Pours dark brown with slight tan head. Nice smoky malt characters in the aroma, very drinkable, but a little bit too thin for my taste. For a darker beer of this kind I would like a bit more substance. Good balance though, worth a try. A kind of Porter-Lite flavor in my opinion.

Bottle. Pours a nice, dark red-brown and has a decent tan head that slowly fades. Taste is of roasted malt, caramel, chocolate, fruit, smoke and is slightly sweet. Aroma is much the same. Has a nice aftertaste, but feels kind of watery. Overall, a very enjoyable brew that is satisfying and worth purchasing again.

2008 Bottle. A nice American version of the more potent, more complex Belgian ale. Dark, sweet aroma, accompanied with a sweet nutty flavor. Seemed watery--probably just because of the lower alcohol content than its Belgian cousins. Not a bad brew.

Draught at New Belgium Brewery. Dark dark brown - offwhite head. Roasted, ryebread, licorice, berries, dark fruits, dark berries, light sweetness, chocolate, dryness. Nice.

12 oz. bottle pours deep blood red/dark brown with a one-finger head that dissipates quickly to a thin ring. Minimal lacing. Strong roasted, almost burnt, coffee aromas dominate, supported by bicuity malts and toffee. Taste is similar: complex smoky, sweet malts with coffee, toffee and little in terms of offsetting hops bitterness. Smooth, slightly thin mouthfeel, with a clean, dry aftertaste.