Murky, dirty black mud with some grayish tan sand on top. Cloves and chocolate bubblegum come out at first whiff with a touch of sweet cinnamon and chocolate angel food pound cake. Pepperish hints, though quite a reserved nose. Subtle, balanced flavor brings out decadent, naturally compounded cocoa morsels. Cloves and black pepper are coated by mild chocolate icing, and subtle cocoa powder over bananas gives an added surplus. Supportive carbonation drives home cinna-chocolate sticks dipped in tea-like iced mochas. Sweet, chocolaty English toffee patrols with portions of grinded mocha java beans. Medium-bodied and pleasantly balanced. Cloves come out and a mild lemon lactic acidity manifests in the finish, but the black patent, dark chocolate and flame-licked tootsie rolls lead in the end.

On tap @ the brewpub: Pours dark brown with a tan head. Aroma, chocolate, some wheat, roasted malts. Flavor, chocolate, some doughy wheat, some fruits and a roasted malt character. One of the better beers I had from them.

Sampled at the brewpub on 6/25/07: Pours a barely transparent dark amber mahogany with a thin, clingy-lacing off-white head. Aroma of lightly milk chocolatey malt and some banana and lemon citrus yeastiness. Body starts lightly bready and caramely sweet with some lemony tartness toward a doughy, German yeasty finish. A unique brew that could use a little less tartness, but otherwise enjoyable.

Dark brown body under a small foamy tan head. Chocolate candy aroma - tootsie roll and taffy. Not too candy-like, there is some choc. roast too. The flavor reminds me of a tangy porter with light bubblegum in the finish. A good acidic-tangy dark beer with some fruity notes. The light mouthfeel meshes well with the spritzy carbonation.

FIRST TRIAL: It’s hard to review this beer. It tasted slightly off, but in a way, I liked the off taste. The beer pours a nice deep black, with a short head that stuck around for a while. The aroma was roasted with a bit of bitter chocolate, and the flavor was similar. Very roasty, very dry, and a bit bitter. There was a bit of a buttery aftertaste though. The mouthfeel was nice and smooth though, so overall, it was an OK beer that happened to suit my palate nicely. I’d order it again, but I’m not going to rush back to have it again tomorrow.