King Of The Jungle


Brewery and Country of Origin: Lion Brewery PLC of No-254, Colombo Road, Biyagam, 11650, Sri Lanka

Date Reviewed: 9-09-12

If you've asked us about the best beer out there, you've probably heard us rave about this one. To this day, we have tried 558 different beers, but since February 18th, 2011, the number one highest rated beer has stayed the same. We're finally pleased to introduce to you, Lion Stout. If you look at the guide to our rating system, you will see that there still no beers that we've rated in the 4.50-5.00 category. They're out there, we just need to find them. Either way, it is a rare and special moment when you know for certain, that only after taking that all important first sip, you can honestly say you've just had the best beer ever (in your own opinion, of course). Like an audiophile choosing their favorite artist, or a librarian choosing their favorite book, deciding what is actually your highest rated beer is no easy feat. And choosing a beer out of literally hundreds, well, more beers only makes it more difficult. Honestly, there is really nothing witty to say here, and that should mean a lot. Of course, when something this exceptional comes along, it is nearly impossible to give you even the slightest of impressions of how this beer makes us feel, and we know that essentially ruins the point of this review. At the very least, we hope that the words you read in this review will convince you enough to go out and try this stout the next time you see it at the store. Unfortunately, because it is made in Sri Lanka (you better believe it), it is highly unlikely you'll ever find yourself in a place that serves it on tap, but if you find such a place within the United States, please please let us know.
Date Sampled: 9-04-12 (2-18-11 original) At: 7 Prescott Place, Allston, Boston, MA, 02134, USA
Beer Style: Export Stout
Alcohol by Volume: 8.80%
Serving Type: 330 mL Bottle, 16 oz Tumbler Glass
Rating: 4.34

Look

Lion pours very smoothly with very little in the way of carbonation action, producing a very thin, yet creamy and dense foam head with good retention. There is some sediment, but it quickly settles at the bottom. Still, this beer is very dark with an almost opaque black appearance. This beer displays full lacing.

Aroma

The aroma is dominated with coffee and chocolate roasted malt with very little hops presence. There is no real evidence of an elevated level of alcoholic content, and the smell overall isn't very strong or overpowering.

Feel

As you would expect, this is a very full bodied beer with a medium high weight, a high viscosity, and a medium low level of carbonation. A dry, and slightly bitter finish caps of this beer's full presence. The sediment produces a little bit of texture towards the end, but it may be advisable to just dump the last few drops down the drain. This beer has a subtle, yet detectable warming effect.

Taste

Overall, the flavor is full of very sweet and malty flavors, prominently demonstrating the higher alcoholic content disguising abilities of dark chocolate and coffee toasted malts. There is a complex mixture of dark malt flavors present through the entire beer, including the aftertaste, but a short lived bitter aftertaste begins to appear toward the finish of the brew.

Our Take

Let us first start by saying you won't like this beer if you're not a fan of stouts or malt. This is a sweet beer with a complex array of dark and medium roasted malt which deliver an unparalleled brew drinking experience. There is almost no hops presence in this beer, save for a slightly bitter, short lived aftertaste. This is also a heavy beer which is only best enjoyed during the cold winter months (or year round if you just love stouts). And we know not everyone is a stout fan. But to be honest, this is no ordinary Guinness. This is a beer which may get you on to stouts, or perhaps change your perception as to what a stout really is. We promise you that Lion Stout is unlike any beer or even any stout that you've ever had, and ever will have. This beer has been enjoying the view from the top as our highest rated beer for a year and a half so far, and that says two things: one, this beer is incredible enough to beat out all of the other beer's we've ever tried, and two, because we're always striving to discover new and exciting beers, we'd be really happy the day this beer no longer sits at #1. Fortunately for Lion Stout, we don't see that happening any time soon.