First sip is not as simple as I had expected. While I thought the beer would be a heap of chocolate sauce, it has a lot of rough edges. The coffee taste of the malt is very distinct, and the chocolate gives it a taste along the lines of a Starbuck's drink. It's full of rich bits that blend together to make a satisfying sip, but a sip is like getting a trailer for a movie instead of watching the whole thing. A proper swig, however...
Tip-in is mostly chocolate and the smokey embers of a dying fire. The middle turns smooth, with hints of the bitterness of the hops and a watery chocolate and cherry coffee with nuts and earth backing their play. When the finish starts, the bitterness whips at the roof of the mouth with a vengeance. A very chocolate bitterness hits and fades with the coffee taste remaining on the lips well after the drink is gone.
Bottom Line: A delightful beverage with a unique and complicated character.
4.25/5