This dark brown beer is so dark in the middle that light will not pass through, but it's definitely brown, as I can see through the corners and the bottom of the glass. There wasn't much head to start with, and it scatters to the winds leaving only a ring around the sides of the glass that sticks a little, but I'm not expecting any lacing from this. The aroma is delicious. It's sweet and syrupy with chocolate and vanilla garnished with nuts and maybe a sprig of coffee. Maybe coffee is just some malt having been roasted; it's hard to tell.First sip is excellent. This is a really smooth beverage that is a lot more mild than I expected. The vanilla and chocolate malt are playing well together, and the rest of the beer seems to be complementing those or trying to stay hidden in the background. The effect may get to be more like a watery beer when I start to do a proper swig, but, first sip, this is pretty good. Let's find out what that swig brings.
Tip-in is mild carbonation burn with the vanilla playing with the sweet malt, but the chocolate flavor isn't really coming out right at first. So, there's a bit of earth and some roasted nut shells with a heap of sweetness. The middle sends the carbonation jabbing at the top of the mouth while the whole beverage gets a lot more mild and a little watery. It's smooth, but it's not as thick as the syrupy beginning would lead you to expect. The finish is an introduction of a bit of bitterness with the chocolate asserting itself and the nuts giving way to a little bit of toffee with a bit of bitter coffee glaze on top of it.
Bottom Line: If I had another, I drink another.
4.0/5
