Serving Type: BottleABV: Six percent
Appearance: Kalamazoo Stout has a dark body. It can be classified anywhere between a very dark brown and a black. There are highlights of both colors floating around in the body of the brew. The head is what made this stout one of my favorites in terms of how it looks. It was a lighter shade of beige, but the upper portions of it were a creamy white. That looked very appetizing as I went in for a few sips of this brew.
Smell: This smelled very dark, roasty and robust. The prominent scent I picked up was the brewer's licorice that's noted on the label. I love black licorice. So, this was a big plus for me. There was also a couple notes of chocolate and coffee. There was more coffee present between the two.
Taste: The black licorice was very present on the front of the tongue as was some dark, sweet and roasted malt. The chocolate that I picked up in the aroma seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by the malt bill in this beer as I wasn't able to get much of it. The coffee in the beer had a dryness that paired well with a nice hop bitterness on the finish. The aftertaste consisted of heat from the booze in this one. Not overwhelming at all. This stout wasn't as "chewy" as I would have liked it to be. If felt to be a little on the thinner side.
Overall Rating:
This is a great stout if you're looking for a good one to drink. I love black licorice. So, this was an instant hit with me. This was very similar to the General Washington's Tavern Porter that I also love. The only difference as that the Tavern Porter had molasses. Something that's rare in stout today. In the Kalamazoo Stout, I would have really liked to have more chocolate as well as the beer playing a little thicker than it did.
