She's a black beer with a tan head that has more lacing than you can possibly want from a beer. The aroma is cherry, sweetness, wood, and light smokiness. It isn't as smoky as most porters that I've had before, but different isn't necessarily bad.First sip is very sweet. That malt is certainly sweet, but I think the lactose sugars are just going hog-wild with the sweetness. I can also taste a bit of the wood and definitely the cherry from the smell, but this is without a doubt a dessert beer.
Tip-in is sweet like agave right from the get-go. Carbonation tingles as the wood and smoke drizzle down on the syrup-like sweetness. The middle hits much harder with the wood, some spices, and the cherry is joined by some other berries. The finish is a sharp hit of tartness from the impressively not sweet cherries that take over from the sweet, but the sweet syrup remains on the lips.
Bottom Line: A challenging beer, even if you're only drinking it as a dessert beer. For regular drinking, this is a pass.
1.25/5
