Miasmatic Review

Lion Stout

Tonight I’m reviewing a beer that I bought, but was highly recommended by Anthony Artale of Artale Wine Co. Those of you that were at the Beer Tasting may recall Artale Donated some beers to the tasting. It is Lion Stout by the Ceylon / Lion Brewery in Sri Lanka.

We have our standard 12 oz brown bottle. There is a black label with gold trim. There is a picture of a lion on it, with the name “Lion” in silver lettering and “Stout” under that in red. There is a neck label that boasts three quality awards. On the back label there is a quote from Michael Jackson the beer hunter, not the singer, “…the stout was soft, fresh and quite delicious. This was the top-fermenting Lion Stout … it was bottle-conditioned and had an extraordinary chocolaty, mocha … character.”

The beer itself is a rich dark brown color that is almost black. No light passes through at all. When I poured it a thick, foamy head about ¾ inch formed. It was a dark tan in color and slowly faded. A spider web of lacing formed on the glass. Overall it has an absolutely beautiful appearance that is both enticing and inviting.

The first thing you notice is a chocolate malt smell. Some coffee malts and a touch of mocha is detectable. A molasses scent is noticeable in the background that rounds out its very appetizing scent. The flavor sets up a well balanced flavor. It starts off with a sweet flavor of coffee and chocolate malts. Molasses accents the flavor and brings the malts as well as a slightly mocha flavor and a hint of hops. AT 8% Alcohol By Volume, you can only slightly note the taste of alcohol

This is a full bodied beer; there is a creaminess to it that coats the mouth. The carbonation is a little heavier than what I normally expect in a stout, but not unpleasantly so.

This beer surprised me. I wasn’t expecting an Asian stout to be this pleasant to drink. It wasn’t as dry as an Irish stout, but not as strong as a lot of American Stouts. I found myself really enjoying drinking this beer. I give it 8 out of 10.