Drinking this now (yeah I know - blame S04 - it's been static-SG for 3 days despite only pitching it 6 days ago - I roused the yeast for the last three days straight and warmed it up for a DR).
Slightly drier than intended, but I didn't quite hit my numbers on brew day - the colder weather threw my mash down a few degrees. Still very nice; with a few tweaks I think this will become my "house stout".
Appearance: Near-black, with a coffee-crema-colored head. About one-two fingers of head which fades to half a finger after a few minutes; does retain this faded head throughout drinking.
Smell: chocolatey, with a coffee background. Slight roastiness with a very small amount of estery character. No alcohol or diacetyl. Hops aroma is negligible, largely forced out of the way by the roastiness and esters.
Taste: much like the smell suggests; less acrid than many stouts - likely due to the Special III in place of the chocolate malt. Slight roastiness, but very smooth. Semi-sweet at the start, but dry at the finish. Malty throughout, but not excessively so - the chocolate and carafa special hold center stage. No alcohol hotness or diacetyl apparent. Hops are almost undetectable, woven around the darker, roasted flavours.
Mouthfeel: very silky, but not slick. Slightly thinner than desired, but to be expected given the mashing issues.
Drinkability: I've had two and if it wasn't a school night I'd have a whole bunch more; definitely a quaffable beer. Not nearly as heavy as many other stouts of the same alcohol level.