Mike Loves Beer

Name – North Coast Old #38 Stout
Country – United States
Type – Irish Dry Stout

Appearance – Poured a jet black color with a good sized light brown head but that was gone very quickly.

Smell – Chocolate hits the nose first followed by your typical roasted malts and coffee.

Taste – Dry, roasted malt flavor with a presence of some bitter sweet chocolate and coffee.

This reminded me of a more chocolaty version of Guinness with the way it tasted.  Sure it isn’t nitro tapped and have that big white head but it’s the same style.  I enjoyed this for a dry stout which isn’t one of my more favorite styles.  If you like Guinness then give this a try and you just very well may have found something else you like.

Overall Grade – B-

Name – Dark Starr Stout
Country – United States
Type – Irish Dry Stout

Appearance – Pours pitch black with a good sized tan head that left some lacing on the glass.

Smell – Roasted malts with a bit of coffee and chocolate hit the nose.

Taste – Roasted malts, coffee, bitter chocolate and a bit of hops.  Quite light in body.

I was told about this one when Starr Hill first started getting distributed down here but for whatever reason the store by me didn’t carry this one.  It is finally in stock so I picked up a couple singles.  I would say it’s a fairly average stout.  The body was very light on it and that kind of disappointed me.  I would have liked for it to be a little heavier but oh well.  I think it would be a good gateway stout and is pretty comparable to Guinness.

Overall Grade – C-

Name – Blue Fin Stout
Country – United States
Type – Irish Dry Stout

Appearance – Poured a deep black color with a big, bubbly light brown head.

Smell – Strange, funky smell that was like soap from it.  Could pick up some roasted malts and chocolate in there but they are overpowered.

Taste – A very similar taste with that funkiness to it.  Also extremely carbonated for a stout.  There were hints of chocolate and coffee in there but this was very awkward.

Just to be sure about things I used a new glass for my second bottle to be sure that the first glass was not the cause of that funky soap smell and taste.  Sure enough it was the same on the second go around.  Plus I have used the glasses since then and nothing is wrong with any tastes on those things.  I can’t help but feel this may have been a bad batch as soap really isn’t a normal quality of beer style.  But until I get to try it again I can’t really mark this that high.

Overall Grade – D-