Moderately rich mahogany-marooned lactose stout issues creamy coffee froth to chocolate-roasted burnt caramel malting, settling into ashen black tar, charcoal and wood charred bitterness as lacey tan engulfs glass. But foamy carbolic fizz and harsh nutty dryness dissolve mocha banter by irresolute coffee bean finish.

Boisterous coffee bean bitterness overwhelms affable hazelnut-walnut surroundings and ashy cocoa scurry of reliable mahogany body. Maple oats enrich black cherry nuance. Astoundingly thicker and more hop-roasted than greater Rogue Hazelnut Brown Ale.

Polite maple sap scent, rich burgundy palate, brown-sugared cocoa chalking, oncoming prune sourness, and roasted barley thickness consume savory lactose-aided deep brown-hued sipping stout. Some addictive characteristics reminiscent of Watney’s Red Barrel persist: blood-thickened mouthfeel; exquisite hop bouquet; and lusty caramel malts. Sweet milk chocolate creaminess soothes rather than dominates for an exceptional stout so heavily yeast-fermented and viscously full-bodied only the keg version could beat.

Middling dry medium body lacks charisma, determination, and froth of robust category. Bittersweet cola nut, dank chocolate, and raw molasses lose potency by drab roasted coffee finish. Orange peel stint falters.