Another so-brown-it's-black beer to try out. There is pretty much no head straight from the can; there are bubbles that manage to make their way to the top of the beer in order to burst as soon as they get there. I will concede to a few bubbles managing to survive and stick to the sides of the glass, but that's about it. The aroma is coffee, smoke, chocolate, vanilla, and I imagine bourbon, but I'm not really smelling that. Maybe (likely) I will taste it.First sip is, as its sister beers, quite nice. It's smoke, chocolate, a hint of coffee, and definitely vanilla. Unlike the aroma, the sip definitely has bourbon lurking in it, but it is a complementing the rest of the beer very nicely. I did not expect this, especially after the many failures where the various liquors were too much for the beers involved. On to the swig!
Tip-in is rich chocolate and mild roasted coffee with a slight hint of roasted oatmeal. Carbonation is very light to the point of almost not being a factor, but it is a factor enough. The middle is fan-goddamn-tastic. It has the smoke, the very light coffee, the chocolate, the sweet vanilla, and even a slight hint of bourbon that just flows in a silky smooth way down the throat. I almost don't want the finish to come, but come it does with a slight bitter tingle on the front of the tongue and a gentle fading of the finish. There's no fanfare or anything, but there is a gentle cessation of taste and a trail of smoke.
Bottom Line: Smooth and flavorful, this is a beer that I can't imagine would be the wrong one for any situation. Quite possibly my favorite beer of the three.
4.5/5
