beachbum25 (778), Powellville, Maryland, USA May 27, 2007 11.2 oz bottle-Poured black w/no head & some decent lacing. Looks like a stout from the pour; has a carbonated, roasted malt aroma. Had a sweet flavor of molasis & roasted malt to it, some chocolate but not a lot. Carbonation is quite evedent. I guess I was expecting this to be a stout from the name & the pour, but it doesn’t taste like one at all. Was pretty good though. Long carbonated finish. pilsnerrogge (1770), Finspång, Sweden May 18, 2007 [bottle] The colour is black and the head is dense. Coffee and cocoa aroma. Flavour is very roasted with notes of coffee, still very smooth and drinkable. Tastes a lot like Guinness but with more balls. deserthero (9), Canton, Ohio, USA does not count May 15, 2007 very well balanced. bottle. pours black with copper highlights. very thin to no head. aroma is very faint smells mostly of chocolate and smoke. starts with a tingle as to suggest alot of carbonation but the head says otherwise. but urgently turns to a silky chocolate and then a smoky hop flavor that lasts. after the bottle i noticed my mouth was really dry. i dont know what that means so i wrote it. overall i think it would make a great day to day beer. DruncanVeasey (2690), The Penguin’s Arms, Europe, Warwickshire, England May 14, 2007 Bottled. Inky pour with creamy tan suds. Richly chocolatey aroma and flavour with hints of smoke and vanilla. Roasty, smooth, and bittersweet. Creamy cocoa smoothness drying into a charred malt/bitter hop finish. Lingers with some warming alcohol and Marmite yeastiness. agl108 (503), Manayunk, Pennsylvania, USA May 4, 2007 On draft at Zeno’s, Penn State. Poured deep brown with a ring of tan head. Very sweet chocolatey flavor. Smokey. Reminded me of a porter. Capa (955), Yokosuka, Japan May 4, 2007 Pours a deep brown with ruby highlites and a large deep tan head. Candied malt malt, dark fruit, alcohol, lightly roasted coffee, and cocoa. Has a very smooth and creamy texture on its medium body. Flavor is bittersweet chocolate, toasted malt, smoke, and some dark fruit. Well blended with nothing overpowering the overall enjoyment. Finishes smooth and lasting. I had a great time with this one. Tasted side by side with the Special Reserve, the original being the better of the two. RedHaze (370), Where the hell am I?, Nebraska, USA May 2, 2007 Pours a very dark, nearly black, with faint hints of ruby peeking around the edges. The foam peaks at one finger then falls slowly to a thin soapy cap and ring. A nice webbing of lace is left behind after each sip.
Smell; mmmm..chocolate cake, with a little bit of alcohol mixed in. There’s also hints of some dark fruits, as well as a little bit of a smoky quality.
Taste; lots of dark chocolate and caramel malts, with a bit of toasted flavor. Some dates and prunes add some nice dark fruity flavors, and that smokiness some through in the flavor. None of the flavors are really overly strong, as a matter of fact they’re a touch on the mellow side, but the finish is nice and long and very smooth.
Mouthfeel is medium to full bodied and a little on the creamy side, with a very smooth carbonation that only helps out in the drinkability department. I enjoyed this much more than I did the version aged in whiskey barrels. Heathen (723), Riverside, New Jersey, USA Apr 30, 2007 THOUGHTS: The coffee aroma is pleasing but way too light. Nice chocolate and coffee flavors. It also had a very easy drinking palate.
TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark brown with an average, tan head that mostly diminished and left just a tad of lace behind. The aroma was mostly mild coffee. The initial flavor was lightly sweet and bitter, while the finishwas moderately wsweet and lightly bitter. It had a medium body that was oily band slightly syrupy with lively carbonation and a sweet finish.
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