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What is the state of brewing right now? Is it that dessert beers can take over and we can all enjoy the chocolate wonder of a delicious stout or porter? Maybe it'll be one of those oddball IPAs that tastes like ice cream. I just don't know where we are, but I'm going to drink the beer I have in front of me and let everything else sort itself out.The color is what you might typically expect from a stout - dirty brown that ventures into black. The head is pretty minimal with tiny, tight bubbles that skitter away to leave a minor dusting and thin ring on the sides. The aroma should be chocolate, and it is. In fact, it is a strong chocolate syrup with a bittersweet bend. This is gonna be good.
Fist sip is, if anything, too much chocolate. The syrup is thick, and the bitterness grips the tastebuds as soon as the beer leaves the tongue. Is it good? Well, yes. Will it be good in a gulp? That story has yet to be written, but I can see where this might thin out a bit and make room for a creamy smoothness that is too big to fit into a sip.
Tip-in is bitter chocolate, syrup heaviness, and a hint of mocha. The middle unleashes a heavy truckload of molasses, wood, and chocolate that has never seen sweetness onto the mouth. The finish brings some sweetness back with cherries and chocolate clinging on hard for the semi-bitter trail off.
Bottom Line: Intimidating but worth it.
3.25/5
