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

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

Ryan011235

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass on 6/20/10

Courtesy of boatshoes

Dark cola brown; hardly any light gets through - just a little around the edges. Sedimentary floaties drift about then settles on the bottom. 1/2 inch tan head thins quickly.

Dark roasted malts & earthy hop aromas. Notes of coffee grounds & something akin to buttery toffee (eh?). Smells pretty dry.

The is very similar to the nose, with prominent roasted malts - coffee is most apparent. There's a nice hoppy offset & bitterness. Quite dry & plenty tasty. I think it has a good balance.

Basically full bodied. Carbonation is a touch higher than moderate; though a little higher than I prefer, it suits the style. Finishes appropriately dry & bitter.

Drinkability is very good; I could toss back a few with ease. Uncle Steve knows what's happening. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 01:58:45 | More by Ryan011235

boatshoes

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up from Tiffany's Party Store in Kalamazoo when doing a recent art show in the area.

Appearance- Pours an opaque black with about a half finger of brown head on top that almost immediately dies back to a ring around the edges.

Smell- Much more going on in the nose that I was initially expecting. Huge amount of rich roast, with a slight bit of bitter coffee and an almost earthy smell. Big smell for the style.

Taste- Starts off with rich and bitter roast, though in lesser amounts than the nose suggested. Some slightly strange, almost acrid flavors come in around mid palate as well. Almost reminds me of black olives. Finishes somewhat bitter and astringent.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Mouthfeel is decent for the style though a touch on the thin side. Drinkability is okay as well, but the finish was somewhat off putting in its astringency.

Overall, an decent Irish dry stout. Wasn't in love with this beer but worth a try if you are partial to the style.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2010 17:23:05 | More by boatshoes

jrallen34

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into my Rochefort glass...Pours a very dark brown, not black but you could be fooled that it is. Light tan head, gone right away...Super light aroma, a little light coffee but that's it...The taste is super light and sweet on the front. On the finish some very light coffee, just not a ton of flavor here. A light coffee sessional.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2010 01:02:20 | More by jrallen34

ahking

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Comes out of the bottle a typical opaque dark with beige head. The real joy of this beer is in the aroma. Rich musky roasted malt, house blend coffee, a touch of cocoa powder. Flavor is pleasant and mild of java and dry chocolate cake. Mouthfeel is light and thin and a little metallic in the finish. This makes the beer quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2010 00:51:08 | More by ahking

mgbickel

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Duck Rabbit snifter. Formed a slight, single finger tan head that receded quickly, leaving very little lace behind. The body is dark brown (almost black) that shows amber edges when back-lit.

The nose is simple but good...roasted malts, black coffee, and a touch of cocoa powder.

Following the nose, the taste starts off with the roasted malts, fades into the sweet chocolate character and ends with a bitter, cold, black coffee bite.

The mouth feel is medium, a little drying with moderate carbonation.

Pretty drinkable...nothing outstanding, but one I would drink again. Worth a try for sure.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 15:43:59 | More by mgbickel

WakeandBake

Michigan

3.7/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A dark black pour with a foamy light tan head leaving some jagged lacing , medium carbonation . Aroma of coffee , coco powder , roasted malt and earhty hops . Flavor is much the same as the aroma , light coffee , lots of roasted malt , coco powder and earthy hops , light body, oily feel, with a short dry roasty finish . Drinkable and sessionable but not my favorite style .

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2010 16:00:40 | More by WakeandBake

Mora2000

Texas

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to blutt59 for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark brown color with a khaki head. The aroma is coffee, roasted malt and chocolate. The flavor is coffee, roasted malt, bitter chocolate and some tartness. Tastes like this one is slightly infected like several other Short's beers I have tried. Medium mouthfeel and medium-high carbonation.

Short's makes some good beers but they are too hit and miss in the quality control department for me. If they can start putting out beers that aren't infected, they will move up in my book. I have another bottle of this that I received from TasteTester and hope that it isn't infected like this one was.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 02:08:42 | More by Mora2000

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

orbitalr0x

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

From notes: Deep dark brown pour with eggshell head and some nice lacing. Aromas of roasted dark malts and a bit of smoke. Smooth. First sip is smooth with a mellow dark roast and some with a nuttiness. A bit dry with a touch of smoke. Easy to drink and well balanced. Medium bodied smooth and a bit dry. Overall, an interesting take on an irish stout, but I wouldn't expect less from Short's

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2010 02:01:01 | More by orbitalr0x

dudemuskie

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A buddy of mine brought back a few bottles of this Short's brew after I confessed my love for their beers! Thanks Rob!

Appearance- Black brew, nearly opaque, with some faint deep brown highlights. Quickly rising and fading, loose, dark beige head.

Aroma- Deep roastiness, coffee grounds, and burnt black malt aromatics make for an inviting and potentially wonderfully dry Irish Stout!

Flavor- Higher than anticipated CO2 opens up to a big roasty and burnt malt start. Earthy hop flavor and mostly dark roasted malt bitterness pull together the middle and ease into the very dry finish. Very nice!

Mouthfeel- Medium-full bodied, moderate CO2, not much for hop presence, mostly relying on acrid dark roasted barley for bitterness. Almost astringent dryness, but not in a terribly bad way. Some residual sugars that are practically blasted out of my mouth by the dryness.

Overall- Nice and drinkable, brutally dry Irish Stout! Cant help but think of Guinness, but only because this brew would be delightful on a nitro tap! Very enjoyable and I will definitely seek this out again!

Second bottle consumed on 9/21/10- has been in the fridge and has a very pronounced sourness from start to finish! Definitely takes away from the Irish stout-ness, but makes this stout a little more refreshing on a summer's day!

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2010 04:10:52 | More by dudemuskie

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

trentley87

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a near-black dark ruby into my shaped SA glass, disappointing head retention and minimal lacing

S: Dominated by banana-raisin bread aroma. Lacking in the burnt coffee I would expect, but nonetheless very pleasing.

T: Not at all what I expected - malts, coffee, licorice, and an almost leathery finish. Reminds me of a nice cigar.

M: A little thin for the style IMO. Almost slippery, if that makes any sense given its a liquid. Leaves a film in the mouth. Carbonation is right on.

D: Not a bad beer by a long shot but not my favorite. Definitely session-able and I'll have no trouble drinking the other five in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 20:37:37 | More by trentley87

MIbeerfan

Michigan

4.55/5  rDev +22%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Pours a dark brown almost black with very thin creamy head

S: Smells like a dark chocolate milky way

T: Taste has first coffee then very creamy but light, like a jamocha milkshake with dark chocolate undertones

M: Velvety and a light creamy feel over tongue

D: The smooth and lightness of the stout lends to a very good drinkability. The avg ABV would make this a good session beer especially for the "pre-St Patty's weekend"

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2010 02:07:39 | More by MIbeerfan

mcallister

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep crimson with a tannish light bodied head that fades quickly leaving light lacing.

Aromas of roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, semi sweet malts, black cherry and plum.

Good easy drinking Irish stout. Highly carbonated and very roasty. Bascially tasted just like it smells with a bit more in the way of dark fruit. Body is light and watery like all Irish stouts. Such a boring style but okay once a year.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2010 21:21:02 | More by mcallister

tetonka4kzoo

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a heady dark color in a snifter. Has a two-finger head. Almost total blackness.

A very light and simple aroma. Has a malty and grainy smell--possibly oatmeal? Bready smell.

This stout has a bitterness to it. It has a dry finish to it. You notice a little hoppiness.

This Irish stout is crisp and well-carbonated.

Has a low ABV and is pretty drinkable and seems very smooth. A decent Irish stout but not quite up to some other Shorts Brewery stouts.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2010 00:41:34 | More by tetonka4kzoo

steve8robin

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Extra in a trade...

A: Looks very good. Perfectly pitch black with a 1 inch off-white head that fades quickly.

S: Wow, this smells very good. I get oak, raisin, breads, and booziness upfront. Very excited to taste this one.

T: A little strange at first. Very watery and almost like a cola at first, Wine / Grape taste in the middle, then subtle cranberry / raisin flavor hidden in the back. A little too watery and the flavors too far hidden.

M: Carbonation seems a little low for a stout. Too much water.

D: Goes down pretty easy once it gets warmed up. Good.

All in all, this brew smelled a lot better than it tasted. It had a lot of potential, brewer just needs to work on the flavors a little more. Good brew to try once, but not worth hunting down if you can't get it locally.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 00:50:52 | More by steve8robin

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4.28/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Edit: I try to review per style guidelines, and this one hit it out of the park.

12oz received as a great extra in my most recent trade with kbeals.. Truly appreciated Kevin!! Awesome trade!!

Poured into my shaped SA glass.

Khaki head shows great lacing and retention atop a pretty much black brew... clear ruby around the outskirts.

lite coffee aromas.. certainly a nice smack of dark malts.. not alot else going on.. as it should be.. smells simple and black.

Flavor and body are just about perfect.. a mild acidic note combines with the dark malts for a nice very drinkable brew.. lite coffee and dark malts.. surprisingly drinkable for me.

The body is about perfect for the style.. the carbonation is nice too...

Nothing really to complain about this brew... a nice brew and is pretty much spot-on. I am surprised how much I am liking this one... maybe I need to check back in on the style.

Thanks again Kevin for the great trade!!

4/4/4.5/4.5/4

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2010 07:19:35 | More by JohnGalt1

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

GLASS: Sam Adams Perfect Pint Glass
TEMP: Cellared @ approx 55 degrees

Nicely black in color. An almost four-finger head of tan colored craggy foam sits on top. The retention is good. The lacing is fluffy and slightly sticky.

Good amount of roasted malts. Some bittersweet chocolates. Nuttiness, especially peanuts and toasted pecans. Very light traces of brown sugar and oatmeal. Mild biscuit notes.

This is a more mild flavor than the nose led me to believe, but it's a dry irish stout, so it's in-line with the style. Good maltiness levels, both roasty and sweet. Brown sugar and toasted caramel notes. Big biscuity presence. Hints of chocolates and coffee. Strong hint of peanut flavored nuttiness.

Medium bodied with a medium level of carbonation. No real creaminess to it.

This is just about as easy to drink, but tastier than, Guinness. Very well done.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2010 05:26:42 | More by coldmeat23

kbeals

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a jet black with about a finger of thick, off-white head. Good head retention and a bit of lacing.

S- Good aromas of roast coffee and malts. Also has a bit of oatmeal smell to it also. As it warms it lends a sort of sweetness to the brew, almost like brown sugar.

T- Uh-oh, a bit of sourness in the taste. This bottle was getting infected but I'm glad I threw it in the fridge as it isn't bad enough to ruin the beer. A bunch of roasted flavors and a bit of sweetness. Not real complex, but solid.

M- Nice medium body, lots of carbonation. A bit dry on the finish.

D- Definitely drinkable, not too heavy and a low ABV makes it a good quaffer. The roasted flavors might turn me off after a couple however.

I was a bit nervous to get a seriously infected bottle, but luckily enough it wasn't too bad. A good offering from Short's, and I trust they will fix the QC issues in the future.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2010 15:47:51 | More by kbeals

gford217

Georgia

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle courtesy of a couple generous BAs.

Pours a dark, chocolate brown, bordering on black with a big rocky tan head that hangs on as a thick cap and leaves good lacing.

The aroma is heavy on burnt espresso and dark chocolate malts with an astringent bitterness coming out in the nose a bit. Definitely on the roasty side of things with hints of hops.

The taste is even more bitter than the aroma, even a slight sourness, which I've come to expect from bottled Shorts stouts. The toasted malts and espresso are still in the backbone and lend a very dry finish to things.

The mouthfeel is light and highly carbonated for the style.

I'm not that impressed with this one which has the bitter astringency that limits drinkability a bit. It's also more carbonated than I was expecting and the emerging sourness has me wondering about a possible infection. Oh well...

EDIT: Just drank another bottle of this one and it was very good. No sign of the sourness in the earlier bottle and a nice highly roasted stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2010 03:19:06 | More by gford217

pwoods

Ohio

4.13/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle shared by FtownThrowDown

A: Pours pretty much pitch black. Shorter head on the pour. Little lacing.

S: Lots of roast, nice bitter aroma. Some light chocolate.

T/M: Lots of bitterness from the black patent. Lots and lots of roast. Some hops are mixed in there but definitely in the back. Body is medium with smooth carbonation.

D: Low ABV and pretty damn drinkable. A sold Irish Dry Stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2010 01:57:39 | More by pwoods

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

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle. sampled feb 6/2010.

pours deep dark brown, not quite black, with a small dense tan head. the head drops quickly but leaves plenty of spotty lace.

aroma is good. dark and bittersweet chocolate. bit of coffee. light alcohol. bit of smoke. peanut and almond. slightly toasted multi-grain bread. cracker.

taste is good. dark and milk chocolate. bit of peanut and almond. caramel. toasted multi-grain bread. cracker. hint of smoke. herbal and earthy. light roast.

mouthfeel is good. medium body with a nice dry finish. medium carbonation level.

drinkability is good. nice balance. smooth and tasty. a nice irish stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 21:48:02 | More by grub

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, thanks to grub for sharing.

Pours a clear very dark reddish brown, ruby hues in the corners, thick light tan head forms, settles down to medium ring around the glass and thin layer, some lace spots stick, looks good.

Smell is nice, light and roasty, some chocolate, caramel sweetness, dry and toasty, some biscuit, brown sugar, marshmallow, chocolate wafer dryness, light bit of fruitiness but big and malty.

Taste is nice, very dry and roasty, chocolate and some coffee, caramel, some malty sweetness through the middle, biscuit and toast, some fruit in the finish, a bit nutty, a touch of lactic sourness in the finish, nice stuff.

Mouthfeel is light bodied with medium carbonation, easy drinking stout. Carbonation is a bit high for the style, but real nice roasty flavours going on. Thanks Russ!

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 21:42:10 | More by Viggo