Berkshire Shabadoo Black and Tan Ale

Brewed by Berkshire Brewing Co.
Style: Porter
South Deerfield, Massachusetts USA

Pours mostly clear dark chestnut brown with three fingers of frothy tan head. Head recedes to a lasting frothy cap. Looks like a brown ale. Light aroma of chocolate along with a nutty brown-sugariness. Lots of foamy sheets and rings of lacing similar to the Berkshire Ale I had last night. Flavor is a nutty brown-sugariness along with light chocolate. As it warms there is a bit of licorice towards finish. Light hoppy bitter bite overlays and provides a light pinch in finish. Pretty tasty. This comes off more like a brown ale than a porter. 22 oz. bottle from Rum Runner.

Bomber I bought somewhere in the Berkshires a year or two ago. Thought Id pop it open and see if it was still good. Pours orangey brown with a tan head. Nose is sweet and malty. Taste is malty, but extremely light. Im guessing the balancing act thats playing here is less balanced due to the age of the bottle. Its ok, but not stellar.

This is a local favorite which I have had many times but have just now rated. I do suggest that you sample this on tap and not from the bottle. This rating is based on the tap version. This is a fun beer for fans of the brewery since it combines two of their other offerings which im told was begun by a now passed brewery employee for his own consumption and his nickname was "shabadoo". a great dark body on this which crowns to a thin white head. At first sip it may seem a bit lackluster but all the flavor is in the back of the palate with chocolate and smokey wood dust flooding you as your about to swallow for a nice surprise.

(Bottle). Sweet malt and hops aroma. Dark reddish brown color, with a light tan head. Much lighter body than some regular porters. And you can definitely discern the blend of brown ale and Drayman’s. The result is a very pleasing brew, with sweetness, malt/hops flavor, and also some bitterness. Hard to describe, but the effort works. Not sure this belongs in the "porter" category.....but where else would it go?

Man, I love the shabadoo. This brew gets better each time I have one. Goes down smooth, and the coffe undertones are great along with the chocolate and suttle spices. Great beer.

From a 1 pt. 6 fl. oz bottle. Pours a reddish-ruby-brown with tan, puffy head. Nice aroma of malts, hops, and cocoa. Good mouth feel. Flavor has more of an emphasis on crisp hops with a little coffee added in. A little less hoppy than an IPA but close. Quite a good brew.

Nice solid mix. As they say mixing caramel and chocolate leads to a pleasant drinking experience. Neither side overpowers, so somebody knows what they are doing.

Pours light black/brown color with thinner tan head. Very toasted off the nose, with chocolate, vanilla and coffee aromas. Sugary viscous, body with a sweet chocolate beginning moving towards a strong, coffee roasted flavor, with a drying piney and lingering finish.