Name – Exit 13
Country – United States
Type – Export Stout

So it’s the day after the Super Bowl and my pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers to win was not quite right.  Congrats to the Packers and their fans.  The team worked extremely hard this year through so many injuries.  They beat my Eagles twice this year as well.  It’s some what nice to know we lost to the champs I guess.

But last night I went to my parents’ house for dinner and to watch the game.  Homemade wings and brats couple with a few of my home state staple Yuengling  Lagers and we were ready for the game.  But once time came around for dessert I pull out the beer that gets reviewed today.

I’ve spoke before how Flying Fish are pretty much a Philly brewery just being over the river in New Jersey so I won’t get into that.  But I have been looking forward to Exit 13 since it was announced.  A chocolate export stout, are you serious?  That sounds delicious.

And when Total Wine and More started carrying Flying Fish brews I knew it was only a matter of time before we got this brew.  And folks, the time has arrived.

The plastic covering and cap are removed and the pretty much black brew arrives in my New Belgium glass with a good sized brown head.

I get a ton of milk chocolate in the nose.  It has a very lactose smell to it.  There are also a good amount of roasted malts present as well.

The taste is a little more bitter than I expected.  Bitter chocolate and bitter coffee.  Roasted and some smoked malts come through in there too.  Quite a dry finish.

I’ll admit it was more bitter than I really was hoping for.  The nose is amazingly nice but was surprised I didn’t get that lactose smell in the taste too.

Maybe 6 months to a year will calm down some of those bitter notes.  But at 7.5% ABV this is a long time ager.  I might go get another bottle to give it that amount of time and see how it progresses.

It is in the end a good dessert beer, it even says so on the bottle.  There is definitely a presence of chocolate and coffee for those that enjoy those things and the dry finish really makes it seem to style.

Grade – B-