Rock Art Infusco

Brewed by Rock Art Brewery
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Morrisville, Vermont USA

Date: 11/29/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

dark brown, fine beige head, streaks of drippy lace, dark chocolate aroma with a lot of sweet estery fruity character and lots of spicyness plus fusel alcohols, sweet fruity chocolate malt flavor, touch of hot spicy spruce, all sweet spice,
-------- /> Date: 12/15/2007
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting

picking up a peppery character in the aroma, more balanced flavor between the fruity chocolate and the spicyness

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.3/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **+/4

(22oz bottle) Medium beige head atop clear dark brown body. Aroma is medium sweet, anise, some caramel, spearmint, light cherry. Taste is medium sweet, cinnamon, some spearmint, light anise. Light-medium body, light syrup.

On tap. Poured a deeper brown color with smaller sized off white head. Aromas of roast, chocolate, spices, licorice, and dark fruits. Tastes of dark fruits, spices, licorice, roastiness and some caramel. Light alcohol in both the aroma and taste. The waiter said this was like a porter and I would have guessed a dubbel...

(Bottle) Pours a hazy amber-brown body with a medium amber head. Aroma of anise, dark fruits (dates, berries), light smoke, and herbal tea. Flavor of dark fruit, anise, clove, and caramel malt.

22oz bottle @Joe’s NYC Gathering shared by jwc215–pours a foamy tan head with mahogany color. Aroma is anise/herbal, almost root beer, yeast. Taste is anise/herbal, almost root beer, yeast, some peat, some pepper. Medium body.

Pours a transparent dark mahogany with a wispy-lacing light tan head. Aroma of lightly sweet toasty dark caramel biscuity malts with some earthy peppery spice, a lot of anise and a touch of light fruity esters. Starts fairly full and lightly sweet with a decent Belgian yeasty character toward a semi-dry finish. A pretty nice Belgian strong.

Bottle... Opaque, extremely dark ale with a small, creamy, khaki head. Excellent retention. Big-time esters in the aroma... dark fruit, sassafras tea and a rumor of mint. Light smoke phenol. The earthy, herbal flavor provides good bitterness with, again, sassafras and a touch of mint... just a whisper of that smoky phenol on my palate. Full-bodied with a dry mouthfeel and subtle carbonation. Lengthy, sweet and then bone-dry finish. Odd, this one, but not at all bad. Interesting... tasty! Kudos to growler for shipping this one to Florida!

My Bottom Line:
Clovey spiciness and a bag of Halloween candy overwhelm the frail body of this somewhat incoherent Belgian Strong Ale.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A ring of foam looks onto the hazy brown.
-The finish is earthy and yeasty, not exactly fitting the sweet spiciness which dominates the flavor profile.
-The low and soft carbonation exposes the lack of substance.
-Floral notes and fruitiness even appear through the sweetness, imparting an unwanted tartness.
-Hmmm...Barry’s rating makes me want to try it again, although this initial experience definitely had the reverse effect.

Bottle.