Stout Month 2006

Official descriptions are in normal text.
This year's opinions and impressions are italicized in orange. --Stefan

A Valentine's special, indeed! There is some serious cherry smackdown going on this year. Who needs a box of chocolates when you can have the Belgian Dip with nice, sweet, cherry overtones? A super-solid 3 climbingboulder stars. It's hard to improve upon perfection though, and I'm a plain 'ol chocolate lover...

GUINNESS, Beamish, Murphy's and Zomby Woof. This stout fits in perfectly with its Irish predecessors. Dry, roasty and creamy. Smooth and easy drinking. In the mood for a GUINNESS? Have one of these instead! 3 climbingboulder stars.

Creamy, creamy, creamy. A perfect adjective for this wonderfully smooth stout. Formerly known as the "8-ball Stout", the Korova Cream frequents the Mountain Sun Taps year round. Just as sweet and creamy as the Belgian Dip, but without the Chocolate. Without a doubt, 3 climbingboulder stars.

I was thinking a few weeks ago that this would be quite a worthy addition to Stout Month, and... Voila! It's now on tap!!! Heavy and thick like 10w40, this is a highly viscous stout that sticks to the sides of your glass and your mouth! Chocolatey with a long lingering bitterness. Oakey, woody, and earthy, the burnt and roasted flavor is fulfilling with just a sip. In the mood for 1 and only 1 stout? Better get this one. Without a doubt, 3 climbingboulder stars.

For starters, I'm gonna have to try this one again. The 2x Cherry Dip and Jalapeno Junk Burger might have been tainting my palatte a bit... My first impression was of a smooth and sweet stout that was quite refreshing. I was having a hard time distinguishing the "nuance of Plum" in the aftertaste, so I'll start with 2 climbingboulder stars and update this when I have another pint. Looking forward to it!

Is it possible that this beer is even stronger than last year? This unique stout is identifiable with one sniff! Full bodied, intense roastiness and maltiness, and yet the hops still sing in your mouth. The spicy and flowery scent perfectly enhance the thick and chewy fruitiness of this king of stouts. No, this CZAR of stouts! So intense and robust that you want to sip it with your eyes closed... This is indeed an astonishing monster, smashing the climbingboulder 3-star limit.

Dry and crisp, almost like a wheat beer. Very light-bodied for a stout. There is a juniper burstiness that smells like my childhood backyard. With it's lingering pungent aftertast, this stout would rule on the Nitro Tap. A unique stout, without going over the top. 3 climbingboulder stars.

Finally, a stout to rival the Czar! The floral complexity of this monster hits you before you even take a sip. Every sip peels back another layer of this hugely complex feast of an Imperial Stout. Served in half-pints only, you'll want to try and drink it slowly to savor every sip, but you'll be surprised at how quickly your glass suddenly becomes empty! Three climbingboulder stars for sure.

Thick and Wild. This heavy stout tastes like it should be 8.5% instead of 5.8% ABV. Hoppy and bitter like an IPA. You can't go wrong with this burly man's stout!

This deep, dark brown stout with a dark tan head is in its second year of the Mountain Sun's Stout Month roster. Stone brews a very smooth and pleasant Imperial Stout. It has a wonderful charred smokiness as it first enters your mouth, and then finishes clean and snappy. Unusual for an Imperial, but giving it the aforementioned pleasantness that I find unique to this stout. 3 climbingboulder stars.

This has been a much neglected stout in my repertoire, and after having it again for the first time in over a year, I liked it so much I ordered another pint! This is a rich stout that gives an III (Imperial Initial Impresssion), but without the bite of too much hops. Full-bodied, roasty, rich and mellow all at the same time. It gains an additional climbingboulder star this year!

My all-time favorite stout brewed by the Mountain Sun! Anytime the Belgian Dip is on tap, I have a hard time branching out to anything new. If the Young's is milk-chocolate, then the Belgian Dip is special-dark. Deep, dark and rich, this stout delivers a heavenly mouthful of perfection. It shatters the 3-star barrier with one sip.

Highly carbonated. A sweet first impression with a bitter, growing aftertaste. Very subtle flavors. This is a fast and straightforward stout, but all in all, it's pretty hard to finish a whole pint. Not really a sipping stout either at only 5.0% ABV. Only 1 climbingboulder star.

Wow! Quite simply - Wow! I think I say that everytime I take the first sip of a Young's Double Chocolate. It is hands down the smoothest, creamiest, chocolateyist, most indulgent stout on the planet. It is served exclusively on the Nitro tap, and you'll want to order another one before you're even halfway through with the first - mostly because of the addiction, and partly because of the 3-5 minute settle time to pour this stout properly. Pure bliss! This is one of the very few stouts to break the climbingboulder rating system. 3 stars is just not enough!!!

Dry. Not too carbonated, but not very Imperial for an Imperial stout. No frills flavor that gets right to the point. Excellent character, and swallow for swallow a good bang for the buck. Worthy of 2 climbingboulder stars.

The alcohol warming in the official description is right on. Just swirling this stout around in you mouth makes you warm! It has a hoppy and spicy bite that keeps lingering long after you've swallowed it. A solid 3 climbingboulder stars

Last year, this beer earned 1 star, but this year, its excessive carbonation masks all the chicory and licorice hints and leaves you wishing you were drinking something different.