acrid taste lingers on the back of the tongue as the hop finish inelegantly presents itself. The mouthfeel is slick and sticky, with that stickiness lingering palpably on the lips. I will say that the 8% ABV is adeptly concealed. Unfortunately, that which conceals it is not especially impressive in its own right.

Export stouts are my least preferred stout, so it's hard for me to find one that impresses me, and this is no exception. This brew is drinkable but perfectly forgettable in my estimation.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 02:43:02 | More by MaximalC

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

3.38/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

A 500ml bottle with a BB of Oct 2014. Picked up from Booths about a month ago. Described on the label as a dark holiday stout - this is the second Christmas brew that I've had from Ridgeway recently. Lots of grains on the ingredient list.

Poured into a tulip pint glass. Bottle conditioned. A very deep ruby hue that appears black in the glass. Low carbonation. Produces a large head of creamy off-white foam that lasts for a few minutes before subsiding. Aroma of sweet, fruity malt with notes of prunes, dried fruit, molasses, mild roasted grain, subtle coffee, chocolate, faint smoke and yeast esters. Well-rounded but holds back on the roastiness that many stouts have.

Tastes of fruity malt with a dry finish. Notes of dried fruit, molasses, fruit cake, mild roasted grain, chocolate, faint coffee, leather, earthy yeast, a twinge of smokiness and stewed hops. Slightly sweet. A subtle bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is smooth, spicy and lightly tingly, with good body but a lack of carbonation. Mildly astringent, with an aftertaste of fruity malt and earthy yeast. The flavour doesn't linger much.

Not bad, though it seems like more of a porter than a stout. The strength doesn't show either - it's an 8% brew that drinks like a 4%. Looks alright and the aroma is decent, but the flavour seems rather muted. Some more roasted malt notes/bitterness would be nice. Body is OK, if a little flat. I guess for the ABV I expected a more complex flavour profile and a longer finish. A reasonable Christmas beer that doesn't quite live up to expectations. Worth trying but no need to seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 00:43:18 | More by jazzyjeff13

FLBeerGuy

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%

02-02-2013 13:52:28 | More by FLBeerGuy

Chucker17

South Dakota

3.25/5  rDev -5.8%

01-27-2013 15:30:44 | More by Chucker17

kosmak125

Tennessee

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%

01-26-2013 03:59:32 | More by kosmak125

Hopmodium

Washington

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%

01-14-2013 00:19:26 | More by Hopmodium

AlexFields

Tennessee

2/5  rDev -42%

01-13-2013 21:42:24 | More by AlexFields

snarksdad

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +15.9%

01-12-2013 14:40:55 | More by snarksdad

bigred89

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%

01-12-2013 01:31:01 | More by bigred89

GTB

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -13%

01-03-2013 02:34:49 | More by GTB

ryanpj

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%

01-01-2013 18:17:34 | More by ryanpj

johnnydicfore

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -5.8%

12-31-2012 03:51:11 | More by johnnydicfore

vkv822

Oregon

3.2/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

16.9oz : tulip

Pours black with deep mahogany highlights when held to light, has a bubbly light brown head that dissipates to leave some lacing and a sparse, bubbly foam.

Some cocoa pleasant cocoa notes, fairly one dimensional in the aroma.

Roast is more prominent in the taste than the nose, with some cocoa coming through as well.

Fairly standard mouthfeel for the style with a medium body and bubbly, medium carbonation.

Nothing too memorable, but an enjoyable Export Stout overall.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 08:55:32 | More by vkv822

Omensetter

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -20.3%

12-29-2012 02:50:26 | More by Omensetter

NickThePyro

Washington

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%

12-28-2012 02:16:17 | More by NickThePyro

cliff1066

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%

12-28-2012 01:28:23 | More by cliff1066

rolltide8425

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +1.4%

12-27-2012 21:39:30 | More by rolltide8425