Four Peaks Belgian Black Ale

in tempe... pours an almost opaque brown black capped by a creamy soft beige head. it leaves a small amount of lace spots and the head remains as a ring until the last drop. big time cooked black barley aroma (but the warehouse DOES smell like cooked barley!) along with chocolate covered banana, dusty wheat, a touch of smoky char ( hopefully the barrel will bring this out more ) and lots of floral yeasty notes. to sum it up... it tastes like a nice hefeweizen with a bit of ashy char on the finish. there is a bit of savory/bready yeastiness in the mix and alcohol/high temperature fermentation fruitiness starts to show up as it warms. i guess i am of the few that like this characteristic as it makes for a pleasant evolution in the beer and reminds me that it IS 7.2%. it is medium in body but rather light on the tongue considering the alcohol. that keeps it drinkable as the creamy carbonation and starchiness balance things out. neat-o. i can’t wait to try it out of the barrels... 8/5/8/4/14/3.9

Sampled at the 2009 AZ Strong Beer Fest on February 28th. Near black pour with a small tan head. Light roasty, fruity aroma. Flavor is somewhat sweet and fruity, with just a bit of yeast and spice. Good, but I was hoping for something more.

Sampled @ 9th AZ Strong Beer Festival. Aroma was somehat average with some roast on the nose. Black body with tan head. A sweet fruit flavor present along with some roast. Easy on the palate good brew.

On tap at Scottsdale location. Pours a dark murky brown – almost black – with a 2 finger tan head that leaves slick lacing. The nose is roast and bubblegum. The taste is banana esters, cloves, roasted malt and spice. Light-to-medium bodied. Interesting brew – like a cross between a mild stout and a dubbel.

On tap at the brewery. Pours an extremely dark brown in a snifter with a sizeable, yet quickly dissipating head. Aroma is of mild bananas and clove, along with some sulfur as if it were a lager. Taste is quite subdued for a belgian. Phenolicss are quite muted, kept almost entirely to the banana/clove character. It really tastes like a black hefeweizen. However, quite a bit of roast and black patent comes across. There is some ash and banana that lingers in the aftertaste. Even with all that, it is a surprisingly drinkable beer at 7.2% alcohol, however I am somewhat disappointed in this offering. Update: Sampled again last night and I don’t know if it was actually different or just my palate at the time, but it tasted quite a bit more belgian-y (in a really good way).

Tap at the brewery. Pours charcoal black with a firm mocha head that leaves subtle lacing. Smells like a Belgian Double and looks like a Stout. Lots of starch and spice in the nose, like it has sweet potatoes and brown sugar in it. Builds in flavor with additional notes of plum, barley, and faint smoke. Starts dry, but has an inky finish. Can’t wait to have this once it spends some time in oak.