Not for everyone

While waiting for a late-night reservation a few friends and I decided to grab a quick drink at B3, a burger and wine bar in our neck of the woods. Not in the mood for wine, I saw that they had an a stout on tap that I hadn't seen before, the "Breakout Stout" by Marin Brewing Company. The Bartender excitedly mentioned that his distributor told him that he was the only place in San Francisco that had it on tap. Curious, I ordered a pint.

The beer looked nice, it poured quite dark with caramel head and very mild carbonation. Given the nose, mild chocolate and coffee notes, I was really looking forward to a sip. The first sip was really quite good, I tasted chocolate cake, a mild smokiness and there was a mild alcohol finish. Pleased, I took a second sip. The sweetness vanished and what I was left tasting was alcohol, hops, and iron. My mouth felt parched from a strong, drying (almost tannic) aftertaste that was not at all pleasant. Although advertised as having "a long finish," I can assure you that this beer should not have been called "finished" at all. I should point out that I love bitter beer. Bitterness wasn't the problem with the Breakout Stout, but rather the acrid and tannic mouth feel. Nonetheless, having paid San Francisco prices for the damned pint, I was determined to finish it. After a while, the 7% ABV started to kick in on my empty stomach, and my dulled senses found the Breakout Stout more palatable. Not by any means something I'd order again, but palatable.

As I finished the glass, the bartender asked me what I thought. I explained that I enjoyed the first sip, but that the finish was a bit unpleasant. The bartender looked at me, seemingly dumbfounded, and stated dryly, "well this beer isn't for everyone." Personally, I think that unless you're in the mood for a bracing aftertaste, this isn't for you.