194. Maine Beer Company Mean Old Tom

Maine Beer Company makes some of the best hop filled beers out there and I enjoy them all. Their take on a stout is not as good as others but still a well brewed beer. Pours truly black with mid sized tan head - a great looking beer. Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate and just a hint of vanilla in the nose. Taste follows the smell and nothing really stands out about this stout. I was hoping for a bit more vanilla flavor. Overall feel of the beer is a bit thin for a stout and maybe a bit more carbonation that it really needed. My least favorite of the beer from MBC but still worth trying. 
Pros: Appearance

Cons: Thin

Alcohol Content: 6.5 ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Maine Beer Company

Brewers Description: Stout aged on special vanilla beans - Bottle Description - I think it was the Summer of '76, I was 5 years old and my uncle Tom came to paint our house. It was in the tiny town of Louisiana, Missouri, on the mighty Mississippi River, where he would take me to troll the roadside ditches to gather one man's junk (beer cans). In honor of his magnificent treasure (his beer can collection) and his spirit for fast cars, tough motorcycles and mean smile, we brink you Mean Old Tom. Thank you for drinking our beer, David & Daniel Kleban. 

193. Gritty McDuff's Black Fly Stout (draft)

I already reviewed this beer from a bomber and it is one of my favorite stouts. Had the chance to go to Gritty's and enjoy it on-tap this week and as usual draft beer just tastes better. Pours an almost black and it was not served cold which made it even better. The large glass was gone very quickly and I was happy. This one would be a perfect St Paddy's day treat with a low ABV so you can drink it all day long.
Pros: Everything a stout should be

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 16
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Gritty's

Brewers Description: There's beer and then there's stout, and Gritty McDuff 's Black Fly Stout is the real deal. Black Fly is a dry, all-malt stout packed with roasted flavor. We use six different grains in the brewing of this dark masterpiece and balance the full palate with Oregon Willamette and Yakima Clusters hops. Like the legendary Irish stouts that inspired it, Black Fly Stout is rich, robust and a touch mysterious. The finest stout west of Galway Bay!

161. Gritty McDuff''s Black Fly Stout

This is the second great stout in a week. Last week was Sebago Brewing's Lake Trout Stout and this week is Gritty's Black Fly Stout. 2 great stouts, each with a truly unique Maine name. Great black color with thick tan head and huge bubbles with solid retention. Just from the look of this one you know it is going to be good. Aroma is slightly sweet with some fruit in there and taste is exactly what a stout should be. Full bodied, smooth, well carbonated and just a great example of what a stout should be. Plenty of roasted smoke flavor to start and a slightly sweet chocolate finish. If you have a choice between Gritty's Black Fly Stout and Sebago's Lake Trout Stout, buy them both and enjoy!!
Pros: Everything a stout should be

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 16
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Gritty's

Brewers Description: There's beer and then there's stout, and Gritty McDuff 's Black Fly Stout is the real deal. Black Fly is a dry, all-malt stout packed with roasted flavor. We use six different grains in the brewing of this dark masterpiece and balance the full palate with Oregon Willamette and Yakima Clusters hops. Like the legendary Irish stouts that inspired it, Black Fly Stout is rich, robust and a touch mysterious. The finest stout west of Galway Bay!

159. Rising Tide Ursa Minor

Was not sure what to expect from this one as it is labelled a Weizen Stout and I am not sure I have had a wheat stout before. Pours a very dark almost black with a minimal tan head which disappears almost immediately. Aroma is of chocolate, coffee and a bit of wheat. Taste is mild and slightly sweet with the malts coming in at the end. Surprisingly smooth for a 6.7 ABV stout and while it does seem a bit thin for a stout that does not take away from the enjoyment. This is my fourth beer from Rising Tide and now I only have Polaris to review. Not sure why I have waited so long to open my bottle of Polaris but it certainly will not be much longer. 
Pros: Appearance (I like black beer), smooth

Cons: Feels slightly watered down.

Alcohol Content: 6.7 ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??

Rating: 

Brewers Website: Rising Tide

Brewers Description: Dark as squid ink and moody as the sea, Ursa Minor is our take on a winter wheat beer. Starting with a German wheat-beer yeast and a base of malted wheat, we added a blend of dark crystal and roasted malts to create a wheat stout. Redolent of dark fruit, weizen yeast esters, and roasted barley, Ursa Minor is perfect for an icy winter’s eve.

Ursa Minor [ur-suh mahy-ner] (n)—constellation also known as the Little Bear, which contains the north star, Polaris

148. Sebago Brewing Lake Trout Stout

This is another of my purchases from Trader Joe's in Portland. Beer pours a great inky black with minimal tan head. Aroma has plenty of malt and a bit of coffee. Taste is what I expect from a stout however I am often disappointed. This one does not disappoint with the taste following the dark color with lots of malt, light coffee and chocolate tones. Smooth finish and reasonable ABV make this one easy to drink and enjoyable. I really enjoy brews by Sebago Brewing and if you like dark stouts please give this one a try. 
Pros: Black color, easy to drink

Cons: 

Alcohol Content: 5.8% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 32
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Sebago Brewing

Brewers Description: Lake Trout Stout is midnight black with a thick and creamy head. It is a full bodied stout brewed with oatmeal and plenty of hops to balance the roasted barley. Our stout is an experience. It tastes the same way it looks - dark and rich. It is named after the famous deep water Sebago Lake Togue or Lake Trout which inhabit the depths of Maine's deepest lake. Enjoy.

128. Saranac Vanilla Stout

When I saw the Saranac variety pack included a Vanilla Stout I was really looking forward to it. Waited for an evening well after dinner to try as I had hoped for a very good dessert beer but what I got was a below average stout with a hint of vanilla flavoring. The color is very dark as you would expect from a stout, thick 2 finger head that is slightly lighter than I expected. Aroma has a bit of vanilla but not much else. Taste is forgettable.
Pros: Color

Cons: Minimal vanilla aroma / taste

Alcohol Content: 4.8% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Saranac

Brewers Description: Few ingredients rival vanilla's ability to add richness and roundness to food. Blended with a traditional blend of caramel and chocolate malts plus roasted barley, the result in Saranac Vanilla Stout will surpass your expectations. Enjoy the brew on it's own or with a bite of dark chocolate for a real treat.

81. Samuel Adams Black & Brew

I was not sure about this one as it is a coffee stout and I am not a coffee drinker. The beer pours almost black with a nice tan head that does last. Aroma is not great as it smells of old coffee and the taste is not all that good. Tasted like I was drinking a stout from a used coffee cup. I was able to finish the beer but did not go back to get the second and may leave it in the fridge for someone else to try at our next get together. 

Pros: Color

Cons: Old coffee smell and taste

Alcohol Content: 5.8% ABV
Calories: 208
IBU (Bitterness): 24
Rating: 

Brewers Website: Samuel Adams

Brewers Description: Our Coffee Stout is a dark brew that combines roasted coffee with a rich, full-bodied stout. For the authentic coffee flavor, we use 1.5 pounds of Sumatran coffee beans per barrel, added late in the brewing process to provide the most flavor possible. This brew finishes with underlying roasty notes of chocolate, caramel, and dark fruit from our select blend of malts. 

53. Shipyard Blue Fin Stout

Not much of a stout drinker - in fact I think this is the first stout review. This is a good hearty beer with lots of flavor, unfortunately the primary flavor seems to be coffee and I am not a coffee drinker. The beer has a decent aroma, great color and pours with a nice tan head. If you like stouts or if you like Shipyard (I am not a fan of either) than give this one a shot. I am happy I only purchased a single so I do not have drink more. 

Pros: Color

Cons: Coffee taste

Alcohol Content: 4.7% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Shipyard

Brewers Description: Blue Fin Stout was first produced in August 1993. This is a classic Irish stout. Full-bodies, yet smooth and spectacular in appearance.