UPDATED: FEB 23, 2020 Nitro Keg at The Brewhouse, Santa Barbara, CA on 08/05/2008. Fairly bland stout, made more so by nitro dispense. Aroma hard to get through the pillowhead. Smooth, but not much lingering flavour.

On tap at the brepub (mid-May 2009): Pours an oily opaque black with a well-lacing dark tan head. Aroma of sweet caramely dark malt and milk chocolate. Body starts with good fullness and dark caramel and roasty malt with a touch of tartness before a rich, mocha finish. A pretty good oatmeal stout.

Draught at the brewpub. Black body with a creamy nitro head. The aroma is pretty faint, with maybe some light, bitter coffee; damn nitro. The flavor is quite dry and coffee dominated; lots of roast. the Guinness comparisons are legit, but this is easily better, with a fuller body and more character. Still, seems like its made to fill that niche. Nitro really isn’t my thing, but this survives it with plenty of character.

Draft at brewery, 02/18/08. The brewmaster let me try some of the unreleased, uncarbonated batch before it was officially released. Dark brown. No carbonation (DUH). Roasted, toasted malt character with some coffee and chocolate. Finish is fairly clean; not much bitterness. I think this will be a great beer once it gets nitro’d up on a tap.

Dark opaque black appearance. Grainy, roasty aroma. Dry roasted flavor, cocoa, mild fruitiness, fairly dry roasty finish.

Tap at The Brewhouse. Dark brown body, nitro white head, opaque. Aroma is a bit faint but some nice roasted malts, a hint of coffee. Tastes a bit watery, quite bitter (especially in the finish), roasted malts in the aftertaste. Body is very creamy from nitro tap, but didn’t seem full and robust enough to me. Not bad, but not great either.

Very dark brew. Black for the most part, opaque with a cream off white head. The aroma is mostly toasted/ burnt malt. Creamy watery body. Nice toasted/burnt caramel – coffee/dark chocolate (perhaps I’m stretching) hints. A bit sour.