
First sip is sweet bread and smoke with oats and oak helping out. As a sip, it is a good one - it has all the flavor you want without any lingering doubt about a funky yeast or an overwhelming hop or something like that. It's a down-to-earth beer with a sturdy character like I would want reflecting a city in the rust belt.
Tip-in is a fruitcake with all the nuts, dough, and sweet, dark fruit that you'd expect from it. The middle is a thick, rich oak and smoke with some caramel and even chocolate supporting things. I don't get any coffee, so it has that going for it, too. The finish is a slight wave of bitterness and spices that still manages to leave a sweetness in its wake.
Bottom Line: Probably the best of this batch of beers from behind the cheddar curtain.
3.75/5