The beer has no damn head. Are we sure this isn't barrel aged? It pours like a syrup and diligently resists attempts to coax out any head at all. The resulting nearly black beer has brown fringe, and it emits a decidedly boozy aroma laced with dark fruits and sweetness (adding to the syrup parallel).First sip is overwhelming. It's boozy as hell, and it is laced with dark fruits, yeast, chocolate, and more tartness than bitterness or sweetness. It's a bit of a jumbled mess, if I'm honest. The way it's all front-loaded with alcohol makes it uneven and more daunting to drink than it has any right to be. I expect the craft beers I try to be anywhere from watery to extremely complex, but no one wants a beer that is a chore, and that's what sipping this beer is. A gulp may right this boat.
Tip-in is syrup thick with sweet cherries, plums, and apricots nestled in a bed of very dark chocolate with very light (almost not there) carbonation. The middle is an expanse of oppressive booze syrup with all of the flavors that were in the tip-in muted a bit. The finish is where tartness and bitterness rise up with a frothy cloud of yeast before trailing off with more alcohol.
Bottom Line: There are better ways to do porters and there are better ways to do high-alcohol beers.
1.5/5
