Short's S'more Stout - Short's Brewing Company

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev +22%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Lord Hobo in a pint glass.

Short's S'more Stout pours stout black, with a light helping of caramel foam. Head retention is alright, but lacing is pretty sparse. The nose is spot on for s'mores, with plenty of marshmallow and chocolate, and a little bit of bready crackers. The aroma is a little dull though. The graham crackers, already a minor note in the nose, come precipitously close to disappearing completely in the flavor profile. Fortunately, the chocolate and marshmallow (not an easy flavor to get in beer in my experience) are even more robust, leaving the flavor still pretty good, if a little bit farther away from the s'mores goal than the aroma. The mouthfeel's a little off for a stout, with the body a little on the dry side, and the carbonation noticeably active. Short's really are the mad scientists of the beer world, and it's impressive how close they came to their target with the S'more Stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 05:32:48 | More by axeman9182

amphion1065

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

A very generous 16 oz. pour into a pint glass at Lord Hobo. Reviewed from notes.

Pours black. A quarter-finger light tan head presents itself, but it's basically nonexistent.

There is a very prominent chocolate component in the aroma. It seems creamy, with a rather strong milk complement - I might even call it marshmallow-like. There's also a light roast quality that reminds me of coffee.

The taste is surprisingly coffee forward. I can detect just a hint of marshmallow vanilla sweetness. Milk and coffee, almost like a cappuccino, really come through. There's a slight bitterness in the finish. The alcohol is totally absent.

The mouthfeel is far too thin for a beer this big, and the carbonation is a touch high. It's tough to enjoy a beer this rich and sweet when it feels watery.

An interesting take, if not exactly evocative of s'mores themselves. Technically impressive, though not a standout.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 16:43:15 | More by amphion1065

oline73

Maryland

3.35/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I had this on-tap during the pre EBF throwdown at Lord Hobo.

Appearance: This beer pours pitch black with a finger of tan head that fades to a ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell: Sweet roast with lots of graham cracker and some dark chocolate. Quite nice.

Taste: I was really disappointed that the graham cracker didn't show up here like it did in the smell. Less sweetness with dark chocolate and some bitter roast.

Mouthfeel: The body is on the thick side of medium with smooth, thick carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This beer smells really good, but is a bit of a letdown when it comes to the taste. Still not bad.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2012 22:18:37 | More by oline73

MrDanno96

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Served in a 16 oz pint glass at lord hobo.

A: Pitch black with a thin layer of tan heas. Little lacing.

S: Roasted malt and slight hints of dark chocolate.

T: Roasted malt up front transitions to a very sweet mid-palate. Milk chocolate, mocha, slight hints of coconut.

M: Full and slightly chewey with subtle carbonation.

O: Not Shorts' best novelty brew. An average sweet stout.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2012 01:15:29 | More by MrDanno96

BeRanger

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Tulip from an unopened growler that was 11 days old. Part of a three growler Shorts tasting.

A - Pours dark brown/black, about a finger of light brown head. Little to no rentention.

S - Spot on, Chocolate, Graham Cracker, Marshmallow, Roasted Malts.

T - Taste was just like the smell, however I was impressed that the alcohol being 9% was masked. No harsh or hot after taste on the finish.

M - Medium body, low carbonation.

O - A very interesting beer, I was surprised by the low marks. You have to keep in mind that you are reviewing a dessert beer, so it's going to be a little whacky! I think they did an excellent job of masking the alcohol and bringing in the flavors.

Serving type: growler

01-06-2012 02:17:29 | More by BeRanger

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

2.63/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz bottle poured into snifter - thanks to Donerik

Pours a blacked out color with little to no head. Slight film glides across the top without lacing.

Roasted malts and burnt marshmallows in the nose. Some hints of bready graham, chocolate, and sugar with a dash of unfortunately familiar Short's metallic weirdness.

Dark malts right up front with some milky chocolate. Notes of graham cracker and burnt sugar, which are quickly smashed into oblivion by a metallic sourness. Yes, this one appears to have turned. I can see what they're going for here, but the profile is pretty much wrecked after the sour cherry sugar surge.

Medium body, abrasively high carbonation, rough on the palate. After having about 20-25 different Short's beers, I'll chalk this one up to an old/off bottle and re-review when a fresh batch is released. I really wish this wouldn't continue happening with their beers though, especially since I know this should be SO much better than the bottle I just had.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 02:54:59 | More by xnicknj

cosmicevan

New York

2.38/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Thanks to Florida9 for tossing this my way when I was in town the other day. Been wanting to try it for a while (despite the reviews I remain curious).

a - opened the bottle and filled my cigar city snifter. pretty murky looking with weird bubbling and stuff (yep, STUFF...like in orange juice, ya know STUFF). odd for a beer and a bit offputting. no head and the stuff clung to the side of the glass...little gross.

s - burnt chocolate crossed with a milk stout. very roasted and very burnt.

t - wow, now that's different. kind of sour, actually. makes me wonder if this is infected, but other reviews tell me that this is expected. the roasted burnt chocolate in the nose is there, but the tartness is so overwhelming that it takes over. i don't really know what to think or say about this beer. not sure if i will be able to get through the bottle.

m - super sharp mouth. heavy carbonation...kind of thick, but the sourness just confuses things. after a few moments of a not great aftertaste, things come together and my mouth feels a cool roasted chocolate aftervibe.

o - overall, a miss. short's is hit or miss. the names are usually pretty spot on, but to say s'more stout makes me think of deliciousness...the chocolate milk stout makes sense, but the sourness...that does not. i wonder if this is infected?

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 04:54:05 | More by cosmicevan

Florida9

Illinois

2.7/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Dirty dark brown in color. Cloudy, yet still a little translucent. What I will assume are graham cracker crumbs form clumpy islands on the surface of the beer. There is no head whatsoever.

S: Rich scent of dark chocolate, coffee, some roasted malts, and a little marshmallow.

T: Sour mash? Chocolate and some light graham cracker flavor, but the sourness dominates. This is not an infected sourness either - it's a cheap, shitty, gas station coffee sourness. Not appealing at all.

M: Medium bodied, but the sourness makes it feel thin. Prickly. Lower carbonation levels.

O: Not impressive. Doesn't take like a smores at all. Doesn't taste much like a stout, either.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 11:47:18 | More by Florida9

homebrew311

Illinois

2.48/5  rDev -23%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A: pours a deep brown with large floaty chunks visible on the surface. Not much head. Having trouble getting past the chunks in this.

S: the initial aroma is quite nice, big deep notes of chocolate and coffee, creamy hints of vanilla and marshmallow. On second smell, I pick up some dark fruits that seem a little out of place along with a touch of smoke.

T: the dark fruit character that I picked up on the nose basically dominate the flavor. Starts of sweet and becomes quite tart. Not getting the chocolate or coffee from the nose.

MF: thinner than I would expect from an imperial stout.

O: another disappointment from Short's. I really had high hopes for a beer with S'mores in the title, but this was ultimately a failure.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 22:07:00 | More by homebrew311

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.35/5  rDev -27%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Served in a Chicago Bears shaker pint glass.

Thanks to the Central PA group from the Gang Bang BIF for this bottle!

Been meaning to get my hands on a bottle o' this for some time. Finally. It pours a dark black-brown topped by a half-finger of short-lived dirty white foam. Some small flakes of something or other (the graham crackers?) float about on the surface. this thing kinda looks like a biology project I made in ninth grade... The nose comprises graham crackers, chocolate powder, black cherry, dank raspberry, and cinnamon. Methinks infection has set in on this one... The taste holds notes of sour cherry, dark chocolate, honey, light coffee, blueberries, and graham crackers. The sour berry notes are pretty strong, though not yet all-encompassing. Still, it isn't very appetizing (nor is it anywhere close to a s'more). The body is a light-ish medium, with a moderate carbonation, a watery feel, and a dry-ish finish. Overall, infection seems to have sullied what could have been at least a decent beer. Shame, really.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 21:41:01 | More by TMoney2591

emerge077

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Jeff for sharing this one!

This bottle was purchased straight from the brewery.
Review from written notes.

Into a small tulip it pours a blackish burnt mahoghany, glinting lighter brown around the edges when held to the Tennessee sun. A wispy offwhite skim of foam across the surface, that eventually breaks after a few sips, throwing spotty lace froth around the edges.

Earthy charred roast, deeply malty, with a creamy and slightly lactic note.

Flavors of black malt roastiness, peanuts, toasted graham crackers, bitter dark chocolate. Sadly no toasted marshmallow to be found, but tasty nonetheless. Rich with mellow roast, a dry aftertaste with a lingering nuttiness. Lighter bodied with creamy carbonation. Not a bad stout, it was pretty interesting.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 01:08:50 | More by emerge077

psiweaver

Washington

2.42/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a little tasting glass from the Elysian Pumpkin Festival.

A: pours a light black with chunks of something in it. Graham crackers? Marshmellow? Not appetitizing

S: smells like sweet candy with more sugar and kind of a burnt chocolate smell as well. not good either

T: taste is overly sweet with tons of off flavors to it.

M: chunks of something and a lack of carbonation are the final nail in the coffin for this beer.

Overall not very good which is sad because the other shorts beers i've had tend to be pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 21:12:29 | More by psiweaver

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another bottle toward my trade deficit with jale (thanks Jim!). Poured into a Great Lakes snifter. Lots of reports of infection, but this bottle seemed fine to me.

It pours murky brown, looks like sedimentation floating around in the liquid, with a thin and short-lived tan head. Excellent start! The aroma is VERY nice in a Short's way. No marshmallows or graham crackers, but I do get some chocolate. And alcohol. Not bad in-your-face alcohol, it's just that this smells potent.

The graham crackers are there in taste though, biscuit and cocoa and nice breadiness. No marshmallows still, this is sweet tasting but not sweet enough for me to get marshmallow.

Medium-thick body, dry mouthfeel. I enjoyed this beer immensely, although it may have been due to toasting a winning night at poker.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 02:28:50 | More by TurdFurgison

FreshmanPour77

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 3-3-11
Reviewed cold from a bottle to a glass

A - Poured a dark brew with one finger of creamy foam. Decent lacing ring with little carbonation present

S - Malt's, chocolate with not much hop nose

T/M - Interesting taste, chocolate comes into play, real malty. Can't tell if I am tasting the marshmallow though. No hop bitterness at all

D - Pretty drinkable stout. Malty brew that went down pretty smooth. I would only drink one of these though; it was a little too sweet for me. I recommend people trying it but I wouldn't seek this brew out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 19:29:25 | More by FreshmanPour77

THECPJ

Delaware

3.13/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

reviewed from notes:

appearance: dark brown with a half finger head

smell: chocolate, graham cracker,

taste: sour, with graham cracker mashmellow backend

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body

overall: I love what these guys are trying to do. But for some reason they just don't hold up very well.

cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 17:06:22 | More by THECPJ

nhindian

Pennsylvania

1.38/5  rDev -57.1%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

12oz bottle poured into an oversized snifter. Bottle provided as a generous extra by brian23456, thanks Brian! This one has been on my 'Wants' for a while.

A - This beer pours a dark brown, black in the middle but gradually lightens around the edges. It only builds a very meager head; about half a finger's worth if that. Retention is even worse as it quickly sheds any semblance of head in a matter of seconds. Lacing is also spotty with only a few select areas of glasses bearing any mark of lace.

S - The moment of truth: the first smell. I have to say prior to receiving this beer I was incredibly stoked for this beer and has been on my 'Wants' for awhile even though I didn't actively try to land it yet. Will my anticipation be rewarded? Upon the first smell, it's a bold and resounding no. Not at all. I can't really place this aroma at all, it's a hybrid of stale tobacco that carries a bit of smokiness with it, something sweet gone wrong (sour milk?) that I can only imagine to be some representation of marshmallows... It's certainly different and interesting in the way it keeps drawing me to smell it just so I can distinguish what it is, but I can't say it's tantalizing in the least. Give me this beer blind in 10 years and I'll probably be able to peg it as soon as the cap comes off, it's that impressionable.

T - In my days of actually reviewing and analyzing beer, I know that although a majority of the time the smell isn't a direct mirroring of the taste or quality, it sometimes can be misleading. I am really hoping this is of the latter variety. And although the taste isn't a carbon copy of the nose, it still isn't appetizing. It starts with some really nice smoked malts that give a great charred note to this beer, but it quickly dissolves into that stale tobacco taste before being swept away by a torrent of overwhelming sweetness. I immediately think this might be one of my first drain pours but want to give it a chance to warm up. Almost done with the bottle and it's not getting any better at all. The one positive of this beer: it really does hide the alcohol well, but I'd rather have some alcohol than the weird melange of flavors and sweetness that's assaulting my palate now.

M - Mouthfeel is thin with low carbonation. Finish is all sweetness and unfortunately lasts a long time.

D - Drinkability is low. This is a serious struggle to finish this beer and honestly is near the bottom of any beers I've tried, which is sad given I've had some pretty rough infections. A complete and utter disappointment of a beer given my anticipation, but even after I slayed the idea of it living up to them, it still boils down to being a pretty disgusting beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 04:28:55 | More by nhindian

Hojaminbag

Colorado

2.6/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

S'more has a dark brown body and a brown head. Retention and lacing are both OK.

The aroma is really sweet, and manages to smell a lot like a marshmallow with lots of sugar added into the mix. A little bit of chocolate swirls around in there also.

This one is sickeningly sweet. Burnt sugar leads off, with a marshmallow flavor following it. Lots of sweet chocolate, and some roasted malt. The burnt sugar definitely dominates. This beer does succeed in tasting a little bit like a s'more, but it is cloying and overly sweet.

This beer feels a little unpleasant due to its extreme sweetness, but it does seem to have adequate body and carbonation.

I couldn't even drink 12 ounces of this. A six pack would be out of the question. Too sweet and sugary.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2011 22:45:42 | More by Hojaminbag

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

2.1/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

<JEREMY2002 = bad trader>
Much love to mgbickel for hooking me up with this as consolation for my misfortune in the RIS BIF, Round 2. Thanks, Mike!

Poured into a stemmed tulip: Solid black with deep brown highlights around the edges. Thin mocha covering with a thicker collar. Some swabs of lacing.

Very interesting smell: Blackened cookies, a little caramel, along that interesting organic smell that straddles roses & dirty diapers. Not necessarily appetizing, but interesting nonetheless.

Sharp, tart dark fruits & skins up front, pretty much dominating the flavor, with some alcohol & a roasty, astringent aftertaste. Kind of a Belgian yeast character, in its spicy & fruit qualities, though I doubt this used a Belgian yeast.

Medium-full body, with some flintiness & a little bit sharp from booze. Astringency in the aftertaste is not great, either.

Man, I've had some Short's beers that were very evocative, but this really missed the mark. Really, kind of a mess. Wouldn't want to try it again, this is coming close to a pour.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 22:53:25 | More by OneDropSoup

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to Spica66 for a few bottles of this one in a recent trade! Served from bottle into a Stone nonic. Poured a massively dark brown almost black with a half finger light tan head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained minimal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of roasted malt, dark chocolate, and tobacco (really!?!?!?). The flavor was of roasted malt, chocolate, sugar (from the marshmallows maybe?), and tobacco (OMG, I wasn't dreaming it in the aroma). It had a medium feel on the palate with low carbonation. Overall this wasn't that bad. But tobacco, really!? Not sure at all how I feel about this note in the aroma and flavor. It was only in the aftertaste on the flavor thank God, but still... Just not pleasing at all. Other than this one off flavor this was a decent American stout. Just hate it shot itself in the foot.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2011 20:41:50 | More by thagr81us

GradyS1

California

2.98/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- A decent brownish black with little head, lacing on the top. S- This was the best part IMO, chocolate with a little roast and finished with a light vanilla which i beleave mush be the marshmallow element. T- not so good, this has a bit of sourness too it, It starts off with a nice coco taste but then goes immediately a tangy tartness, no vanilla. M- Just average, light carbonation and thickness. D- I would not drink another bottle of this if this is how the beer is suppose to taste. I would hope not because I think that if you take away the sour aspect and put this on draft, you have a tasty beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 11:25:17 | More by GradyS1

drabmuh

Maryland

2.33/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle thanks to Thorpe, I don't think mine was infected but it might as well have been, big disappointment here. Get your shit together Shorts.

Beer is brown with a weak thin head with no lacing, low carbonation, it looks OK.

Beer smells like...ashes?

Beer is a little thin...but I can forgive it since the beer tastes like ashes and rubber. Maybe this is infected, it's just not as bad as everyone is saying. The finish is bitter and ashy, I won't have it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2010 23:29:25 | More by drabmuh

Arbitrator

California

1.1/5  rDev -65.8%
look: 1 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Chilled bottle into a glass, generously shared by nickd717. Thanks. From notes.

A: Even if this beer weren't infected -- and I knew it was, because Short's was on the label -- the appearance would be awful. Floating chunks of... what the hell is this?!?! Flakes of marshmallow? It's completely unappealing to the eye.

S: Sour, funky. Some chocolate, cracker, and possibly marshmallow.

T: I had a hard time picking out the s'more ingredients. It was mostly just sour and tart, with a light barnyard note in the finish.

M: Thin, with floaties and chunks swirling in my mouth. It was very, very off-putting.

D: It's hard to tell if Short's is aiming to be one of those novelty breweries with ridiculous ingredient lists or a case study in "how can we infect everything we make," but at this point I don't trade for anything they make, because it betrays a lack of common sense.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2010 22:57:36 | More by Arbitrator

womencantsail

California

3/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to Derek for sending me a bottle of this the other day. Fingers crossed it's not infected...

A: The pour is a very dark brown with a surprisingly small off-white head that fizzles out quickly.

S: There's a touch of metal to the aroma, but otherwise a nice roast and a good sweet creaminess, giving the marshmallow feel to it. A bit of a chocolate aroma to it as well.

T: The flavor is pretty sweet and mostly starts off with chocolate. There's a little bit of a sourness to it, which certainly doesn't jive with the s'more theme. A decent enough graham cracker/malt flavor, though.

M: The body is medium with a low to medium level of carbonation and a bit of a sour/metallic tinge on the finish.

D: Not really that great due to the obvious signs of infection. It's too bad as I could imagine myself really liking this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2010 05:41:55 | More by womencantsail

krisandajt

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Yet another tasty brew courtesy of mymrnngjckt. Cheers Kevin!

Appearance: Poured from the bottle, this brew is a very dark, almost black, brown color. There's less than a cm worth of toffee colored head after the initial pour, and it doesn't hang around long at all. In fact, by the time I've finished typing this sentence it's completely gone.

Smell: I can smell the milk chocolate and some sweet marshmallow and they smell really good, but both are surprisingly mild.

Taste: The milk chocolate is definitely there, and there's a definite sweetness which I can attribute to the marshmallow, but other than that it's pretty simple. Not a bad tasting beer, it just doesn't perform like I thought it would.

Mouthfeel: I have to admit, for a big stout the body is rather thin and watery. The carbonation, however, is good and the texture, while thin, is fairly creamy and smooth.

Drinkability: I'll be honest, I'm disappointed in this brew. I've only had a few of Shorts' offerings, but they've always impressed me. Well, except for the licorice beer...but then I don't really like licorice. Anyway, this isn't necessarily a bad beer, and I wouldn't exactly turn it down if offered, but there are plenty of other stouts that are much easier to find that have a lot more oomph to them.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2010 02:05:10 | More by krisandajt

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

2.63/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Bottle gifted by Thorpe429. Thanks Mike!

A: Dark brown with a thin, wispy head that leaves a few small traces of lacing randomly located around the glass.

S: Roasted malt with a big chocolate scent. Also, I detect a lactic scent that is slightly sour / milky.

T: The beer is honestly not very enjoyable. It's always fun to try a new beer, and especially one by Short's, a brewery that pushes the limits to the extreme. However, this beer does not taste like smores. I enjoy smores made on the campfire, but I struggle to find the connection between smores and this beer.

The flavor is mostly of burned malts, chocolates (which are the redeeming quality of the beer), and a slightly sour taste that I can only guess is the brewer's attempt to replicate a marshmallow flavor.

M: The body is too thin and frail to be associated with a stout of any kind. Carbonation level is on the low end of the spectrum.

D: I'm thankful for the opportunity to try this, but I won't have it again and I would not recommend it. I thought Short's PB & J was really innovative and fun. Strawberry Short's Cake was not only convincing, but incredibly tasty and very drinkable. I commend Short's for pushing the boundaries, but this beer just falls short.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2010 21:08:37 | More by Huhzubendah