McNeills Humperdink

Bottle (shared by Lubière): Poured a pitch-black color beer with small off-white had with minimal retention. Aroma of roasted malt with some caramel. Taste is also dominated by sweet and slightly roasted caramel malt with a very subtle bitter finish. Body is a bit thin and generally lacks a bit of character.

Dark clear brown with a thin off white head. Sweet caramel malt aroma with sulfur notes, which dissipears to leave some roasted notes. In mouth, sweet malt with light coffee notes, simple, a bit thin, but overall pretty good, considering the bottle is more than 6 months old. Enjoyed with Boutip.

Post-mondial Tasting. Couleur de cola foncé, peu de collet. Arome de malte torifier simple. Goût de malte sec, pas fraiment savoureuse.

Early 2006 bomber? You can never be too sure with McNeill’s, but I did buy it at Winooski, and I don’t think this one ages that well, so it must be fairly fresh. Drunk on 4/27/06
When bottle conditioned and unfiltered beers go bad, they really go bad, but when they go "good", they do so equally as well. This one showed a ton of light chocolate brown head that was retained throughout the entire bottle, with lacing and all, up and down the glass. Lively bubbles still visible in the medium-dark, cola-brown liquid, with an auburn-ruby glow on the edges and high clarity from a settled out bottle and careful pour.
The nose takes a little while to build up steam, but once it’s warmed and breathed, the melanoidins, baker’s chocolate, strong roast character and balance of vibrant/piquant fruitiness and dry, British malt-like nuttiness is absolutely charming. Even some grassy/spicy hops thrown in for good measure, adding a layer of complexity on end, without disrupting the malt strength or harrying the fruitiness. Lacking is any real breadiness, and that is a great thing, as that quality too often builds up and over-dries the finish. One of the most complex aromas I’ve come across in a 4.5%abv beer. I didn’t find an unbalanced or domineering roastiness at all, nor any of the smokiness others have talked about, but just supple milk-chocolate sweetness and dark fruits, ending on spicy hops and light anise-infused coffee.
Supple maltiness is the key to the flavor, and is always difficult for me to not gush about. Smooth, nearly creamy and perfectly tempered by light vinousness and cola-like notes, leading to a very dry, light roasted bitterness on end and more fresh roasted coffee with ample cream. I expected the malt to recede as it warmed, fearing some nuttiness and roast astringency might take over, but it was anything but. An almost liqueurous-like cherry cordial chocolatiness (hyperbole, for sure, but it still made me think of it) emerges, with light traces of sweet cream, and then is suddenly snapped off, as the fine-bubbled carbonation clears the palate, leaving dry brown malts in its wake.
I could definitely believe that I just got a bottle in its absolute best shape, and perhaps it was also the right beer at the right time, but whatever the case, I can hardly rate it any less than what I experienced. Somehow lighter, more drinkable and bright (if you can use that in describing a schwarzbier) than your typical, more heavily malted, sweet schwarzbier. More like Kostritzer, I suppose, in that regard, but take Kostritzer, don’t filter it and serve it fresh and bottle conditioned and you are closer to this. Elegant....very elegant.

(22oz bottle) Purchased at Winooski Beverage in Winooski, VT. Pours a medium, brown frothy head with a sediment-filled, cola-coloured body. Nose of roasted malts and tin. Flavour is very nice, a tad thinner and less gritty than Escousse but the bitter chocolate and lasting oily, thin molasses. Very enjoyable.