3.2 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 12/20
22oz bottle. a clear brown with a medium tan head. robust nose of cocoa and chocolate chip cookie. the flavor is mostly sweet milk chocolate with hints of vanilla. not really peppery at all. palate is moderate to high carbonation and light to medium. odd empty bitterness in finish. i like most things about it but dislike a few others.
3.8 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bottle shared at Natifest ’11. Poured dark brown color with an average frothy off-white head that mostly lasted with excellent lacing. Moderate to heavy earthy & toasted malt aroma. Medium body with a slick texture and flat carbonation. Medium to heavy dark chocolate sweet flavor with a medium to heavy dark spice sweet finish of moderate to long duration. My expectations were exceeded.
3.7 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
22oz bottle. Rating #15. Clear and very dark brown, medium tan head. Very toasty, almost burnt aroma and a bit of coffee maybe. Sweet and slightly burnt flavor, toffee and caramel, very different beer. (1876)
3.2 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 13/20
Bottle from Sam’s in Durham. Pours dark brown with a slight reddish tint. Soft, creamy dark beige head. Nose is cocoa, cream, nuts, and a bit of chile. Some caramel and a hint of vanilla. Taste adds a tiny kick of heat, but not much. Sweet. Too much chocolate and sweetness for me.
3 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 2/5 OVERALL 12/20
dark brown/black with tan head. nose of chocolate malt. low bitterness with medium/high crystal malt before a lot of chocolate malt with little hop presence, the disappointing part of the beer is the high residual sweetness that results in a beer that has difficulty being fully consumed. not out of character with the two breweries involved
3.4 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 13/20
Bomber. Pours a dark brown that lets reddish highlights shine around the edges. Head is alright at first, but dies down and leaves very little on the sides of the glass or on the surface. Aromas have quite a bit of chocolate and cream with a heavy dose of malt, but the malt comes across as rye and oat... not sure if that’s in there, but that’s what I’m picking up. Flavor starts off like a grain silo (or the dust that poofs out of your grain when you pour it into a new container while homebrewing), but then the chocolate takes over just for a bit until the chile heat starts to point to the finish. It finishes with a well-balanced spicy heat, but the malt bill that leads to the finish line just isn’t for me. Too sweet, too something...
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
22oz bomber.
Pours deep, murky brown that shows very little light coming through underneath a huge bubbly tan head that recedes really slowly.
Aroma is heavy on cocoa nibs and vanilla with the peppers stinging the nose a little but not dominating the nose by any means. There is a general roasty malt aroma throughout as well.
Taste has more chocolate than anything else with the vanilla coming out in the finish and the chili peppers bringing very little heat at all. Lots of roasted chocolate malts in the background.
The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and fairly dry and chalky, presumably from the cocoa nibs.
I really enjoyed this beer and it’s a great beer compared to most brown ales. Complex, with lots of interesting flavors, yet very well integrated and drinkable.
4.5 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 9/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 18/20
Dark brown pour. Tan head. Aroma is sweet, fruity, cocoa, molasses, coffee. Flavor is nice, really creamy, chocolate. Damn fine beer...wow I am surprised.
3.5 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Draught at Craft Ale House: Aroma is malt, slight chili, slight roasting, slight chocolate, and a hint of tootsie roll. Poured brown/deep amber/ruby in color with a large, creamy, dense, rocky, brown head that greatly diminished but lasted throughout. Clear. Lightly sparkling. Excellent lacing. Flavor is lightly sweet. Tastes of malt, cocoa, slight baker’s chocolate, slight vanilla, and a hint of chili in the end. Medium body. Slightly thin, then lightly dry texture. Soft to average carbonation. Malt, cocoa, chocolate finish is dry. 7.6%ABV is completely hidden throughout.
3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 16/20
Bomber. Pours a very deep brown with a creamy light tan head. Aroma is cocoa, some vanilla, a bit of an earthiness, some roast. Flavor is nice. The vanilla and cocoa really come out, maybe a touch of the pepper towards the finish, but very subdued. The chocolate is very aggressive through, sweet and a touch cakey. Finishes, again with a bit more of the pepper, however it isnt bringing heat, just a touch of the bitter earthiness that lingers, not hot at all though. Some dark cocoa and almost no alcohol, very well hidden. The vanilla and cocoa are very aggressive but its a nice beer, works well, satisfying dessert.
|
