In the underrated John Wayne film The Quiet Man, John Wayne walks into a bar in Ireland in simply asks for "one of those black beers." Surprising to me at the time, the barkeeper knew that it was a porter, and not a stout. Well, this beer is black. It didn't want to give up much head, but the light tan smattering of bubbles across the top is accented by a very sturdy ring of small bubbles gripping the sides of the glass. The aroma is, sadly, coffee on top of toffee and possibly grains. I always fear of beverage when coffee is at the forefront. I don't like coffee. Turns out, they put the word coffee on the outside of the can, and I just missed it. This may suck.First sip is definitely coffee forward, but it's not undrinkable. The coffee is watered down with vanilla, oak, dark fruit, and earth. Coffee is still an overwhelming taste, and bitterness is it's mistress. I can't see myself going out of my way for another sip of this. It's possible it's going to taste fantastic in the full gulp, but sipping is not to be for me or anyone else who doesn't like coffee. At least I can't fault them for not putting the word coffee on the can.
Tip-in is light, perfectly tolerable coffee without the bitterness, and it is joined by toffee, earth, and smoked oak. The middle lifts the coffee up above the din, but it is no longer at the forefront. Instead, a rather watery mix of toffee, caramel, earth, smoked oats, and oak get a little hint of vanilla as it goes down the gullet. The finish is a cell door of bitterness and coffee that slams shut any possibility of enjoying anything beyond it. It's just as well, as the trail off is nothing but a reminder of coffee and the foreboding of the next sip.
Bottom Line: I guess if you have to have coffee, this isn't a bad way.
2.0/5
