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I still don't know who this brewery is. They say it's produced for Queens and Kings, but that's not the name of the brewery, and I don't know who that brewery might be. Is it just that Kings and Queens is the group that came up with the recipe, and they don't have the necessary facilities to produce it? I have questions, and I suspect I won't get answers if I go to their stupid website. I'm not gonna bother trying, but I can be upset that I won't find them there, anyway. Either way, this is just a regular stout, despite the fact that they say it's an American stout. As far as I know, there is no such designation. Who knows if there will be. Maybe this is a starting point.
I have occasionally derided the idea that a particular stout was brown or ruby color. I noticed that other reviewers would frequently use those terms, and your average person on the street would just call it black. As a result, I got into the habit of referring to these beers as being so close to black that it makes no difference. In this particular case, I was struck by how the deep ruby red of the beer really shone through while it was being poured into the glass. That said, once it fills the glass, the center of this beer is black. The light tan head has tiny little bubbles, and the appearance could very easily be confused with that of what is probably the most popular stout in the world, Guinness. The aroma, however, is not Guinness. It is smoky and dark. I just want to dive in and drink my way out.
First sip is smoky and smooth as heck. It's not that milky smooth that you get with an Irish stout, but it's akin to molasses that aren't particularly sweet that are oozing down the throat in a very pleasing and subtle way. It's strange to call a stout subtle, as they generally aren't, and this particular one isn't. While the texture is very subtle, that smokiness and scorched nuts are right up in my face, and I am enjoying them quite a bit. I wonder how good a full gulp will be.
Tip-in is mild carbonation tingle with those scorched nuts and smoke alongside crushed raisins. The middle moves the nuts to the bottom of the mouth while the smoke moves to the top and that smooth, bittersweet molasses is allowed to journey through the mouth unmolested. The finish is awash with bitterness as the smoky ashes of nut shells are allowed to linger for the trail off.
Bottom Line: Surprisingly good.
4.25/5
