Stoutmaker.beer

So I have been hearing some good things about this beer lately. Its a local, and one that I have had several times before. But,, it just never was something I was a big fan of. But I was assured that things have turned around with it.

The last time that I reviewed Good Dog, it was a nitro pour, but I have had this in bottles before, and this time around it will be a regular C02 pour. So lets get to this.

Served to me in a regular pint glass. Much colder than I would have liked if I had a choice. But it does look very good! A nice light tan head that doesnt really hang around, even with the carbonation bubbles coming up. I wouldn’t say this was black, but about as close as you can get. Very very deep brown. Sure looks tasty.

Aroma is fairly light. A bit of chocolate and some grainy notes. Just the slightest bit of sweetness, but thats about it. Nothing for roast, or hops or any yeast. Yes it is quite cold, but I was still hoping for something.

But in the taste, along with that bit of chocolate, is a bit of back malt. Not big, but there. The sweetness is trying to hide that grainy note, but it is still there. After doing a bit of warming I can start to get just the faintest bit of hop flavor. Old school hops. But just just as with the rest of the flavors, its melding in with everything else. And that is a good thing. Everything is there, just enough to notice, but not standing out. I may have talked my self into detecting a bit of yeast ester, its so faint that it might not even be there, but I do like how what ever that might be made me go look for it.

The body is not what I would call thick, but it definitely not thin. I think that this higher carbonation is making it feel just a little thinner than what it really is. But that carbonation seems to be helping the bitterness. If it was not as carbbed as it is, it would probably feel a bit under hopped. but as it is,, its right where I like it.

Well. I have to say that this iteration of Good Dog Porter is much better than what I have had in the past. It has always been a subtle porter, and it still sort of is,, but its layers now have just the right amount of oomph behind it. I certainly hope that this is the final version, and I am guessing it will be now that Zambaldi’s is in its stride.

I can now say that I like this beer, and am glad for that. Its hard enough to find a decent Porter or Stout these days, much less one that is made mere blocks from me. I am going wo give this a 4/5. And after this one, I am going to go find me a 6 pack to bring home.

AFTER NOTE:

A couple days after that beer I stopped at a different local place and they also had Good Dog on tap. I grabbed one just to see if anything would change in a different local, and happy to say that it was was just as good there,, (for breakfast this time), as the last one. Cheers!