Last night, with some anticipation (I really liked this beer’s 2013 incarnation), I trekked over to Marble’s downtown pub with Stoutmeister to try Stout Americano. I am most certainly a fan of strong coffee stouts and from my initial impressions this looked damn good indeed.

Americano has a strong oatmeal stout base matched with coffee from Villa Myriam, a local roaster. The nose on this stout is, what else, strong, dark, dank coffee. In terms of flavors this beer changes significantly from start to finish and from first to second helping. My first taste was just like drinking my morning mainstay, a strong cup of dark roast, black. As I worked through the glass, elements of the oatmeal stout backbone began to peek through, balancing what was initially a little bit of a strong bitterness which put me off ever so slightly.

Once I started my second glass, the character smoothed a bit, hints of cream and mocha made an appearance, as well as some sweeter overtones to the aroma. The mouthfeel on this beer is excellent. It hits your tongue mid-palate and then spreads out like melting chocolate with a nice bit of bite to boot.

I only had one glass (curse you, lack of a job!), so I can’t say whether the second was a big change from the first. I found this to be a thick, burly beer. This is the kind of coffee flavor you would expect in Europe, not at Flying Star. It is very strong, almost too much so. Personally, I would add a little creme element to balance things out a bit, maybe on the back end. Or perhaps a mocha flavor. Still, like Franz Solo, I can’t complain too much. — Stoutmeister

Now, let’s get down to brass tax. This beer is dark, thick, and reminds me of slamming espresso shots in college. A perfect complement to winter weather, this beer will warm your bones and drinks like a savage and delicious beast. For anyone who loves both coffee and stout, this latest incarnation of Stout Americano proudly takes its place among some of the other great coffee stouts we are blessed to be able to enjoy in the Duke City. I gave this one 4.5 stars on Untappd (As did I. — S), wanting just a little less bitterness on an otherwise outstanding beer. So get down to Marble and grab a glass, fellow stout lovers, before this one is gone! (And make sure to fill a growler to take home to your grateful significant other, as he did. — S)

Prost!

— Franz Solo