Short's Uncle Steve's Irish Stout - Short's Brewing Company

BrewCrew2010

New York

2.1/5  rDev -43.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

A: Pours an opaque brown body. The head on this one is massive. No joke, went to open this one and the cap pratically blew off, tons of foam, 5+ fingers. It was very pillowy and leaves a sticky head.

S: A simple nose of toasted malts, coffee, cocoa, & earthy hops. Hint of sour in the nose.

T: It was really hard to focus on the flavor because the carbonation was way too high. Flavor of roasted malts, grains, coffee, and finishes a bit dry and sour.

M: Way too much carbonation & medium body. I felt like I was drinking seltzer water which strongly effects the taste.

D: I think I got an infected bottle, but this one just tasted bad. I feel like every other bottle I get from Short's is infected. I would never drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 20:02:31 | More by BrewCrew2010

jampics2

Ohio

2.17/5  rDev -41.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Looks good, nice fluffy head atop a dark nice body.

Smell is -uh-oh- sour, peanut hints, roast, infection. Ugh. I had an Uber Goober with this same problem and one w/o. This will be a drainpour.

Taste is dominated by a sharp, sour infected metallic taste. Bit of nuts and roast.

Mouthfeel is OK but a bit too carbed, probably due to the infection.

Drainpour. Could be a great Irish stout, but this bottle is infected and sour and just bad. These Shorts releases have been hit or miss due to the infections, hope they take care of them next time!

--UPDATE--
While I had a poor experience with this beer, I am thoroughly impressed with Shorts Brewing's response to these QC issues. I am not telling anyone that this beer is horrible as much as this batch had it's share of problems. I look forward to another batch and an updated review. Thanks to Shorts for reaching out and offering to make this right - classy act for sure!

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2010 01:39:25 | More by jampics2

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

2.3/5  rDev -38.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Nonic. No date or info.

Thanks to Sweemzander for another Short's Brew.

A - Pours out clear and almost fills the nonic with black beer. Just a shade above, it's a very deep red amber brown color. A great tan head popped up to two fingers, hung out for a while, then dropped to a thin layer leaving lace.

S - Unfortunately the infected nose from the PB+J and Uber Goober makes it's way into this beer slightly. Deep roasted malts with a dry coffee nose and that light peanut nuttiness with a little tart splash.

T - Dark roasted malts with a bitter dryness and molasses. A scoop of coffee grounds too with the peanut and off infection tart funkiness to the finish.

M - Creamy and smooth with a full body and dry roasted finish.

D - While it's not terrible, it's gonna be a drain pour. I'm just not a fan of this infection crap from them despite their best efforts at a good beer (which otherwise, it would be).

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2010 00:43:50 | More by BeerFMAndy

crossovert

Wisconsin

2.48/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a dark brown with hints of red and black with a thick tannish head.

Smells like old molasses, and dark malts.

The taste is full but the mouthfeel is incredibly watery. It has lots of coffee and molasses notes an a bit of sourness.

This is one of my least favorite styles but this one at least has some flavor though like most the mouthfeel is off for beer and it appears to be infected.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 19:14:49 | More by crossovert

n811

Michigan

2.5/5  rDev -33%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass revealing a slim tan head.

Smell was very roasty, pungent burnt malt.

Taste was over the top roasty/malty with a long finish. This is way too much stout for a style exemplified by Guiness & Murphy's. Reminded me of a misplaced homebrew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2010 02:28:52 | More by n811

semibaked

Kentucky

2.53/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Poured into a pint glass.

A - Looks like pretty much any other stout...BLACK! With about a half an inch of head that disappears quickly.

S - Mild amount of coffee and roasted malts, nothing much else going on but still pleasant smelling.

T - Watered down coffee flavor, hoppy bitterness, and malts.

M - Very watery, pretty much no body and maybe just a tad of oiliness to it. Just unappealing.

D - Ya I am definitely glad I didn't buy a 6 pack of it, I usually really Short's beer but this is a big miss for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2010 22:53:39 | More by semibaked

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.55/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours pitch black and completely opaque with only the faintest of mahogany/chestnut brown edges when held to a light source and a massive frothy three finger light beige head that slowly fades into a lasting cap.

Strong deep roasty aroma with lots of dark malt and a slightly bitter almost acrid character. Lots of bittersweet dark chocolate, oatmeal, burnt toast and coffee bean. There's also a slight bitterness with some possible subtle hops. I'm really surprised how roasty/toasty the nose is. It's almost burnt smelling.

Very roasty, almost burnt medium body with a lot of dark bitter malt character. Slightly lactic and creamy with a lot of bittersweet dark chocolate, oatmeal, toffee, roasted coffee bean and burnt wood. There's also a very prominent hop bitterness especially toward the end of the palate which lingers into a very acrid dry finish. Sweet alcohol is present mid palate, lasting through the finish, but there is a bit of silky viscous burnt chocolate maltiness in the end of the swallow. This beer isn't as smooth or creamy as it claims to be and overall this beer has a really harsh acrid/burnt character that makes it difficult to drink. I wasn't very impressed with this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2010 10:42:28 | More by corby112

claminat420

Michigan

2.75/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A- poured the typical stout color. tan colored head. i have to say this beer is a foam machine. a foamy foamster! foam leaves little to hardly any lacing.

S- roasted and chocolate malt. what a good stout should be.

T- very grainy and dry. has the same as the smell qualities. has a dark fruit/ sourness when it's colder.

M- medium to light bodied. decent carbonation.

D- get a single.

Overall- drink this beer semi cold. i through my first one in the freezer for 10 minutes when it was already somewhat cold and it had a funky fruity/ sour taste. when it warms up this beer has potential it just walks a thin line. really dry. will never buy this again. i'll give irish dry stouts another try but if they're all like this then i'm good.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2010 03:15:10 | More by claminat420

flexabull

California

3.03/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy of mikesgroove, thanks again!

First Thanksgiving day beer.

Pours a flat black color with a decent white head.

Aromas are of roasted dark malts, chocolate, nuts, and coffee.

Taste is thin, light and a bit watered down. Some roasted malts, light coffee, nuts, light sourness, and hints of cream. Flavors are mild, not bad, but not much going on here.

Mouthfeel is not very good, really thin and watered down feeling.

Drinkability is ok. Not a terrible beer, but not very good either. Too thin and weak. I think my review is actually being kind, because I don't really like this one...

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2010 20:10:47 | More by flexabull

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle. Pours a dark brown with a huge 3 finger fluffy tan head that is very slow to settle. Aroma that I get out of this is a little bit of coffee but also leather and roast matls. Medium/light mouthfeel. The taste is Slightly sweet up front with a big leather and slightly bitter ending. Ends rather crisply and dry but the flavors linger on a bit. Good lace left on the glass. Has a slight touch of alcohol taste. Hmm, not a huge fan but not terrible either. Pretty carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 00:39:46 | More by kbutler1

mdaschaf

Washington

3.15/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a dark brown, practically black color, with a thick one finger head upon pouring that quickly dissolves to a thin layer on top. The foam is rather dark tan/brown in color. Thin, but sticky lacing clings to the sides.

S: Lots of roast and some espresso/coffee. There is a hint of chocolate and some bitter hops.

T: Very roasty with coffee being the predominate flavor. There is a little bit of coffee and some biscuity malt.

M: Light to medium bodied, medium to high carbonation.

O: Not really a fan. It seemed a bit thin and I just didn't really like the flavor combination. Made well, just not for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2011 02:27:47 | More by mdaschaf

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.25/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A careful pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces a four-finger thick, nicely browned head. The beer is quite black in color, though it does show some brilliantly clear, ruby highlights when held up directly to the light. Up front the aroma smells of toasted grain husks, smoothly roasted malt and even a touch of coffee like roast character. If you really dig around the nose yields notes of dark chocolate and the sense of blackened malt sugars.

Quite foamy as it first hits my tongue, aggressively so even as there was so much carbonation it was hard to get a sense of the flavor. As the beer rolls across the tongue though a lactic tartness becomes noticeable, and in fact is the most noticeable part of the middle. As the finish comes round a toasted, smoothly roasted malt character becomes the dominant note. The lactic note is definitely a sure sign of infection here, in fact I thought I had smelled a hint of it in the nose, but when I went looking for it I couldn't capture it again. Strangely the lactic character sort of works in this beer, the roast character doesn't get overly burnt, bitter or astringent and because of this the dark malt is able to blend pretty harmoniously with the lactic acidity. The acidity brings out a green apple fruitiness in the flavor. The body has the lightness of Guinness, though I suspect this is quite a bit lighter than the brewer intended.

Given that I have come to expect beers from Short's to be so, I was unsurprised by the infection in this bottle; it actually sort of works here as well. Not bad and if you want to taste a dark sour beer that sort of works then give this one a go. If you want a nice Irish Stout then I can only recommend that you avoid this beer at all costs. At least it is interesting.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 15:50:33 | More by Gueuzedude

JordanEllwanger

Michigan

3.3/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A very dark rick black amber. The caramel coffee smells comes out even without a sniff. The caramel white head holds some carbonation and a decent alcohol sent followed by some coffee grounds and caramels. The taste brings the grounds out even more. Coffee and alcohol are all I can taste. The feel is decent and makes for an enjoyable stout.
Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2010 08:42:25 | More by JordanEllwanger

zdk9

Texas

3.33/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Dark black, some nice small bubble head.

S- Roast, blackness, coffee, rice husk.

T- Lost of roast and smokiness, slightly minerally.

M- Lighter than expected, dry, though as dry as an Irish stout should be.

D- I could drink this one again. Irish stouts aren't my favorite, but this one is good.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2010 00:55:22 | More by zdk9

techfed87

Michigan

3.35/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a deep, thick head that quickly piles up when poured. Scent is malty, yet subtle.

For a stout, this comes off as much lighter in nature. I would almost consider it more of a porter than a true stout. Dark caramels and carbonation are the main two flavors that I can pick up from it.

For a seasonal, it may be somewhat appropriate, but for such a rare thing to find in bottle form, it seems somewhat lackluster. A good beer, to be sure, just not at all worth its price tag.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2009 02:04:09 | More by techfed87

Kaiser81

California

3.35/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to 6daysbottomocean for this as an extra

Just got this in the UPS box...felt warm when I got it. It's been in the fridge for about an hour and a half, so I thought that would be good for this stout.

12 oz bottle poured into my snifter glass.

A - Opened with a loud pop when taking the bottle cap off. Lots of frothy, tan colored pillow like head. I had to let it sit before I poured the rest out on a second pour. The color is a deep brown, maybe the slightest hint of red tinge, but nothing much.

S - I get a lot of roast, and a lot of sediment, or metallic tinges in this. It smells la little ike when you bite on foil...those who have done it, know what I mean. If you haven't, don't do it.
Anyway, coffee, espresso, and bitter chocolate come out on deeper whiffs. As it opens, it becomes much nicer. It smells dry, for that matter.

T - Tastes kind of like how the nose is, but the metallic tinge is a bit more pronounced. Maybe the style is like that, as I don't think I've had a dry irish stout before.
Upon 2nd sip, some of the better flavors come out, the coffee, espresso, and bitter chocolate with the really dry finish.

M - Very dry finish, creamy texture, and kind of high carbonation.

D - Not sure I'm feeling the style very much. Maybe the beer had to still chill for a bit. Glad I got to try it, but I don't need to seek this one out.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2010 04:23:43 | More by Kaiser81

DannyDan

Michigan

3.38/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A. Pours a blackish-brown body with little retention, hardly any lacing and some carbonation.
S. Smell a mix of chocolate and coffee malts.
T. The taste is some chocolate followed by some coffee with some hops in the back. Also taste some dark fruits and molasses when drinking this beer.
m. The mouthfeel is a dry feel that really doesn't do much.
I see that it has overall listed instead of drinkability. This is not a bad beer, but when it comes to an American brewery making an Irish Dry Stout I would recommend Avery Out of Bounds Stout over this.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 03:28:05 | More by DannyDan

hmbrewer336

3.48/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a dark brown almost black body with a brown head about one finger thick. last couple drops run around on top of the beer before falling in. no lacing left on my glass

S: smells roast and tobacco and biscuits. as the beer warms coffee smell starts to come through. slight noble hop aroma with a slight grassiness.

T: roast and chocolate. slightly hoppy when held in the mouth. good bitterness. very earthy. i pick up a touch of green apple. after taste lingers bitter for a few moments.

M: moderately high carbonation feels good on the mouth. light in body and easy to drink.

O: this is a nice irish stout. uncle steve should be happy with this. beer is very true to the style. full of roast and biscuit with a slight hop.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 21:51:58 | More by hmbrewer336

lackenhauser

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Jet black color though somewhat "muddy" looking. nice head and leaves a layer of lace at each sip. Mellow, somewhat roasted and mildly cocoa aroma. Decent flavor-again mild roasted and cocoa flavors. Pleasantly dry with a definate grainy taste to it. Licorice/sourness flavors come thru near the end, and tend to be too much overall. Solid mouthfeel. Decent stout, though the somewhat off taste of whatever flavor I am getting would make too many of these hard to swallow.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2010 15:11:46 | More by lackenhauser

brew3crew

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-dark black with a wonderful tan head that sticks around.
S-don't really get much of a smell off of it...
T-little bit of coffee with a lot of malt. Very sweet finish
M-medium body and smooth. Sweet toward the end
O-OK overall. Slightly heavier than I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 17:59:53 | More by brew3crew

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

Pours 1/2 finger of creamy tan head. Color is a dark brown, near black,

Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, grassy hops, coffee,

Taste: A bit more hops showing here. Chocolate, coffee, and cream flavors. Lightly roasted malts.

Mouthfeel: Roasted and smooth, a bit crisp. Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Finishes with a touch of sourness to it.

Overall, a decent dry stout. However, I think that this one went a bit sour. Pretty drinkable. Just sour in the aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2010 05:27:05 | More by mothman

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Pours black with big initial beige foam, that tapers off to leaving some thick lace in the glass. Coffee astringency up front. Sourness on the back end, with sugar more at the end of the bottle. Dry aftertaste. Flavours going on, and that keeps me drinking for interest. Some anise. Big burping carbonation, yet this is 8 months aged. You sold it,I rate it and the sourness may be attributable to an oops infection batch, and it is more evident in the aromas at the end of the glass, along with roast.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2010 21:41:51 | More by northyorksammy

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours black, with a finger or so of creamy mocha colored head. This retains with a thin but frothy look, leaving back a thick foamy cascade that slowly creeps down the sides of the glass. The aroma smells of dry roast and coffee, with some chocolate and caramel adding some sweetness. Earthy character mixes in as well, giving this a hoppy tang in the nose.

The taste is cocoa and caramel, with some tart feeling fruity and citric character that leaves an earthy twang in the mouth. A light pithy bitterness is present here, while roasted malts finally show up in the finish with a dry and toasted feel. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, being mellow yet still crisp on the palate. Some chewy slickness underneath adds a bit of a smooth heft to the presence of this.

Definitely a different take on an Irish Stout here, with the tart fruity tang of this really standing out. It wasn't necessarily unpleasant but just different, as the other aspects of this were mostly well done. I'm curious as to just how different this one ended up being in the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 16:15:49 | More by Kegatron

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

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.

another new one, i had high hopes for this one, but was slightly let own in the end. pours out a very nice dark brown, nearly black with a nice tight head of tan that sits on top with all of its glory. rich looking with a nice and even settling.

aroma is sweet at first with hints of cocoa and a nice light lactose aroma that comes up from it, but it fades quickly and is replaced by a light, semi muted roasted malt. the flavor is just a touch off as the overall profile lacks the punch i would hope for. ark roasted chocolate, hints of light sugary notes and just a light overall feel given the style lead to something that is not bad per se just not all that i had hoped it would be.

overall a solid stout but needed a little more punch to make it last in my mind.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 17:30:49 | More by mikesgroove

cosmicevan

New York

3.53/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Huge thanks to gnemesis for the giant short's hookup.

a - poured the 12oz into a unibroue tulip a deep rich thick black with a dark tan creamy head. very nice looking stout. if a beer could be a tuxedo, this would be the beer.

s - roasted burnt malts. somewhat subtle and brisk. charcoal.

t - pretty watery in the flavor dept. brisk roast. kind of porter-like.

m - medium bodied but the watery flavor gives the body a watery feel too. very dry as expected. left my mouth with a roasted toasted coating.

d - i'd take a guinness, but nice to try a different offering from the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 05:38:27 | More by cosmicevan