Samuel Adams Cream Stout Review

Brewery: Boston Brewing Co. | Beer: Samuel Adams Cream Stout
Style: Milk/Sweet Stout | ABV: 4.9% | IBUs: Unknown
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

First brewed way back in 1991, Sam Adams Cream Stout is a survivor. Sam Adams pitches this as "the cappuccino of beers." From what I can tell, there is no lactose added to the beer, so I believe they are handling those qualities with a clever malt bill.

Speaking of the malt bill, here it is: Two-Row Harrington, Metcalf, and Copeland Pale, Chocolate Malt, and Caramel 60 malts, along with malted wheat and roasted unmalted barley. As for hops, East Kent Goldings and English Fuggles get the job done.Brining it all alive is Sam Adams standard ale yeast. it goes through a standard warm ale fermentation, then undergoes a long cool

Here's how they describe the finished product:

Roasty, smooth and sweet [with] a fullness of body, a roasty malt character and rich, creamy head. Its dark, mahogany color makes it almost as easy on the eyes as it is on the palate.

My mouth is watering, so let's get started.

Appearance: A deep brown, almost black body with the barest hints of ruby and brown highlights when held up against the light. Up top, two fingers of pillowy caramel-tinged head with good retention and great lacing.

Aroma: The classic Stout aromas are all in full effect here: chocolate, coffee, and dark-roasted malt.

Taste: All of the same Stout standbys (chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt) with a good dose of lactic sourness thrown in. Towards the end, the mild hops come in to add some bitterness for added complexity. The aftertaste features a nice flourish of milk chocolate and then fades to bitter coffee.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with smooth carbonation. A creamy, slightly sweet finish.

Drinkability: If you're into Stouts, this is plenty sessionable.

Verdict: Samuel Adams' Cream Stout, like most Samuel Adams offerings, is a solid and tasty enough rendition of it's style. It's not a world-shaker by any means, but it's a very likable brew, and I'll be looking forward to it in future Sam Adams mixed packs.

Grade: B+

Young's Double Chocolate Stout Review (Nitro-Can)

Brewery: Young & Co's Brewery PLC | Beer: Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Style: Milk/Sweet Stout | ABV: 5.2% | IBUs: ~25
Serving Method: 14.9 oz. nitro-can poured into pint glass

Back when I started PintLog, one of the first beers I reviewed was bottled Young's Double Chocolate Stout (you can check out that review here). Since then, it has consistently been the most popular review here on the website, so I thought that I should finally get around to reviewing the other version available on American beer shelves.

Like many popular British beers, Young's Double Chocolate Stout is also available in tall, nitrogenated cans. Compared to carbonated beers, beers that utilize nitrogen have a much smoother mouthfeel with a thicker and creamier head. So, let's pull the tab and see how the widget changes this beer.

Appearance: A deep brown, almost black, body with brown highlights. On top a caramel-tinged, beautifully creamy, and dense nitro-assisted head that leaves brilliant curtains of lacing. Gorgeous presentation.

Aroma: Tons of milk chocolate and roasted malt. Not much else comes though, but that's okay.

Taste: Sweet, roasty malt with plenty of big notes of British milk-chocolate. Notes of toffee and coffee are also present, though in much lower amounts. There's a little hop bitterness towards the end to offer a bit of additional depth. Not thin, but not amazingly intense either. The aftertaste is sweet and roasty.

Mouthfeel: A body that's perhaps a little fuller than medium with smooth, light "carbonation." The "carbonation" level seems to be a little below the already low levels typical to beers served from a nitro-can, making it just a little flat. Coats the mouth a bit.

Drinkability: With moderate alcohol content, a relatively mild flavor profile, and a smooth mouthfeel this makes for a very sessionable brew.

Verdict: Young's Double Chocolate Stout is popular for good reason - it's a solid, sessionable Stout with a nice focus on chocolate flavors. As for whether it's better carbonated in a bottle or nitrogenated in a can, it's a tough call for me. While I certainly appreciate the smooth mouthfeel here, and feel that it compliments the flavor profile well, it just seems a little too flat to really top the carbonated version. It's pretty much a toss-up - but if forced to choose, I think I'd go with the carbonated bottle. I certainly didn't expect that!

Grade: A-

Young's Double Chocolate Stout Review

Brewery: Young & Co's Brewery PLC | Beer: Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Style: Milk/Sweet Stout | ABV: 5.2%
Serving Method: 1 Pint, 0.9 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

My dad has always been a fan of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, so I’ve been familiar with it for quite a while now. Back when I was in college, I bought a four pack of this beer and promptly drank the first three, keeping the fourth because I'm a notorious beer hoarder (just ask my fiancee) While in my fridge, the can caused quite a stir at parties. I'd say a third of the people found the concept of “chocolate beer” disgusting, but the rest all found it intriguing. I can see why, chocolate and beer are two of the greatest things in this world, so think how great they could be combined!

For Valentine’s Day, my fiancee bought me a few pints of this, some new pint glasses and the tripod used in the picture above. Thanks Jamie!

Appearance: Impenetrable black body with thick, caramel brown head that lingers

Aroma: Has the creamy, sweet and malty aroma common to stouts with toffee and chocolate tones

Taste: Roasted malty body with coffee, toffee and (of course) chocolate, somewhat bitter hoppy aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Thick, smooth and creamy with a rich finish

Drinkability: If you like stouts, you can easily drink this for a session, even if it is slightly heavy

Verdict: A brilliant and interesting and a great alternative to my usual stout. Out of the bottle it's not as creamy as the nitro-can version, but still great. Take a trip away from the normal, you'll find it's well worth it.

Grade: A