Christian Moerlein Friend of an Irishman Stout

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Very dark brownish/black appearance with minimal orange ruby highlights around the bottom. Fairly thick tan head that had huge bubbles in it. Head retention and lacing was not as strong as I thought it might be. Head settled to a small ring. Picked up an earthy, coffee aroma at first. Not a robust type of coffee, but mild and pleasant. A bit of a toasty or burnt chocolate. Some smokey notes also. Hints of charcoal. Getting an aroma of burnt toast. Smells pretty good. The taste provided a mild coffee and chocolate flavor. Again, I picked up hints of toasty or burnt bread. Not bad at all and somewhat pleasing. Minute amounts of dark fruit are hidden in the background. Solid. Medium mouthfeel. Dry and pretty smooth. Leaves enough on the palate for a second sip. A lot of coffee flavoring is left behind. This, overall, is a solid Stout. Worth a try if available and if you are a Stout fan. Solid all around. I could set a few back relatively easy. I would drink it again if it was available.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

A beer of the month club selection for March/April 2010. Pours dark coffee brown, slightly tan head of short duration. Nice toasty coffee, cracker with slight hop flavors. Mouth feel a tad bit thin but all in all a worthy flavor experience.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Those of you who've read my previous reviews know there's a special place in my heart for Christian Moerlein products, as one of the few remnants of Cincinnati brewing history. So, I really wanted to fall in love with this stout! Tech Stuff: ABV=4.7%, IBU=27 On tap at Molly Malone's in Covington, KY, site of the ceremonial First Tapping following the Cincinnati St.Paddy's day parade. The pint glass displayed a whitish head, of a little less than an inch, which didn't last long. The nose's first impression was faintly of coffee, which carried through into the first few sips. Lacing was non-existent... with most stouts, I can count my swigs by the lacing rings clinging to the glass. Not so, here! Mouth feel was remarkably thin, as well. I expect a stout to be a little, umm, stouter. I was a long-time Guinness drinker, so of course, that's my standard of comparison for any stout. All in all, the flavor was decent, but nothing to write home about, as they say. Subsequent tasting in bottles wasn't significantly different from my first draught; perhaps a little stronger nose. Friend of an Irishman stout might be a fair introductory stout for a lager drinker, but an experienced stout drinker, I'm afraid, will be disappointed.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

Another surprisingly good find - it pours opaque brown-black with a medium tan head and nice lacing. Like a fresh cup of black coffee in the aromas with roasted malts, a bit of toffee and some hops. Taste is also coffee-infused with a smooth and sweet maltiness and a dry finish with a hops bitter. I really enjoyed this stout.