Moonlight Death and Taxes Black

On tap at Hopmonk Tavern, CA: Death and Taxes is a coal black beer with a whipping cream mocha head. Vienna roast coffee aroma persists in flavor-- with licorice, cacao and pistachio notes. High effervescence and good lacing yet not super-carbonated. Low acid hop pull hovers in long dry-malt espresso finish.

Poured on tap at Lanesplitter pub an inky black with thin tan head and little carbonation. Aroma is roasty with grains and toffee. Flavor is a bit nutty, roast coffee, toffee, some slight graininess and a touch of smokey carcoal. The after taste is quite hoppy but doesn’t come out in the body. Palate is stick chewy an a touch sweet at first and then lightens up in the middle and end with strong flavor and touch of bitter. Wow, liked this one it brings lots of strong flavor yet easy drinking.

On tap at Flavor in Santa Rosa. Dark red-brown-black color with a fine, creamy, tan mocha head. Quite sweet caramel and toffee aromas with a coffee edge and some light fermentation notes. Flavor posesses lots of dark roasted grain bitterness with intense smokiness. The body is disarmingly light which really puts the intense flavors front and center.

Tap @ Hamilton’s in SD. Totally opaque black with scattered lacing. Slight diacetyl and oil in nose. Excellent roasted malt flavors, some pleasant huskiness, excellent and one of the best schwartzbiers I’ve had outside Europe.

On tap at The Trappist in Oakland, CA. Dark, dark black with thick, pillowy head. Rich, very strong aroma of fresh roasted cofee beans, more moderate air of dark chocolate, along with some earthiness and rich malty nuances as well. Flavor is VERY dry; tons of roasted malt and with substantial hoppiness. Ashen, smoky finish. Dry and roasty to the extreme. Not my thing, but could be just it for someone. I dig the aroma, but it could do with some more balancing sweetness.