Appearance:
Liquid charcoal and brittle burnt ashen blocks of wood. A dark tan head fades into a soft blanket with a slightly fuller edge. Swirls creamy – like a chocolate milkshake.
Nose:
Roasty and toasty. Brittle burnt black cacao and espresso – combine for black chocolate covered espresso beans. Cinnamon powder. Crunchy bars of caramel and toffee and chocolate – the Skor bar comes to mind. Hint of tobacco and cigar leaf, the oils especially.
Palate:
Creamy and rich in the front and leading right into the middle before finishing appropriately dry and parching with burnt woods and burnt caramels. Dark fruit and leather tannins skirt the edges while the burnt parched finish keeps me coming back for more. As it warms up, the tart tannins grow slightly more prominent along the edges without overpowering while a gentle smoky presence whispers in my breath. Cigar ash and crumbling burnt wooden remains. Caramel and toffee brittle hold their own in the middle.
Final Thoughts:
A refreshingly complex simple brew. The Irish-style Dry Stout is a classic pioneered (purportedly) by Guinness and since Guinness has been copied and (I’m quite sure to their chagrin) improved upon immensely by a multitude of craft brewers within the USofA and abroad. Another winner from Brooklyn Brewery.
(an original written work by Kristyn Lier. Plagiarism is not tolerated)
