Hello everyone.  For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be trying the Old Dominion Morning Glory brewed by the Old Dominion Brewing Company located in Dover, Delaware.

I just posted my review of the Old Dominion Double D the other day and I found it to be quite enjoyable.

Let’s get back to the website, olddominion.com, and see what it has to say about this particular beer.

Morning Glory is a full-bodied espresso stout that utilizes locally roasted coffee beans. Waking up at 9% ABV with the aroma of espresso and the taste of chocolate, she will give drinkers a jolt for a limited time only.

Sounds good.  Let’s give it a go.

This brew came in a 22 oz. bottle and it had an ABV of 9.0%.

It poured pitch black with absolutely no highlights showing through.  It formed a small, smooth, tightly compacted, khaki colored head from a fairly easy discharge.  The retention time wasn’t the greatest and the lacing was a bit underscored and thin.

The bouquet was very nice.  Tones of fresh coffee bean and espresso.  Some dark chocolate and oatmeal added some sweetness.  It had a pleasant roasted and toasted malt character too.  The overall balance and harmony of the aroma was excellent.

The taste, as expected, produced the coffee and espresso characteristics.  Somewhat roasted in that aspect.  I got some bitterness from both the chocolate and coffee, although no oatmeal savors were found in the taste.  It seemed a bit restrained.  I definitely thought it would be stronger.

The mouthfeel was medium to medium/thin and it only became thinner as I went along.  I couldn’t believe that. It wasn’t near as dry as I was hoping it would be either.  It was very smooth and slick though.  The carbonation leaned toward the lower side and I received no warmth from the 9.0% ABV.  An “ok” amount of flavor was left on the palate after each sip.

Overall, this was a decent beer.  The aroma was by far the most appealing aspect for me.  The rest of the attributes weren’t bad, however they were somewhat underscored and not accentuated like I thought they might be.  For me, it wasn’t quite on par with some of my favorite Coffee Stouts.  Specifically, the Founders Breakfast Stout and the Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast.  I think I’m being a bit harsh on this beer.  It’s still pretty good and I’m glad I got the opportunity to try it.  The drinkability was very good and I’d suggest you give the Old Dominion Morning Glory a try if you can grab a bottle and decide for yourself if you think it’s a worthy representation of the style.  Feel free to tell me of your opinion if you’d like.

Thanks for reading and commenting everyone.  I really appreciate it.

Until next time.  Cheers.

Score:  3.7 out of 5

Grade:  B