Dorothy Goodbody's Stout

Beer Name: Dorothy Goodbody's Wholesome Stout
Brewery: Wye Valley Brewery
ABV: 4.6%
Serving method: 16.9-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Unknown

This is the last of the group of stouts I got, so hopefully we'll finish things off on a positive note. The only reason that this one was last is because it was furthest back in the fridge. Let's see how it goes.

Dorothy Goodbody's Stout is another pretty dark stout, but not quite as dark as the Oat was. This one is almost solid black, but has ruby highlights when held up to a light. There was a little bit of head on it which faded very slowly and left a whole bunch of lacing behind. The aroma here is very subtle acidic coffee. That doesn't sound very appealing, and it isn't.

This beer has a very sharp bite to it. That is the major taste that I get. It's a lot more bitter than most stouts I've had before, which is probably related to the acidic smell. It feels a lot hoppier than other stouts, or less malty, or both. As a stout, I am not sure that bitterness is the way to go. There is quite a bit of carbonation here, and that combined with the bitterness makes this beer a little harsh to drink.

Final thought - I don't really like this beer. It's too bitter and dry to be a stout. Maybe that's the way "English" stouts are supposed to be, but if so, then they're not for me.

-Jon

Double Chocolate Stout

Beer Name: Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Brewery: Wells & Young's Ltd.
ABV: 5.2%
Serving method: 16.9-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Best by 3/26/11

I believe this post marks the first beer from outside the United States. We're going global with this thing!!

Young's Double Chocolate Stout is one of the darkest stouts I've ever seen. You can just barely make out a hint of ruby at the extremes, but other than that, this baby is solid darkness. There is a light head, and the beer leaves an erratic lacing pattern on the glass. Based on the name of the beer, I bet you can guess that the aroma is chocolate. There also seems to be some roasted chocolate. Maybe that's the double chocolate from the beer's name!

If you ever try this, prepare yourself for a sweet beer. There are chocolate beers, and then there's this beer. By far, the dominant flavor here is chocolate. This is almost like drinking a dessert. I know there are wines classified as "dessert wines," but I am not sure if there are dessert beers. If there are, this beer has to be included. After the initial chocolateyness, there is a mild toffee flavor in the background at the end. This beer is not very carbonated, which makes it very smooth to drink. It has a mild chocolate aftertaste.

Final thought - If you know anything about me, you know that I love chocolate almost as much as a girl who just got dumped. Actually, maybe more. So obviously I enjoy this beer. It's good when it's cold and it's good as it warms up. The sweetness might be a little too much to drink more than a couple though, which is its only downside. Other than that, it's great.

-Jon