Lion Stout

Lion Stout has been talked of before on this blog, a few years back, but I haven't shared my full review.
This dark Sri Lankan treat goes down in history as the first beer I ever took notes on, back in the summer of 2002, nine years ago. A friend brought a bottle back from Chicago and gave one to me, I sat down with a notebook and a glass, poured and got to writing. To my surprise, I was able to find the same flavors that published authors in the pages of All About Beer magazine, or the many books I'd collected over the years. That may not have been my first posted review, but years later I decided those early scribblings weren't good enough, and I sat down with a fresh bottle (newly distributed into Minnesota), and in July, 2004, submitted the following:

Fully ebon hue, rich, tan hand, thick and rocky...good looking stout, so far.

Nose, soft and creamy, with notes of nuts and cocoa. Taste is smooth at first, but fills the mouth well.

Huge malts, caramelly, thick and nearly chewy, very full bodied. Perfect integration, wonderful balance, sweet and tasty, but never too, with a delicate fruitiness, just underneath.
The ABV peeks in just a bit, but doesn't mar the enjoyment of what's nearly a perfect stout!
Beats the hell out of Guinness, but gets me yearning for an Expedition. Hearty and proud as it's namesake, Lion is a stout fit for a king. Lightly spicy in the end, nutty, and never-ending tastiness.
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This is one I've tried to keep on tap as often as possible over the past five years or so, and it's back again after several months absence.