SKA Nefarious Ten Pin Imperial Porter

Brewed by SKA Brewing
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Durango, Colorado USA

thank you jesus, this is amazing ... has that slight smoke burny meaty smell that i crave in a world class porter! ... fantastic lacing .. oh god the taste, the taste is all that, the bees knees, all the way live, its where its at.. seriously, the mouth and flavours are incredible.. a new favourite beer that i wish was available in my area... INCREDIBLE! ... and it has to do with bowling, what more do you want!!

Black; in no way, shape, or form is this transparent. Luxcious foam the color of a dusty lane... Smell bing cherries, and raspberry fudge cake; razzleberry juice and cocoa. Taste fruit bombs that drop right into smokey baker’s chocolate. Sour tingle, and faint wheat grass juice reminds me of bright clover honey. It’s beautiful the way the flavors swirl up an alcohol vapor in the mouth, and combine aroma and flavor into one large bite of raspberry/bing cherry ganache.

another great brew from ska. dark and beautiful. it really sucks that i cant get it in los angeles

22oz blue wax sealed bottle pours deep brown with a huge molasses, caramel, toffee and coffee aroma. Lite tan head that is creamy. Big flavor going on. Nice rich body and mouth feel. AA bit syrupy, but very good. Molasses and hot chocolate flavors dominate, but subtle bourbon and Belgian chocolate bitterness are there too. Great beer. Good on a day where you just swam in 34 degree water.

The beer after its disinterment from the 22-ounce capped and waxed bottle pours a pitch-black with some ruby high lights, the head is moderate in size and frothy in texture with the color a nice tan, after the heads demise the resultant lace forms a glutinous sheet upon the glass. Nose is toasted grain dominated with hints of black cherries and caramel, fresh and delightful to the olfactory senses, start is sweet and heavy with malt, top is middling to full in its feel to the palate. Finish is demonstrative in its acidity and the hops delectable in their spiciness with the aftertaste desert dry, the 8 percent ABV leaves a nice warming sensation it the tummy, this beer much better than their “Ten Pin”.

Rich, thick and completely black appearance with a thick, puffy, and well-lacing tan head. Aroma is a sweet, complex mix of caramel and roasted malts with dark fruits and dark chocolate. Body starts thick and syrupy sweet with nice carbonation and a finish that is slightly drier, but still maintains its sweetness. Very nicely balanced with a mild, but noticeable bitterness throughout. Extremely drinkable, smooth, enjoyable, and true to style, at least the imperial porter "style". Thanks to snowtiger for this great brew!

A little roasty and a little hint of coffee. This is pretty good. Smooth, doesn’t seem very alcoholic. Good stuff.

Appearance: an impressive bottle, waxed-dipped as only one other beer that I know of is, and that one I consumed shortly after this,( although this has a blue wax). The fearsome figure on the label is no less scary a mascot than that for the Dark Lord, a skeleton, wrapped in regal red robes, gritting his ghastly teeth, clutching a bowling-pin sceptre..wait, that’s more comical than frightening...Still, gotta love it, and also, gotta love this slogan: "We use the finest malt, hops, yeast, water and love." They use the finest love, really? I hope it’s better than all that other crappy love I’ve seen and done already! AH! But the beer...dark brown, with reddish highlights, with a fizzy, tan head. Aroma, deep espresso tones, rich, resplendent, full as any great porter should be. Taste: neat little bitter hops bite on board the palate, jump back, then fade, till the malt falls forward, lush, rich, chocolatey...and, wait! do I detect a note of banana? Oddly, I do...a bit of citrus, orange, even, definite fruit, some dark ones, cherries, figs, grapes, ....all put together, it’s a magnificent thing, smooth& flavorful, creamy & satisfying, with a lush, full finish, this is a serious porter that seriously rewards the drinker. Very nice, and I only wish I could try it again, and again...