United Nations of Beer

Reagins stout

by Ashley Cotter-Cairns
(UNOB HQ)

Reagin's stout
McNeil's Brewery, VT, USA

You have to be carfeful when buying bottled beer, especially if you don't know the town you're in. I bought Reagin's stout, a seasonal beer, in June while in Burlington to report on the Vermont Brewer's Fest.



I love to snap up seasonal ales whenever I see them. Something about not being able to sample that particular brew for at least another year appeals to the innate collector in me.

It didn't occur to me until long afterwards to wonder which season this stout belonged to. Most likely winter. Still, this is not as critical with the darker ales, as they tend to age well in the bottle.

(As I write this, to prove the point, I am reviewing a Left Hand Brewing Imperial stout that's been in the bottle for 14 months and it tastes fantastic.)

Reagins stout is not in the same league, but it's a decent beer. The thinnish body (thicker than a regular ale, but not as meaty as I like my stouts to be) pours headless, like a porter. It smells like black coffee and licorice and, yes, that's a porterish trait too.

Once in the mouth, the extreme bitterness of this beer was welcome. The licorice taste was quite pronounced. If you aren't a friend of Bassett's Licorice Allsorts, then you probably won't enjoy this beer too much.

I found the mouth feel to be a little on the thin side. Not a major criticism by any means. In fact, despite drinking it in the height of summer, I really enjoyed this stout.

Yes, it was more like a porter and yes, I would have been happy if somebody had told me it was mislabeled and this stout was in fact porter all along. It had the same characteristics, taste profile and strength.

I'd love to try this fresh from the tap. Maybe now it's winter again (where DID 2007 go?!), I'll take a trip to Battleboro, VT and try it out first-hand.