Oh finals.I took a break from manically studying the history of modern science and differential equations to review this tall bottle of beer loving from Rogue. It was a lot more fun then Bessel functions. A lot.

Brewery Hometown: Newport, Oregon

Appearance: Dark, opaque black with a standard thickness (no motor oil :P). Rich, creamy brown head that stays fairly rigid after pouring.

Aroma: You get a distinct sweet malty scent right after opening the bottle. Fragrant, full bodied. I get a hint of maple with lots of roasted tones. Reminds me a lot of the St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout I just finished. Similar ‘dark’ roasted coffee/chocolate character to it.

Taste: Dry and malty. The bitter roasted elements are very strong (smokey?). The sweeter elements in the aroma don’t really poke into the flavor. I am getting a lot of wood…in the taste (but its not as offensive as Anchor Steam! ‘Like biting into a tree’). It has a wonderful rich feel when you drink it (well balanced carbonation? this could just be my dumbass being overly sensitive). [Note that I am only 1/3 done with the 650mL bottle at this point.] I’m getting better flavors as I let it warm; my later sips seem to be a little sweeter and well balanced (I just checked the bottle and see that I had it colder than recommended…sorries). Take 2; its still definitely heavy on the roasted, earthy elements but it has a warm complexity that does make it an excellent stout. Aftertaste is dry and bitter though.

Alcohol: 6.00%

Drink one or all?: 1.

Cost: $7/650mL bottle

Overall: 16/20. This is a wonderful brewery, but I don’t think this is their best. That said, its still pretty fucking fun.