Dogfish Head Chicory Stout

C+ / 3.2
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | drink: 3.5

Temp: near room temp slightly cooler
Pint stout glass

Appearance - A very dark brew, near black but up to the light it is amber around the edges although try as I might I could not see the light through the glass. The amber on the sides appeared clear and not murky like an unfiltered wheat. As I poured I was actually expecting more of a head to build, what did develop was about a ¼ inch head that was quite dark in color almost the color of a wheat bread, unfortunately the head dissipated rather quickly leaving only a thin rim around the glass which hung on nearly to the end of the glass. Considering how little head developed I was not expecting much carbonation and even after the head dissipated I did not see any real sign of carbonation bubbles. The blackness looked very inviting to me, but the lack of a sustained head was a bit of a disappointment (this may be a feature with stouts but from what limited experience I have I was expecting a fuller head).

Smell - I could smell roasted malts and a very dark scent, although it was not overly strong. There was a bit of spiciness or bitterness to the scent but it was covered by the dark malts. My first impression was that the smell was more subtle, and there was a hint of sweetness.

Taste - I tasted hints of coffee, but not as much as I was expecting from the description on the bottle. There was also some prominent bitterness, along the lines of a pale ale, however the malts were equally present. There was also some spiciness to the stout that was not hops, it was almost like a very mild jalepeno or chili taste. All of these flavors were fairly well blended and none of them really over powered the brew. The hops was what I tasted first, then breathing the aroma through my nose while holding the brew in my mouth I could smell and taste better the coffee, it was afterwards that I began to taste, rather feel the spiciness. This was definitely a more aggressive approach to stouts than I have tried before, which have been on the sweeter side.

Mouthfeel - My first impression on tasting was just how much carbonation was in the drink, it immediately started to bubble on my lips and tingle my tongue. The stout itself was thicker and felt heavier when I slid my tongue around in my mouth. After swallowing I could feel the brew lingering in my mouth. I noticed the way the foam in the glass slid downward almost like a very thin syrup would move, this is how it felt covering my mouth, but it cleared fairly quickly, leaving a light slickness. For me this brew was more carbonated than I was looking for or even expected, its carbonation was like a warm cola quite effervescent.

Drinkability - I could not see drinking several of these in one evening, or even chasing one with another, but even after drinking the pint I was not full, nor did I have a bloated feeling that I would have expected with the amount of carbonation in the brew. This was definitely a new style for me, and quite removed from what I have experienced to date and while I appreciate its complexities, I believe the carbonation and the level of hops would prevent me from enjoying another Chicory Stout from Dogfish Head.