After a long interlude my travel beer reviews continue.

The rules for this fight were straight forward. Both beers were poured at the same time and into similar glasses (in this case pint glasses). I sniffed and sampled from one beer, and then did the same for the other. This was repeated until both beers were gone. The two contenders were Atlantic Brewing’s Mount Desert Island Ginger, and the other was Bar Harbor Brewing’s Bar Harbor Ginger Brew. Who triumphed in this battle royale? Lets find out.

The Mount Desert Island Ginger poured a slightly hazy golden with very lively carbonation. This carbonation gave the beer’s white head a nice thin, but complete, covering. The head even climbed the glass a little bit, but left no lacing. An enjoyable lemon essence, mixed with ginger and light malt provided an enticing aroma and made me dream of warmer days. In the mouth the beer was light and smooth. There was a nice ginger snap to the beer, a bit stronger then I was expecting when compared to the aroma, and a light lemon presence. The beer ended with a slight buttery taste.

The Bar Harbor Ginger Brew poured a clear light brown amber, which provided a very interesting contrast to the Mount Desert Island Ginger. Though less carbonation then the Mount Desert Island Ginger, it provided enough for a thin white head, which stayed around for the full session. The aromas are another contrast to the Island Ginger, with only a very faint hint of ginger, and the majority of aroma spent on lightly toasted and caramel malt. In the mouth the beer is a bit watery. There is also the continuation of the higher malt to ginger ratio in the taste. I found myself searching for the ginger and though a found a slight tweak of it, the majority of time I was tasting light-caramel malt with a slight tanginess. This tanginess reminded me of their Harbor Lighthouse Ale.

The “Ginger Belt” goes to… Atlantic Brewing’s Mount Desert Island Ginger. Though both beers were enjoyable and drinkable, the Mount Desert Island Ginger showcased the ginger aspect better, and that was its key to victory. For a food pairing with the “Ginger Belt” winner may I suggest chicken cooked with Trader Joe’s Thai Green Curry Simmer Sauce and a side of jasmine rice.

Author: Dave
Categories: Atlantic, Bar Harbor Brewing, Beer Reviews, Summer Ale
2 Comments »

Last, but not least, from our friends at Beer of the Month Club, we have the Eku 28. Now, I happen to know that this is a serious beer. I actually first tried this beer in Maryland at a friend’s house – THEY actually got this from a different (and, I’m sure, inferior) Beer of the Month Club. At the time, I was a bit earlier in my beer-lovin’ career, but I still found it very interesting. This one clocks in at about 11% ABV, is considered by Michael Jackson to be a “4-star World Classic”, and can’t be cheap to produce or purchase – for these reasons, I’m very impressed that BOMC chose to include it in this month’s offering when they could’ve easily cut corners and given us something less interesting. Hats off to you, BOMC, for spending the extra cash to give your customers something really worthwhile…

This one pours a lovely dark ruby golden color with an off-white head that is super dense, flares up, and then dies down to a thick ring around the glass. In the nose, this is a flavor explosion. There is a ton of horehound candy flavor here, layered on top of some maple syrupy sweetness. Frankly, smelling this stuff feels like drinking a beer – it’s just that thick. In the mouth, this is stuff is bonkers. It’s super complex and super big. The primary flavors are sweet and rich. Initially, there is a thick maple sweetness that quickly gains some additional bitter notes, rendering it more of a horehound candiness, as indicated in the aroma. As this progress through the mouth, some bourbon flavors seem to develop as alcohol and a sharper sweetness come to the forefront. As this finishes up, the aftertastes flashes out with a very syrupy sweet flavor that surges up into the nasal cavity and then sticks around for ages. Long after this is gone, the big thick mouthfeel covers the entirety of the tongue and tends to coat the throat and back of the mouth. This is certainly not a session beer. Rather, this will be killer as a dessert beer or a late night apertif by the fire – I might even recommend enjoying it in a brandy snifter, ’cause it’s just that big.

Author: Ben
Categories: Beer Reviews, Beer of the Month Club, Kulmbacher, Specialty
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If memory serves me correctly we’ve had a couple Abita brews sent to us from the BOMC.  And Ben bought an Abita variety pack a while back so this brewery is well represented on our site, relative to their number of offerings.  The Purple Haze is the only one that comes to mind right now and I remember it being kinda ehhh.  Plus Ben just informed me that his extensive experience has resulted in fairly lackluster reviews so I’m a little hesitant to delve into this IPA.  Nonetheless it must be done so off we go.

This beer has a clear burnt sienna hue topped off by a fluffy white head.  As expected the smell is wrought with piney goodness.  What wasn’t expected was a bit of sugary sweetness.  The aroma is full and refreshing and its expansion in the nostrils is quite delightful.  The (insert your favorite hop-like adjective: piney, hoppy, floral, grapefruity, etc.) characteristic takes center stage in the front of the mouth.  The actual taste dances on the tongue and the hop burn and carbonation carry the flavor toward the back of the mouth.  So far so good.  The taste is further complemented by the same subtle sweetness noted in the smell.  It’s a little hard to pinpoint the exact flavor but I’m going to go out on a limb and say it’s orange.  It might be better to say it’s orange peel but that could lead one to believe it’s also bitter and in this case I think the bitterness is coming from the increased hop concentration.  In the end it serves to round out the hop flavor and create a thick but at the same time slick mouthfeel.  I’m diggin’ this beer.  I can’t say it’s sessionable because the hoppiness suggests to me it can result in a serious headache the next morning, but I can say I would have no problems enjoying this in moderation over and over again.

Author: Matt
Categories: Abita, Beer Reviews, Beer of the Month Club, India Pale Ale
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This is a draft only release from Ommegang, and I actually mentioned this beer back in my January 6 “Beer News…” post. A few local bars are stocking it, so I thought I would give it a try.

Poured a muddy brown, with a white thin head, into a goblet. The nose gives me some hints of roasted malts, some nuttiness, and very light hints of dark fruit. The taste was malty, with light essence of chocolate, and an ever so subtle tart ending, but felt rather watery… and meh.

This beer just did not do it for me. Normally I try to have a beer twice before writing a review. This time however, I could not convince myself to order another one of these. Not to say I found the beer bad. I would actually give the beer good marks for drinkability, since I had no issue drinking it. I believe it was more my expectations were off. I thought the “bit of Kriek” would have more play in the beer, then it actually did, so I was expecting something different. I would not say to avoid this beer (everyone’s tastes are different), but I would not tell anyone to go out of their way for it.

Author: Dave
Categories: Beer Reviews, Belgian Dark Ale, Ommegang
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Next up from the nice folks at the Beer of the Month Club is the Ipswich Nut Brown Ale. Now, we can’t get this stuff in NC, but we’ve tasted their Dark Ale before, courtesy of the folks at BOMC, and we really really enjoyed it. So, I’m reasonably excited about this new offering from the folks at Mercury.

The Nut Brown pours an expected deep brown color that seems fairly clear and filtered, letting in a small amount of light when held up to the lamp. The head on this is initially quite thick and rocky, but quickly settles to nothing but a small ring around the edge of the glass. In the nose, this is mostly redolent of dark malt, with some hints of chocolate. The aroma isn’t super rich, but is really rather nice in a subdued way. In the mouth, the beer is pretty run of the meal for a good nut brown ale. Again, there is quite a lot of dark malt here. It is not terribly rich, but offers up some darker bread crust flavors. On through the mouth, a big bitter nuttiness comes to the forefront, along with some light sweetness from dark chocolate flavors. Compared to some nut browns, this is a bit more bitter and brooding. There is no cloying sweetness here, although there are some light bits of sweetness to balance out the nutty aspects. So, really, this is pretty good. It’s an easy drinker, it isn’t offensive in any way, and it is complex enough that a discerning drinker can appreciate it. That being said, it’s not a standout in the nut brown arena. A tasty drinker, and probably good for the price, but I’m not blown away…

Author: Ben
Categories: Beer Reviews, Beer of the Month Club, Brown Ale, Mercury
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I’m not quite sure how this all plays out, as Kulmbacher has a Pilsner that we’ve reviewed before. This, however, is the Eku Pilsner, as brewed by the Kulmbacher brewery. So, I dunno – you guys can figure out the relationship here. I’m just gonna drink the beer. And, FYI, this is from the latest shipment from the Beer of the Month Club. Matt and I have been anxiously awaiting this – seems like it’s been a while!

The Eku Pils pours a super clear and light golden color with a thin, dense, stark white head. Basically, this looks like the lightest of light beers, like you might not even feel it go down your throat. It’s probably so refreshing you’ll have to towel off after drinking it. In the nose, there is a surprising amount of biscuity malt aroma, considering how slight the beer appears. On top of the maltiness, there are some light hop hints and an aroma that is gassy, likely from the carbonation. To be honest, I’m quite taken with this beer. As expected, it IS super refreshing and thirst-quenching. In addition, though, it’s pretty flavorful. There is a ton of the characteristic pilsner flavor here, full of biscuity malt and some sharp-but-fleeting hop characteristics. This is also chock full of carbonation, which only adds to the refreshing aspects and makes this pretty perky on the tongue. Overall, this is a great Pilsner, one of the best I’ve had in ages. I really hope I can track this down on shelves in NC!

Author: Ben
Categories: Beer Reviews, Beer of the Month Club, Kulmbacher, Pilsner
1 Comment »

It’s been a looong time since I’ve had an actual Belgian ale. I think it has, at least. To be honest, I’ve been so consumed keeping caught up with all the great American craft brewers lately that I find it hard to get across the pond to the Belgians that are, in many ways, my favorite styles around. Then again, there’s also the issue that the Belgians, inevitably, cost a premium. But, hey, every now and again it’s worth it to treat yourself. Also, I’ve had some killer beers from Brasserie Fantome in the past, so when I see a new one, I’m inclined to give it the benefit of the doubt and assume it’ll be worth the cash.

The Dalmatienne is the messiest looking pour I’ve seen in a long time. Basically, it looks like a cup of unsettled muddy water. It is a medium brown color with tons of thick debris that swirls around in a manner that is, to the layperson, positively unappetizing. In the beer’s defense, I did have it stored horizontally in my fridge, and it was super effervescent when I opened it, which no doubt caused a lot of this mess. However, I’m rarely disconcerted by a cloudy beer, so I’m not too worried about it.

In the nose, this brew is citrusy and sour and lightly burns the nostrils (in a good way). The flavor of this brew is full and biting and doesn’t exactly match up with the appearance. The initial flavor is lightly sweet with some bready malts. Quickly, a sharp sourness hits the tongue, making you pucker up a wee bit. This sourness is slightly citrusy, but has a richness to it that you don’t find in a traditional saison ale. The sourness never diminishes through the mouth, and stays strong all the way into the aftertaste. The only further enhancement is some additional candi sweetness that comes into the aftertaste, mediating the sourness and making the beer quite a party in your mouth. Basically, this is a dark Belgian farmhouse ale. It’s dark and malty, but with all the sour and quenching characteristics that we get from the lighter French saisons, and it has a bite that you’ll definitely recognize. I really like this a lot. It looks odd enough that nobody is going to steal it from you, but it tastes like a million bucks. Good combination.

Author: Ben
Categories: Beer Reviews, Fantome, Saison Ale
2 Comments »

Two weeks back Lefthand Brewing published their 2009 release schedule for those interested.

The Brew Site is doing their second annual “American Macro Week” this week and Jon brought up an interesting question about the term “American Macros”. The big three “American Macros” (Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors) are no longer “American”, so does this mean Boston Beer Company , Yuengling, and Sierra Nevada Brewing are the “new American Macros”? Anyway, check out the post and leave your thoughts.

Instead of making a virtual beer with the iPhone, someone actually created a beer pouring robot controlled by an iPhone. I’m not really sure I would qualify it as “the perfect pour” (judging from the video) and god knows what would happen if you gave the thing a tulip glass to pour into, but at least it involves REAL beer, not the virtual stuff, so that is a step in the right direction. Props to the inventor in a having a good taste in beer too (I see a Ommegang Rare Vos, Ommegang Three Philosophers, Sam Adams Chocolate Bock, and Shipyard IPA).

Author: Dave
Categories: Beer News
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Let’s get back to what we do best here at SevenPack, drinking beer and writing about it.  Gone are the days of scathing diatribes.  The pent-up aggression has been released and we here at SevenPack are smiling again.  As a matter of fact we are exceptionally joyous at this moment because it snowed in NC today.  I know Dave doesn’t get excited about that stuff, being in Boston and all, but we rarely experience what can be termed a substantial.  So rather than drink a steaming cup of hot chocolate after coming in from the cold, I decided to reach for a slightly chilled glass of Ommegang’s Chocolate Indulgence.

There’s one word to describe this beer, black!  There was a bubbly caramel-colored head that collected at the top of the glass but it quickly disappeared.  The aroma is semi-sweet, chocolate that is, with a touch of a floral bite.  The label says it is brewed with cocoa powder and believe it or not it does have a “powderish” characteristic to the smell.  Imagine smelling chocolate protein powder or putting your nose in a canister of Nesquik.  Let’s take a momentary break and try to remind ourselves how much we have enjoyed the staples from the Ommegang brewery.  I cut my teeth on those beers and they are the benchmark at which I start to analyze other Belgian-style ales.  I have certainly had other beers as good or better, but if you aren’t on par with the Ommegang beers you aren’t cutting the mustard.  That being said, tonight’s beer is a bit of a letdown.  It is certainly chocolatey, but a bitter-sweet chocolate.  I’m yearning for a richness that just isn’t there.  The taste isn’t flat per se, it’s just not as round as expected.  The chocolate is combined with a sweeter maple syrup flavor that evolves into a berry flavor.  Another mark against this beer is that the overall taste doesn’t mesh well together or carry through to the very back of the mouth.  This is by far my least favorite Ommegang beer to date.  It isn’t terrible but it certainly doesn’t compare to the other beers in their product line.  The name, appearance, even the bottle art are “delicious” and the things that matter most, the aroma and taste don’t live up to the hype.  While the folks at Ommegang are proud of their beer, they do admit it has a few flaws and thus are working diligently to make it better.  Given their track record I believe that when I buy this beer again, when it is available next year, I am going to have to amend this review.

Author: Matt
Categories: Beer Reviews, Ommegang, Stout
1 Comment »

Last Wednesday Ben and I went to pub quiz at one of our favorite local watering holes, only to find that we stumbled into a “coming out” celebration of sorts for Gordon Biersch Brewery.  A few of their beers have recently become available in the RDU airport and apparently Wednesday commemorated the beginning of availability in NC bars and retail stores.  I would classify this event as fairly significant as the owner and brewmaster himself, Dan Gordon, was in house rubbing elbows with the masses.  Ben and I even had a little personal face time with Dan.  He seemed to be a super nice guy who loves to make beer and strives to do it well.  He told us he’d been brewing for over 25 years so I guess he’s doing something right.  Anyway, he and his staff circulated thorughout the bar and promoted one of their seasonal beers, the Winter Bock.

There’s nothing spectacular about the appearance or smell for that matter.  It’s amberish in color and has no distinctive smell.  There is a subtle grapeness with an ironish finish but your nostrils have to work hard to pick out this aroma.  I had 3 glasses of this beer over the course of the night soI had plenty of time to decipher flavors and nuances but in my humble opinion this beer is rather nondescript, especially for its size (7+% abv).  A grape sweetness attacks the palate, almost in excess.  There is also a yeasty characteristic that thickens the mouthfeel and accentuates the overpowering sweetness.  This flavor wasn’t as noticable and abrasive at first, in fact I initially thought this could be a good session beer during these colder winter months.  However, I found that by the middle of the second glass this beer was sitting heavy in my stomach.  The good thing is it has a very clean finish so it doesn’t create the same heaviness in the mouth.  This is a decent beer, nothing special but fairly refreshing when enjoyed in moderation.

I won’t get on my soapbox like I did in response to Ben’s Big Boss post but I will say while my impressions of Dan Gordon and his beer were relatively favorable, I cannot say the same for some of the promoters he had in attendance the other night.  A number of them were obnoxious and/or drunk and in my mind were terribly unprofessional.  My hope is that this was an isolated incident and these folks were just a little overly excited about there new expansion.  If not I hope Mr. Gordon re-evaluates who he brings to these events and who he choses to represent his product because if people are like me (and if they like and respect good beer, I feel safe to assume they are) these people will be just as turned off and give serious consideration to whether they want to patronize Gordon Biersch products.

Author: Matt
Categories: Beer Reviews, Bock, Gordon Biersch
1 Comment »

Dear Big Boss,

I’m a bit conflicted. On the one hand, I really enjoy your beers, and I love supporting local breweries. On the other hand, we’ve had some bad experiences lately, and there seems to be a severe lack of both communication and rectification between us. Here’s the deal. From the time I first tried your Hell’s Belle, I knew that there was something between us, and I continued to foster our relationship at your place (the brewpub, Horniblow’s Tavern), at local pub quizzes, and even in my own home. For a while, things were great, and I foresaw years of happiness together.

But, then. Then we started to have some consistency issues. It first started when I opened a bottle of Hell’s Belle from a fresh six-pack, only to find it tasteless and undrinkable. At first, I thought something was wrong with me, so I poured that beer away and waited until the next day to try again. However, one night later, the same thing happend – an undrinkable beer. This ultimately resulted in my having to pour a $9 six-pack of Big Boss beer down the drain as I found each one to be just as bad as the last.

A few days later, a friend of mine was about to enjoy a tasty bottle of Angry Angel, her favorite Big Boss beer. “Eww,” she said, “I don’t think this tastes right – try it!” Of course, I was happy to oblige. This beer offered a different, but altogether displeasing flavor, especially when compared to the usual tasty Kolsch that Big Boss produces. While a couple of the singles from her six-pack were good, the other four were undrinkable.

After these two occurrences, I slowed down a bit – I decided that myself and Big Boss would take a small break. In the meanwhile, I sent a couple of e-mails to Big Boss asking about the problem, and seeing if they knew about any consistency issues with their brewery. I genuinely asked for information as a friend and fan, and I did so with no malevolance or disdain. I received no reply.

About a week ago, I decided it was time to jump back in the saddle, so I ordered an Angry Angel at a bar in Raleigh – this, my first Big Boss brew in weeks. It was terrible, and I couldn’t drink it.

Now, I don’t hold myself to be THE authority on beer. However, I have enjoyed a few brews in my life, and I’ve enjoyed many many Big Boss brews. That being said, I know how good the Big Boss beers are when done correctly, and I definitely know when a Big Boss beer is completely wrong. So, I need to know what’s going on! For the meanwhile, I’m boycotting Big Boss beers – not because I don’t love them, but because I can’t afford to spend $5 each on a beer that I’ll have to pour out, and I can’t justify carrying home $9 6-packs when I may not be able to stomach them. However, I’m anxiously awaiting an opportunity to flex a newfound confidence in Big Boss and give them my continued custom.

So, if anyone out there at Big Boss is reading this, can you comment? Perhaps I’m terribly unlucky and have been the only person to happen upon such a run of bad beers – I know it happens occasionally. But, frankly, I find it hard to believe that noone else is having similar experiences. The fact that this is happening just as Big Boss is seeing large jumps in popularity leads me to believe that maybe there are some growing pains as production ramps up, and so maybe that is leading to these issues of consistency. However, I’d really love to hear some feedback from the folks at Big Boss – it’d greatly put my mind at ease.

Is anybody out there???

-Ben

Author: Ben
Categories: Beer News, Big Boss
5 Comments »

We in NC are just now getting some consistent distribution from the folks at Stoudt’s. This is a welcome addition to the selection on shelves down here, as I’ve heard a ton of good things about the brewer, but I haven’t yet had occasion to taste many of their wares. The only downside I can thus far find is that this stuff is priced a bit exorbitantly at $13.50/6-pack for the larger varieties such as the IIPA. This fact may keep me from buying a ton of Stoudt’s stuff, but it at least won’t stop me from giving it all a try…

The double IPA pours a delicious medium golden color that is super clear and obviously filtered. Initially, there is a slight off-white head to the beer, but this quickly subsides, leaving only a couple of small islands of foam floating on the beer’s surface. In the nose, this beer is both sweet and bitter in heavy doses. The sweetness is rich and dark, bringing to mind hints of molasses and a bit of cane sugar. The bitterness is lightly floral and heavily bitter, but doesn’t come across as overwhelming due to the big balancing power of the sweetness. The mouthfeel of the brew is rich and syrupy and does a good job of coating the mouth and leaving tons of flavor all over the mouth in the aftertaste. I would place the quality of this brew up there alongside the 90-minute IPA from Dogfish Head, although this seems to have a heavier dose of sweetness, a bit less fresh hop, and a bit more richness. Overall, it’s a great beer, and one worth trying out. Again, it’s a high-dollar brew, but the taste represents that price well.

Author: Ben
Categories: Beer Reviews, India Pale Ale, Stoudt's
No Comments »

Somehow, this brew has managed to elude review here on SevenPack, despite the fact that I like to drink it often. Fortunately, I recognized this discrepancy today whilst enjoying said brew and watching some football playoffs (now sans-Panthers. Good job, guys. Seriously).

The Stone Pale pours a deep golden hue with substantial cloudiness and a fairly thick white head. The aroma here is fairly full of malt. It is rich and bready, and combines with an underlying floral malt to provide a fabulous scent that is very well-rounded. In the mouth, this beer tastes about like it smells. The predominant sensation is a big and sticky mouthfeel full of rich sweetbread flavors. As the beer slides down the tongue, the hop begins to present itself in a pretty big way. Most of the hop is that fresh floral variety that is hallmark of Stone beers. However, there is a decent amount of bitterness here, as well – it helps to balance the beer, but doesn’t really compete with the maltiness. In the aftertaste, a more metallic hop bitterness seeps up into the nasal cavity, while the malty coating of the beer remains all around the tongue and walls of the mouth, allowing the flavors to stick around for quite some time. This beer, along with the standard Stone IPA, makes for some of the best general drinking you can find in these categories. And, while the cost is a BIT high, it’s not what I’d call prohibitive, so go on out and pick up a couple six-packs for the big day of sports today…

Author: Ben
Categories: Beer Reviews, Pale Ale, Stone
No Comments »

I have not done this in a long while, but I came across some interesting stuff recently. First, in the “good to know” category, Dogfish Head and Ommegang announced their 2009 release schedules. Granted these schedules are not set in stone, but they give a good idea of what is to come from both breweries. Interesting points, in my mind, for Dogfish Head’s release schedule would be Red and White (Jan. & Feb., SevenPack Review), BRAND X (April & May, an undisclosed beer), and Theobroma (July & August, a beer first released 9/2008 which I missed). For Ommegang’s release schedule (could not find the press release on Ommegang’s web site) Inauguration Ale (a.k.a. Obamagang) (Jan-Feb, Draft Only), and Ommegang Biere de Mars (Jan-March) stick out.

Next up, Hoppin’ Frog Brewery is taking suggestions on what they should brew. Though this is a great way to reach out to their consumers, I was more interested in this tidbit:

Keep in mind that any special brewing ingredients need to go through a more extensive approval process with the FDA, besides the TTB and State gov’t. Beers with normal ingredients are much easier. Special ingredients include fruits and vegetables, any spices, cane or candi sugars, honey, licorice, coffee, used wood barrels to age beer in, spruce cuttings or tree bark, ect. For these, the FDA needs to see the FIDs, or flavor ingredient data sheets. Some ingredients this is easy for – I’d just ask the supplier. Some are not. And some have them, but still get rejected by the FDA.

I thought it showed some insight on what a brewery has to go through with regulators when trying to release a “special beer”. I would not qualify “coffee” as a special ingredient, but it seems it is. Anyway, I was intrigued by this, so for brandishing this little nugget of information, I must pick up some of Hoppin’ Frog’s products.

The tegestologists (beer coaster collectors) in the crowd will be interested in this last bit of news. Brooklyn Brewery is doing a limited edition Brooklyn trivia coaster collection. If you can not get Brooklyn beers around you, but still want the coasters, you can get them directly from Brooklyn Brewery without purchase (while supplies last).

Author: Dave
Categories: Beer News
1 Comment »

It seems that a lot of breweries are making their version of a chocolate stout these days.  It’s not enough just to make a standard stout, instead they take great pains to cram a ton of chocolatey goodness into their beer which at times results in beer that smells like it will send you into a diabetic coma.  I tend to stay away from sweets even though I think they’re very delicious, so I’m quite fortunate that brewmasters have found a way to combine two things that I like to put in my mouth, beer and chocolate.

This is a limited edition offering found in the Winter variety pack.  It pours with a dark black hue and a frothy, caramel colored head.  The moment I put the glass to my nose I became an instant fan of this beer.  At this point I don’t care how it tastes, if I have to I’ll just smell it.  The aroma harkens me back to my “husky” days when I would double fist McDonalds ice cream sundaes.  This beer smells just like the chocolate fudge that served not only as a massive weight gainer but also a female deterrant.  Lucky me, I know…The taste isn’t quite as delicious as the smell but it’s good enough to make me want more.  The fudginess thins a bit as it is cut by a sweeter cherry flavor.  It has an effervescent mouthfeel in the back of the mouth which also causes the chocolate taste to dissipate just a hair.  This is in contrast to the initial taste which is very creamy and rich.  A slight alcohol bite accompanies dark, bitter chocolate notes and finishes this beer.  All in all this has been a very delightful experience.  This certainly isn’t my favorite chocolate stout-style beer but I can say without any uncertainty that it is well above average.

Author: Matt
Categories: Beer Reviews, Harpoon, Stout
4 Comments »