tasting #006 solanka stout
Appearance: Off white tan head with good lacing, alright! Body is dark and opaque but hints of amber come through the edges if held up to the light. Next time I’ll aim for possibly more blackness (but to do so still without excessive ‘roast burn’ will be the challenge). Strange note: this bottle had more yeast on the bottle than any of my previous, it was a thin but complete layer across the bottom! *Shakes finger at this finicky Irish ale yeast*
Aroma: Similar fruity/spice notes as smelled in my #005 Bad Bad Brown, the end is slightly roasted. Very small hop character even with the spur-of-the-moment dry hopping I did. Again nice chocolate and coffee roasted layers bring up the tail end.
Taste: The beginning is somewhat light with hints of fruity esters but it ends dry and, surprise, toasted darkness. The bittering is clean with a small hint of spice. Although the carbonation is good, the overall mouthfeel is too thin for a stout (perhaps the carapils malts will help next time).
Overall: I dig the amount of roast and chocolate, next time I will go for slightly more hoppy nose (I love those even in my stouts!). The beer has very little residual sweetness; I hope you like your coffee black! Overall the profile is very sharp and thin but with some small revisions I hope to make it a little more rounded!
