Hop crop
A stout that’s not a stout, what’s that all about? It’s about a white stout no doubt. I haven’t had a lot of luck with the genre, usually they are just too damn sweet for me. Yes, when it comes to my stouts the choice is usually black and white. But on a bar stool at Bench for a midday bite, and I wanted to try something different, adventurous, dare I say daring. I dare. So soup and stout it was, the classic liquid lunch. Clam chowder and a daylight white. At the Bench brewer’s bar it’s fresh from the field* to the keg to the tap, and into my glass, which segues into…….
An expert pour, a crafty draft. It’s a hazy dark golden glow, amber is the word. Not a flat white, but a bright white head. A mild malt sweet aroma, some vanilla? Can you smell sweet? Toasted sweet no less. First taste is tart bitters and sweet in combo, very different. The bitters settle down a bit but are still there throughout, a sweet and malt bread body comes with a nice mouthfeel. Certainly sweet but not over the top like some whites. A balanced brew and a nice lunch match with the soup du jour. The sweet subsided significantly with sustenance. Once I finished my meal the sweet was back, looks like I was getting my just desserts.
My best white stout experience yet. Still not my favourite type of brew but Bench did a good job with this one.
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