Lighthouse Brewing Co. Black Sam Licorice Stout American Double / Imperial Stout at 7.2% ABV (2015 Craft Beer Advent Calendar Day #2, 355 ml, no bottle date or best before, reviewed 2-Dec-2015)
Appearance: opaque black with one finger of dense tan head diminishing gradually to a thin ring, no lacing. (3/5) Aroma: roasty malts, dark fruit, light liquorice, faint chocolate/coffee. (6/10) Taste: moderate-high sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: full slightly oily body, soft carbonation, off-dry and sticky bitter finish. (3/5)
Decent stout. The liquorice is there, but much less dominant than the name would suggest – if anything, it starts off smelling and tasting almost like an oatmeal stout. Not sure if the sweetness is driven by the malts and liquorice, or whether there’s a little contribution from the somewhat higher ABV, but it succeeds in being sweet without being cloying. The sweetness and the higher ABV work together to make this a decent slow sipper, but I’m not sure I’d want to try more than one at a go. (16/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
