Appearance- Pours a super dark brown that borderlines on black with a small dark tan cap that’s fairly small even with a aggressive pour. A nice thick collar and thin cap is maintained the entire beer as is a bit of spotty lacing.Smell- Chocolate and bacon. The smoke is very strong and has almost wet ashtray like traits. Very intense and exactly what I was hoping for. Notes of tobacco and leather are fairly prevalent as well and as the beer warms the chocolate fades. Mostly just intense smoke.
Taste- Crazy intense. A big rush of smoke hits my mouth immediately as its super intense and almost ham like. Notes of raw cocoa nibs hide underneath with a dry bit of chocolate. It’s a bit too bitter though as a light citric tone from the hops is noticeable but I don’t think the majority of the bitterness is the hops. I think it’s from the char of the roast and the intensity of the smoked malt. The alcohol is noticeable as well. Some coffee notes, tobacco and more smoke lingers and lingers.
Mouthfeel- Awesome feel. It’s thick and rich with velvety smooth body as the carbonation is light and spot on. I wish all my beers had this body.
Overall- Not bad. This will definitely tame up a bit over the next couple months and become much more drinkable. For now though, it’s very intense and about the manliest brew I’ve ever had. It’s slightly too bitter for the style though and the alcohol is slightly too high. This brew will get better and better though and that applewood will meld nicely.
