Delicious beer thanks to Phil (hope that’s his name, I’m terrible with names!) at Vintage Estates. Aroma was a nice mix of smoke and bitter chocolate. Pour was a beautiful deep dark brown/near black with a 1 finger tan head. Taste was nice and smokey. Perfect mix of stout and rauchbier. The smoke comes up the sinuses after the bitter dark malt and chocolate leave the front. Glad to have gotten to try this.

draft at the brewpub - Pours black with a one finger tan head. It smells of smoke and roast malt. The smoke is very evident in the flavor but doesn’t completely overpower the dark roast malt of a stout. The palate is unusually bubbly for a stout. It’s medium bodied and has a slightly bitter, smoked finish. Should be classified here as a Smoked style.

On tap. I was given a thin-looking dark brown liquid with a very small head. Aromas of smoke and peat with a touch of molasses and anise. Flavor is fairly smoky, but it’s more of a peat smoke than a charcoal smoke, if that makes any sense. Molasses and anise are also present in the flavor. My complaint (especially at first) is that it comes off as thin... it seems like there is not quite enough malt. It doesn’t come off as particularly watery, just thin. By the time I hit the bottom of the glass, however, this initial assessment seems silly and wrong. Flavor and palate and all are full and good at this point. I’m not sure whether it is a temperature issue or what. All in all, this is pretty darn good stuff.

Pint at the Eccentric Cafe. Poured deep black in color with a medium sized tan head. Aroma of smoked malts, chocolate, and mild roast. Tastes of moderately smoked malts, chocolate, light coffee. I’m starting to love smoked beers, and this certainly was a very solid drinkable version of that style. Great body and smooth finish. Nice.

(Draught) Pours a dark brown body with a small beige head. Aroma of caramel malt, light smoke, roastiness, and chocolate. Flavor of roasted malt, smoke, chocolate, and toasted grain with a bitter coffee finish.