San Quentin Breakout Stout - Marin Brewing Company

biglite351

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The bottle slowly foamed over for about 10th minutes when I opened it. I do not know what caused that, but I assume that it is not good.

A - black as pitch with a tight brown head.

S - toasty and roasted malts, a hint of baking chocolate and something a bit bitter.

T - a lot going on. Toasted malts, dark fruit, coffee, smoke and maybe a candy in the mix. Deep and complex, but not overpowering.

M - Creamy but thin, very mild tingle on sides of tongue.

O - great flavor but let down by the feel. An all-nighter none the less.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 23:03:19 | More by biglite351

Beer21

Florida

3/5  rDev -22.3%

05-08-2013 06:49:08 | More by Beer21

LSx

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

04-25-2013 04:36:03 | More by LSx

Soneast

Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -22.3%

02-17-2013 04:23:21 | More by Soneast

Rhuark

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

02-05-2013 00:44:24 | More by Rhuark

jvillefan

California

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

01-30-2013 19:01:07 | More by jvillefan

Gobzilla

California

4/5  rDev +3.6%

01-17-2013 06:54:55 | More by Gobzilla

kojevergas

California

3.24/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75

1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap and decent label acquired at a local SoCal bottle shop; I try to buy beer brewed in-state when I can. Expectations are above average; I love a good export stout. 7.0% ABV confirmed.

Served a bit too cold for a stout by my book, but not by the label's: "Serve at 50-55 F." Okay then. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a rich tan colour head of lovely gorgeous cream, great thickness, and real good (~5+ minutes) retention for the high ABV. Looks how the style ought to; creamy and appealing. Body colour is a solid nontransparent opaque jet black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. I'm real excited for this

Sm: Roasty and creamy - just as it should be. Dark malts. I love the roasted barley focus, which is ideal for the style. A bit of complementary floral hopping, but not too much. A bit of biscuity yeast is apparent. I'd even guess oats; I suppose I just don't know better. Very appealing. Spot on for the style, with enough depth of flavour to tell me it won't be simple crap . A fairly strong aroma. This is shaping up to be much better than expected initially.

T: Roasted barley guides it, with rolling oat notes (I was right!) and dark malts filling out the body. Some floral hopping, but it's minimal and complementary. Unfortunately, it does lack a bit of balance; the roasted barley feels strangely...artificial? Slightly stale? Something's off. Maybe it's just too damn cold; I knew I should have disregarded the label and waited. I any case, it's nicely creamy - a lovely characteristic and one that is a requisite of any good example of the style. Here's a beer brewed with an understanding of the careful roast and cream balance integral to a solid stout. It's mineral-heavy; maybe that's the water used? Little yeast character comes through, if any. No alcohol does either.

Mf: Creamy and soft up front but too thick and hard (i.e. with regard to water hardness). Smooth and wet. Too heavy on the palate, coming off feeling overbearing. The hardness here is a severe flaw and undercuts the flavour profile, distracting the drinker.

Dr: Very drinkable for the high ABV, but it feels like wasted potential; if they'd just fix that pesky mouthfeel! Overall, I do like it - and I intend to try more beers from this brewery. Just ignore the advice on the label and serve this one merely chilled. A good-but-not-great export stout, and not one I'd get again. Still, for a little known (in my experience) microbrewed export stout, it's somewhat impressive. Just not the hidden gem I'd hoped for.

Gets better as it warms.

High C+

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 04:59:19 | More by kojevergas

t0rin0

California

4/5  rDev +3.6%

11-22-2012 02:46:30 | More by t0rin0

arash1000

California

4/5  rDev +3.6%

11-10-2012 04:50:14 | More by arash1000

sgoro

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

10-23-2012 01:13:46 | More by sgoro

MarkyMOD

Colorado

4/5  rDev +3.6%

10-10-2012 03:52:22 | More by MarkyMOD

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up at the House of 1,000 beers for 5 bucks.

A - Man I know this is an old bottle but it fills the glass with over an inch of solid deep mocha head, in fact this is one of the darkest heads I ever seen. Equally as dark beer with mild carbonation bubbles throughout,

S - Mild burnt malts, bakers and dark chocolate malts, and a touch of oatmeal.

T - Actually quite good the roast is pretty cloying giving a burnt oatmeal taste which brings sweet malts and chocolate in the finish. A mild bit of hops rounds the palate but it seems overly roasty to me,

M - Medium and quite chewy. Very stout like.

Overall quite a big chewy stout that hides the ABV well with a roasty almost smoke like flavor. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 02:28:13 | More by DrDemento456

mactrail

California

3.33/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Seriously opaque, even in a skinny glass, and topped with plenty of beige foam. As dark a head as I've seen, and so is the beer. A little roasted barley in the nose. Plenty of carbonation on the tongue. Silky mouthfeel plus the prickly bubbles. Fairly substantial body.

I have only had a few in this style but just recently tried the Pike Street Export Stout, which I liked a little better. Identical ABV. This has a little more sweet malt and a little less of the darkest flavors. A hint of the sourish charred taste, but a little dark chocolate as well.

Interesting to sip but that hint of burnt oatmeal gets old. From the 22 oz bottle bought at Total Wine.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 05:19:20 | More by mactrail

beerpadawan

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

08-27-2012 16:26:09 | More by beerpadawan

atone315

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

07-26-2012 02:50:48 | More by atone315

UCLABrewN84

California

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Tony's Darts Away in Burbank, CA.

Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cookie dough, cocoa, and slight soy sauce. Taste is of dark roasted malt, cookie dough, cocoa powder, and pretzels. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that has a better taste than smell in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2012 02:23:52 | More by UCLABrewN84

arizcards

Arizona

3.93/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bomber from the LaJolla Whole Foods in late February for $4.99.

Beer poured black with an OK tan head.

Nose is roasted barley and coffee.

Taste is roasted malts with chocolate and coffee.

Mouthfeel is pretty smooth, medium bodied with some silky smoothness. It is lacking a little body.

Overall i like this brew, a nice representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 23:02:33 | More by arizcards

birchstick

Missouri

3/5  rDev -22.3%

07-08-2012 15:59:52 | More by birchstick

BucannonXC5

California

3.9/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a draft into a pint glass at Hamilton’s Tavern in North Park, San Diego, Calif. A finger of head once I got it. Color was black. Brownish tan caramel lacing. Decent retention.

Smelled of coffee, dark chocolate, light caramel and toffee.

Tasted coffee, coffee beans, toffee and dark caramel. Good mix of tastes.

Full body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Long smooth finish.

Good and balanced stout. I’d have it again for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

06-26-2012 06:18:42 | More by BucannonXC5

caverog

California

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%

06-25-2012 03:05:13 | More by caverog

bsuedekum

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%

05-30-2012 02:07:54 | More by bsuedekum

BigLittleHokis

California

4.75/5  rDev +23.1%

05-21-2012 02:03:23 | More by BigLittleHokis

Piason

California

4.5/5  rDev +16.6%

05-11-2012 07:26:33 | More by Piason

ocelot2500

Arizona

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep brown color with a tight, tan head that leaves a little layer lacing.

Smells of solid roasted notes, I am picking up a funny burnt type note though.

Tastes of the roasted malts with some decent sweetness. Malts come through with chocolate and coffee. Has a bit of a creamy note to it as well. Touches of roasted bitterness are countered with a brown sugar sweetness.

Mouthfeel is medium with a smooth amount of carbonation.

Overall, nothing special, but is still quite a solid beer that you shouldn't ignore.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 01:50:07 | More by ocelot2500