North Coast Old No. 38 Stout

Pros: Good, roasted flavor; good aftertaste
Cons: Not enough foam

Direct from Ft. Bragg, California, the North Coast Brewing Company brings the beer lover another great- tasting product, Old #38 Stout. This beer is brewed in the Irish stout tradition, and it adds another product to an already excellent and...

Pros: Robust, delicious stout
Cons: None come to mind

I’ve been drinking beers of various colors, styles, tastes and origins for going on twenty years now. The other day I was asked by a coworker which beer was my favorite. “All of them,” I replied, which got a good laugh as it generally does. A more...

Pros: Nice blend of chocolate and coffee without going overboard on either; balanced mellow bitterness.
Cons: Hmmm, that I need to re-stock?

Now that the little square dance I threw the other day has finally reached its end (or has it?), it's time to reflect on a few of beers which I had the pleasure of indulging during the three (four, five...) day event. Did I say a few? More like several....

Pros: really good beer to drink
Cons: overrated in my humble opinion

There are a lot of great breweries out in California. You have the early innovators like Anchor Brewing and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co It is a state that remains at the forefront of the craft brewing movement. One brewery that I have ...

Pros: Soft, dry flavor of roasted barley
Cons: Limited distribution area

Mention the word "stout" and most people think "Guinness". Not a bad thought, especially when you're talking about the drier, softer kinds of stout -- beers like North Coast's Old No. 38. I really like Old No. 38 (or in the words of Shrek, "really,...

Pros: Excellent, well balanced caramel, fruit, malt and slight dryness.
Cons: None

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...

Pros: Gear stout flavor with nice hop finish
Cons: Not creamy like a stout.

True to form I had a North Coast Old #38 Stout last night so I can spout off with a minimum of BS (well a little bit). Nice roasty nose with aromatic hints of the hop flavors to come. The first taste impression is coffee and molasses and as with most...