Singing Jamaica’s Praises

(STAFF PHOTO: J.T. WAMPLER) Jamaica Stout is a 7.6 percent alcohol offering from Big City Brewing in Kingston, Jamaica.

Island brewery delivers stout entry

Wamp’s Wisdom

Jamaica Stout is a 7.6 percent alcohol offering from Big City Brewing in Kingston, Jamaica. It’s the only brewery fully owned and operated by Jamaicans.
It pours black with garnet red in the lit edges. Head is thick and nut-brown and while substantial at first, it falls rather quickly to a thin layer with lacing clinging to the glass with each sip. Aroma is of coffee and French pastries. Taste is like chocolate milk mixed with coffee and molasses. It’s full bodied and substantial but finishes clean with just a hint of over-roasted coffee bean.
Overall this is a great stout that might entice someone to take the plunge into the realm of rich, black beers.
Pair with desserts featuring chocolate.
Rating: 4 caps

Rico’s Reaction

With apologies to Bugs Bunny: (*singing*) “Stout, stout, pretty little stout. Drink one more and dance about.”
Back in December while discussing Old Rasputin stout, I droned on about my encounter with bottled Guinness in Jamaica, which surprised me with a different flavor than what I was used to drinking stateside, and how the two beers shared some similarities. Well, Jamaica Stout tastes exactly like the Guinness brewed on that Caribbean island — rich, bold, dark flavors that remain smoothly drinkable with just the slightest hint of honey-like sweetness.
Like Old Rasputin, Jamaica Stout does kick up the alcohol content over its Guinness counterpart, though not as strongly as the Mad Monk-named brew’s 9 percent alcohol rating. Still, “drink one more” and dancing about is likely to ensue, that or nap time.
Jamaica Stout is an easy one to recommend for lovers of dark beers. This brew doesn’t disappoint. Try one and soon you’ll be singing like Doug E. Doug in “Cool Runnings.”
Rating: 4 caps

Rating System

One Cap: Put it back in the horse!
Two Caps: Consume only if the other choice is Tijuana tap water or Coors Light.
Three Caps: Acceptable without standing out. The Tito Jackson of beer, if you will.
Four Caps: Nice beer that rises above most but may not deliver enough to be considered great.
Five Caps: Truly great beer that delivers on all counts. A credit to its style. Could only be better if served by scantily clad concubines.
Six Caps: Any five cap beer served by scantily clad concubines.