Judge's Review: 91 Rating - Stouts Without Borders by Peter B's Brewpub

Stouts Without Borders by Peter B's Brewpub is being evaluated as a Foreign Extra Stout (Category 16D) from the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines.

The caramel and roast malts are nicely expressed in this beer.  The aroma presents prominent bittersweet and darker milk chocolate with a light bready, nutty base malt character. A pleasant caramel note develops closely behind, along with herbal hops and a touch of ripe marionberry. As the beer continues to open, light roast and floral alcohol appear. The flavor opens up even more, with bittersweet chocolate, light roast, light coffee and a hit of caramel. Medium hop bitterness emerges mid-palate with light, fresh mixed berry esters and herbal hops, lingering into the medium finish. Light alcohol warming and a medium body rounds out the palate.  The beer pours an opaque black, with a monster rocky beige head that lasts forever.

This is a well-balanced beer with the dark malt character presenting some complexity. The two types of chocolate in the aroma blend well with base malt, esters and hops. This would make a lovely desert beer on its own, or with a thick, gooey chocolate brownie.