First Tasting: AG#66 American Stout
As you can see from the picture it's pretty much black - it's a stout, what else would you expect? But actually the head is much more tan in the flesh than the cream it looks in the photo.
Carbonation is a little low - I like it low-ish but it could do with just a touch more: this was fermented with BRY-97 which I'm still getting used to. I've used MJ M36 in a BIPA a few times which seems to ferment a bit more in the bottle so I probably played it over-cautious with the priming sugar. No need for such concerns with BRY-97 it would seem.
Aroma is quite hoppy - more than I'd have expected considering there was no dry hop, just a whirlpool.
Mouthfeel is decent enough - it's certainly not a thick Imperial Stout or Baltic Porter but I think it punches above the modest 3.8% ABV.
Flavour is really nice, lots going on: It's hoppy, quite fruity. I definitely get some bitter chocolate flavours. It's roasty but not too roasty and it's bitter but not too bitter, which combines to quite a dry finish.
I tried my most recent BIPA after this, which is not a million miles away in terms of malt and almost identical in hopping - the BIPA is nice but a bit lacking in the malt department, I much prefer the additional malt character of this American Stout.
Only a couple of things I'd change - the carbonation, which is easily fixed next time. And I'd probably change the hops: I think the Simcoe works but I'd probably leave out the Amarillo and Citra, which are maybe a bit fruity, and try something a bit more dank or piney/resiney - some combination of Centennial, Chinook and/or Columbus springs to mind.