3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Tasted during the Nor Cal Beer Geek Tasting on 3/11/2009. This ASA pours a deep black color from a 12oz bottle. Small to medium sized white foamy head. The aroma is roasted malt, a touch of chocolate and some hops. A medium bodied Strong Ale. The malts are roasty and dark. The hops are spicy and floral. Nice carbonation. Nice chocolate flavors. It reminds me of a schwartzbier on steroids. Hides the alcohol very well. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Draft at Beer Authority with Andrew. Pours a black body with one finger of creamy, chocolate brown head. Aroma is blueberry kefir, light sweet roasted malts, light hop character and chocolate. Mouthfeel is medium with notes of fruity malts, fresh hop, blueberry. I thought the blueberry yogurt/kefir character was very strange, could’ve been the tap line?
3.5 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 14/20
Dark cola colored beer, with a thin white head. Smoky, roasted aromas permeate from glass. Tastes of dark licorice, some smoky notes, roasted barley, and ends on a surprising grassy hop kick. Dry, and slightly bitter, very filling beer. Pretty solid brew.
3.3 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Had this beer at the 4th Annual Casanova Beer Cave Festival. Nice light roast, berry and chocolate notes.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Nice and black, light and easy drinking, tasty and not too shabby at all! A well done beer.
3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
12 oz. bottle. Pours dark brown with a tan head with good retention. Smells complex and dark, with toasted malts, cocoa, hops and more. Taste has lots of flavors on the darker side, cocoa, malts, hop, earth, wood, toasted almond and more. Med bodied. Soft carbonation. After taste is toasty and very dry hopped. This is a interesting and well balanced brew. Good stuff.
4.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 17/20
I like the idea of Black IPAs but haven’t tried a lot yet. Really enjoyed this one. Bit of thin mouthfeel when it arrives but lots of flavor happening (and staying!) after it leaves. Not overly bitter, ABV nicely hidden. Roasty coffee flavor. Am glad I have another in the fridge to share with a friend.
3.6 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 14/20
12 oz. bottle. Pours a thick long lasting geige head, with extensive lacing, over a black (SRM 40) body....nose is light coffee, chocolate, light toffee/caramel, hint of hazelnuts....taste is bitter chocolate, light coffee, hints of toffee/caramel, finishing with medium coffee hop bitterness....mouth feel thick, alcohol hidden, carbonation makes a creamy mouthful. The category of American Strong Ale is very broad. This could almost be called an Imperial Porter. Either way this is a nicely balanced, very complex, and to me Imperial Porter. BJCP 7/3/14/5/7
4.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 16/20
Pours almost black but manages to pass through a few ruby highlights. Soft one inch head adorns this pour. Aroma of chocolate, roasted malt, sweet toffee. The mouthfeel is silky with a chocolate prominence.
4.4 AROMA 9/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 18/20
Aroma is a mix of chocolate and nuttiness, almost like rocky road. The flavor is complex malts, chocolate, caramel and a lasting bitter hoppiness into the finish.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Solid Black Ale, with a good roasty middle and appropriate hop meanness. Pours a bit thin, but the nose helps things rebound, as a deep coffee note takes hold. The taste is dry and mocha-ish, wth a nice long, bitter finish. The feel is kinda thin, but then again, this brew is called a black ale, not a porter or stout, so I’ll pretend that such delineations matter. Impressive, since the body isn’t heavy but the alcohol remains hidden. Good beer.
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