The beer is so dark and ruby red that you would be excused for calling it black. The tan head is scant but sticks around in a thin film that is proud to be here. The aroma is smokey malt and barley that is just about what I expected (with just a touch more grain than I would have thought, but it isn't off-putting or anything).First sip is not as good as I'd hoped. It's a flat smoke with a bitter coffee edge. They need sweet malt in there with it to cut back the bitterness, but they don't, so it's all lopsided and unrefined. I like a smokey beer, but I want there to be more underneath. This is smoke for the sake of smoke and then it just gives up on flavors.
Tip-in is a bit watery, but it has smoke and charred oak under it all while carbonation is a non-event. The middle is smoke, caramel, mahogany, and bitterness. The finish brings the coffee and more bitterness with burned grains supporting it all. Trail-off is a nice smokey afternoon by the campfire.
Bottom Line: It's hard to love, but it comes into its own as it warms a little bit.
2.25/5
