North Coast Old No. 38 Stout: One of America's Best Beers
Written: Apr 26 '01 (Updated Jun 23 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent, well balanced caramel, fruit, malt and slight dryness.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: A must try for any stout drinker, very satisfying brew. One of the best beers brewed in the USA.
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| andaryl's Full Review: North Coast Old No. 38 Stout |
Situated at Fort Bragg, northern California, the North Coast brewery is one, which is quickly gaining great respect in the beer-drinking world. Opened in 1988, the company has been something of a pioneer in the real ale revolution, having won more than 50 national and international awards.
I have enjoyed the Red Seal Ale, and have heard very good comments about the Old Rasputin Imperial Stout (currently in my fridge) and Scrimshaw lager. I tasted the Old No. 38 stout sometime ago but lost my notes, so I had a good excuse to pick up another and review it again.
One thing that many will not realize is that they have probably seen several of this company’s brews but not identified them as North Coast products. The lack of uniform identity was one of my complaints in my review of Red Seal Ale. I should also add here that North Coast is also responsible for the Acme brand.
The bottle
The label proudly states, “water, hops, yeast, malt and that’s all”. As the Reinheitsgebot states, this is the way all beers should be made, free of cheap adjuncts, and this provides confidence in the beer to follow.
The name “Old 38” obviously applies to the train pictured on the label, but it did take a little further reading to find the background. Old No.38 derives from a locomotive on the diesel-smelling “Skunk Train” railroad through the California redwoods. Personally I’d have avoided anything that could link to skunk.
The beer
Old 38 is a dry stout and weighs in at a respectable 5.7% ABV. The pour is foamy with a light carbonation, although there’s no sign of bubbles once the beer settles. The body is almost black with a slight hint of redness, while the tan stands firm, is long lasting and layers the glass with a persistent lace.
A strong burnt aroma immediately grabs your attention. As stouts go this is fairy light bodied, with a little sharpness from the carbonation, but overall the mouthfeel is very creamy and well-rounded. There’s a creaminess in the initial flavor, caramel right down the center of the tongue with a little chocolate maltiness. A nice coffee-like dryness rounds off the flavor with a little bitterness, but the caramel lingers. The aftertaste is very long and satisfying as the caramel and bitterness gradually even each other out.
This has got to be one of the best beers available in the States and as stouts go is not at all overwhelming. It’s not quite as good as Shakespeare, which offers a little more hoppiness, but it’s pretty close.
The beer drinks very well by itself, but would work very well with a sirloin steak, duck confit or cheesecake.
Recommended:
Yes
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andaryl
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