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

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

so i decided last night to break out 10, thats right 10 new shorts beers for a nice sampling with the family. turns out my and my brother in law were the only ones willing to go down this road, so long afternoon for sure. serve cold and consumed on 10/02/2010.

a nice pour starts it off quite nicely with a dark brown color and smooth one finger head of dark tan that hung around long enough and with enough power to coat the top of the glass quite nicely..

aroma is very sweet. lots of chocolate and what can only be described as a graham cracker like aroma mixed with a hint of smoked notes. very interesting for sure. as i take the first sip it becomes apparent that this one, unlike some of the others of the day is going to work quite nicely. smooth mellow chocolate and smoked notes mix well with a thick malty base an a smooth, graham cracker like flavor that imparts hints of the namesake. no touch of abv in this one at all, in fact i had no idea this was over 9 percent and drank like it was 4. smooth and creamy sweet finish really left that smoked note on the palate for a good bit.

overall a very, very solid beer that i thoroughly enjoyed. one of the better of these interesting new shorts beers.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 14:21:28 | More by mikesgroove

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

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.68/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to my parents for picking some of this up in Michigan. Poured into a snifter.

Pours chestnut brown with a touch of cream. No head even on a hard pour. No lacing. Won't dock it too far given the style and alcohol content. Nose brings forward a good dose of chocolate and a slight acetic character. Taste is slight chocolate and not much else other than a bit of sourness. Feel is really thin and partly sour. Poor drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 21:35:29 | More by Thorpe429

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

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

Mora2000

Texas

3.1/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle. First off, the beer had hard, white chunks floating on the top. At first I thought they were marshmellows, but they were very hard. Very strange.

The beer pours a dark brown color with red highlights. The aroma is graham crackers, honey and chocolate. The flavor is chocolate, smoke and roasted malt. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Some other people I drank this with thought it was showing signs of infection. I didn't get any of the sour notes that I have gotten in other Short's beers such as PB&J, but the mouthfeel was a little thinner that I think it should have been which could be from an infection.

I actually liked this beer a lot better than the other people that tried it. A very strange beer, but one that I am glad I got to try.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 03:34:01 | More by Mora2000

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

mdfb79

New York

3.08/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

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

a - Pours a nice mahogany brown color with moderate carbonation evident and one inch of tan head that lasts for 1-2 minutes. On top of the beer is a little bit of off white/tan sediment that looks like Swiss Miss hot chocolate, which I think is what they were going for.

s - Smells of sweet chocolate, roasted malts, cocoa, and graham cracker/bready malts. Also some light smokey malts and coffee. Also getting some sour lactic in the nose, which drags it down a bit to me.

t - Tastes of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, roasted malts, light coffee, light alcohol, and cream, which kind of gives it the s'more taste. Hint of sourness but not as much as the smell. A step up from the smell.

m - Light body and moderate to high carbonation.

d - Not the best stout I've had but I'm glad I got to try it and I appreciate what they were going for. I definitely enjoyed this beer more than the Key Lime Pie Short's beer I had a few days ago, but again, there was some sour/lactic that I did not find enjoyable. Might give another shot but certainly wouldn't seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 00:09:10 | More by mdfb79

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Thanks go to splax23 for a couple of these in trade.

Pours a deep brown, with a finger of frothy dark mocha colored head. Creamy looking retention on this, that leaves plenty of brown oils and spotty frothy lace behind. The aroma smells of chocolate roast and milky sweetness, giving the nose a sugary tang that is only enhanced by some green citric hop character that hangs on the edges. While not terrible, I would definitely say that some more definition and strength were needed here.

The chocolate flavor is thick here in the taste, as is astringent roast and lactic sweetness, which all combine to give this a somewhat souring component as this warms up. The sweet sugars of the cocoa and graham cracker tries to cover this up but there is also some green herbal hop textures that are present as well and only help add to this. That sweet earthy tang just seems to hang forever on the palate and honestly, gets to be a bit tiresome. The mouthfeel has a thicker medium body on it, with more of a creamy and bubbly feel to the carbonation that stays pretty easy feeling overall despite the sharpness of the flavors. Is this beer really 9%? What is the point of that? I will say that I only got a little warmth hanging back but not nearly enough considering the size of this, which helps give the feel some points.

I can see what they were shooting for with this one but man, the final product just didn't work out at all. The sweetness here plus the roast and the hops all just offered too much of the same thing and when all melded together like that were just overload. I managed to finish the bottle but I have to say, the flavors here were a bit of a mess.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 19:26:20 | More by Kegatron

glid02

Georgia

3.85/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Lee - thanks!

Pours one shade from black with a one-finger tan head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of heavy roasted malts with mild amounts of unsweetened chocolate. Also present are very slight amounts of burnt marshmellows.

Tastes more complex than it smells. Large roasted malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by solid amounts of slightly sweet marshmellows. Midway through the sip semi-sweet chocolate flavors work their way into things along with a slight cracker flavor. The roasted malts and chocolate carry through to a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is alright. It's a bit on the thin side with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I finished my glass without a problem and could have another.

Overall I was actually surprised by how straightforward this beer was. A solid stout with a few small bells and whistles that's worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 02:31:06 | More by glid02

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Great Taste 2010

I had no idea this was 9.2% abv

Pours a layer of tan head. Color is a dark brown.

Aroma/Taste: I was shocked, but I was actually able to get graham crackers out of this. It was unique and I give shorts props for bringing out this taste. I got a lot of burnt chocolate flavors with roasted malts. It was also creamy. I couldn't really pick out the marshmallows though.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy with some toasted notes to it. Medium to full bodied with a medium amount of carbonation.

Overall, this was another unique beer from shorts. After seeing the abv, this thing is fairly drinkable in that matter. I just wish the marshmallows would have shown.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2010 00:27:30 | More by mothman

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.65/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz received as part of a massive SURPRISE box from Kbeals!!

Pours with a very short lived tan head... the pretty much black.

Nose is milk chocolate... and with a swirl, I swear I get marshmallows... Not really finding any graham cracker sadly... a hint of cinnamon (could be the EtOH).

Flavor has the graham cracker pretty prevalent with melting waves of chocolate... NOW, I'm having a hard time picking up on the marshmallow.. hints of smoke on the finish.. pretty earthy with warmth... never would have even come close to guessing the ABV!!

Body is medium... pretty amazing given the high gravity.. carbonation is actually on the lite side...

Interesting brew.... definitely not gonna ever be my favorite, but interesting for sure...

Kevin is pure and simple, awesome. Very generous and a trader's trader who I am glad to say that I recently was able to meet in person and share some great brews. Kevin is "Good Humans" :-)

3.5/3.5/3.5/4/4

Edit: Some reviewers say this may be infected, I really am not sure.. often with so much dark malt, a sour twinge is imparted into the brew.... there is a very minor "twang" more in the nose and even less on the finish.. That said, I like it and am very excited to share with the local peeps.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 08:23:10 | More by JohnGalt1

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

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

largadeer

Kentucky

1.5/5  rDev -53.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Yet another infected Short's beer generously shared by nickd717.

Fizzy dark brown, this is becoming over-carbonated, though the head is fleeting and the beer is topped by chunks of...I don't even know, marshmallow maybe? The chocolate/marshmallow/graham cracker aroma is slightly noticeable but buried beneath funky sour notes. Similar on the palate, dark malt and marshmallow beneath lactic sourness. Fizzy mouthfeel with some chunkiness from the floaties. Yeah, another interesting Short's beer ruined by infection.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 21:15:15 | More by largadeer

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

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.1/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle split and poured into a snifter. No date or info.

Thanks to Thorpe429 for this one!

A - Pitch black in color, even a tall, vigorous pour couldn't rouse any head out of this beer. Poor retention on the thin tan foam, no lace left over. Tiny chunks what I assume to be part of the graham cracker cling to the glass though.

S - Lots of roasted malts flood the aroma. Cocoa and bitter-sweet chocolate with some coffee come out too. A touch of the graham cracker is in there with a pinch of marshmallow-like sugary sweetness.

T - Very, very roasted malts. A hint of smoky malt in there bit it's just acrid bitterness. Coffee and cocoa are prominent. No graham cracker available in flavor and the marshmallow is only slightly hinted at after the swallow.

M - Dry and very acrid bitter with a dry roasted finish and a lingering metallic note. Medium-full bodied.

D - The alcohol doesn't really show through which definitely makes it a little easier to drink, but it's just great overall. If you're gonna make something called a S'more Stout (and who doesn't love s'mores), you better do it right, otherwise it's a major let-down. If this was a normal stout, it would be decent, but as a s'more stout, it fails. Also, why is the alcohol so high in this anyway?

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2010 23:57:11 | More by BeerFMAndy

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +36%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Short's Brewing Company, Bellaire, MI on 11/29/08 for the Brew-Ski event and Winter Stout release party.

A - Very dark brown body (bordering black) with a minimal light tan head that receded into a ring of retention. Garnished with a marshmallow floating on top!

S - Smells of dark roasted malt, chocolate, toasted marshmallows, brown sugar and a bit of vanilla. Some crusty malt is present, but not quite the graham cracker maltiness I was anticipating.

T - Lots of gooey toasted marshmallow goodness with dark chocolate malt that compliments quite nicely. There is a slight pie crust character in the finish with a tinge of earthy hop bitterness and mild sour character.

M - Smooth and creamy texture with soft carbonation and a sticky mouthfeel. Finish is mildly bitter.

D - This is a fantastic, unique stout with a toasted marshmallow character that just oozes flavor. This was indeed a brilliant idea for a stout. Kudos to Short's for creating this campfire favorite!

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2008 18:29:36 | More by ffejherb

Deuane

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Deep, dark chocolate brown with a thin tan ring. Left spotty lace.

S-Light aroma of smokey roast, sweet graham cracker and milk chocolate.

T-A lot of complexity on the palate. Roasted malt with a bit of graham, some sweet marshmallow and chocolate. A hint of smoke on the back end. finishes quite dry.

M-Medium bodied with good lasting flavours. Nice dry finish.

D-Interesting stuff, I was not sure quite what to expect. This one did not hit it out of the park for me, but I certainly enjoyed it.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2009 17:28:38 | More by Deuane

GbVDave

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a snifter. Special thanks to joshuaseresse for this from our trade!

A: Pours a rather sickly looking, Tootsie Roll brown with no trace of head or lace. Some oily looking smears were left on the inside of the glass.

S: Slightly sour lactic aroma that was much like the sour notes that were present in P,B,&J and Uber Goober...but on a much smaller scale. Once I got past that it began to open up. Milk chocolate, fudge brownie, graham crackers, and flourless chocolate cake.

T: The sour notes of the smell are barely there in the taste, which follows the nose very closely. As the bottle wore on a slightly smoky, campfire flavor seeped out.

M: Very sticky with a fair amount creaminess. A slightly peppery alcohol sizzle played around on my tongue and lips and left a long lasting prickle behind.

D: Actually very easy to drink. After the initial hint of sour I was expecting this to be a full-on train wreck. Not so, at all. Actually, this was very enjoyable and the alcohol, while there, wasn't in your face.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 01:00:15 | More by GbVDave

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

billab914

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Bruery tulip glass. It poured dark brown in color with a thin dusting for a head spread out over the beer.

The aroma really shows the graham crackers in it which is pretty interesting. A lot of dark, roasted malts with a moderate dark chocolate flavor come through as well. I'd like to say I get a little of the marshmallow in it and I think I do, but I'd never pick it out if it hadn't been written on the bottle. Pretty cool aroma overall and not bad.

The taste shows more milk chocolate to it then the nose did. Roasted, bitter malts come through pretty well also. less of the graham cracker comes through but it's still there. The finish shows a little of what could be the marshmallow, but again I wouldn't ever have picked it out if it wasn't written on the bottle. Pretty decent tasting beer overall with a little interesting element to it.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Drinkability is decent, it had some good stout flavors and built some interesting flavors off of that. Not a bad beer overall, but not as cool and different as I had hoped.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 02:16:06 | More by billab914

emmasdad

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark brown color, somewhat murky (although with none of the marshmellow that I have heard could be found floating around) with a smallish off-white head. Aromas of milk and dark chocolate, marshmellow (and according to one of my fellow tasters, a little graham cracker). On the palate, this one is very chocolatey and pretty sweet, with vanilla, powdered cocoa, cream and lightly roasted malt. Pretty solid, but not one I'd actively seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2010 22:22:31 | More by emmasdad

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

nickd717

California

2.03/5  rDev -37%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

12oz bottle thanks to mikeincharleston.

Pours darkest brown with a one-finger tan head.

The aroma is...well...a little sour. Not good. S'mores and wild yeast, not a good mix.

The flavor is also sour s'mores. Really rather nasty unfortunately.

Medium-light bodied and sour.

Oh man, just not good at all. Shame this had to get infected, since it seems like an interesting beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 16:57:53 | More by nickd717