Stoutmaker.beer

I got a beer today that I am genuinely excited to try. It isn’t often that you hear chatter about a Stout these days, but today I have Appleton Wisconsin, McFleshman Brewing’s Public House Irish Stout.

As mentioned, it’s not too often that people are talking up a Stout nowadays, but I have heard a few things about this one out in the wild. Let’s have a taste and see what we got.

Pouring the 4.5% 12oz can into my regular tasting goblet gets me a standard Stout jet black body with very deep brown highlights and visual carbonation streaming up the side, but staying short of a cascade.

The tan head has formed a thinner, slick looking foam that already is starting to collapse even with that heavier carbonation. That could be a good thing, or could be bad. We will see shortly.

In the nose..WoW! Nice big, full roast, like burnt coffee beans. Followed up with a fairly big nutty blast. Behind that is a faint dark chocolate note. 

I get no hops though which fits the style, especially with how big that roast is. But there is also no yeast profile. But again, that again, that roast could be covering it.

Very complex aroma profile here, but the biggest players are those roasted and nutty tones.

And that roast profile follows right into the taste. Big up front Roasted Barley. Chocolate and coffee support the burnt, but not acrid edges. The familiar grainy backdrop is also there, and fits with that nutty of that aroma.

Now we are getting some hop presence. Earthy types. Probably Fuggles or Goldings? They are layered back behind that big black roasty goodness. But again, no sign of a yeast profile.

That head is now almost completely gone, leaving no real lacing. And I think that’s because of the bigger hoppage used to be this bitter. Very firm, but stays short of aggressive. So if they used those Fuggles and or Goldings to get there, they would need a hefty amount, which leads to low head retention. 

Full body with a fantastic mouthfeel. Finishes dry, which keeps you coming back for sips.

This beer really has all the Irish Stout bases covered. Big roasted barley aroma and taste, fairly bitter, full body and great finish. 

Just a fantastic beer. One that I am going back today to grab more of, that’s for sure.

I am happy to give this McFleshman’s Public House Irish Stout a big ol’ 4.5/5. It really is one of the best stouts out there. 

I considered going higher, maybe even a 5, but the missing of any and all yeast esters knocked it back just a smidge… but still an excellent Irish Stout!