Pours a hazy amber brown color with a ruby red hue when held up to the light. The pour produces a fluffy two finger khaki colored head that dissipates quickly, leaving a thin layer of foam resting on top. No lacing.
The aroma is a nice blend of dark fruit (cherry) with a sour tart scent that blends with a sweet caramel malt and yeast.
The taste is interesting and hard to describe. Toasted sweet malts and tart dark fruits consisting of cherry, raisin, and prunes with some yeast flavors mixed in as well. Complex yet simple, but good! Some warmth from the higher abv is noticeable in the finish, but adds to the beer nicely!
Medium body with high carbonation. Smooth yet prickly sharp from the high level of carbonation. Slightly dry on the finish. As this beer sits the sharp carbonation seems to mellow out and is not as ferocious.
Overall, an enjoyable beer with a simple satisfying character. Very drinkable for a beer with a higher abv. The flavors are not as complex and bold as I was expecting and hoping for, but this beer still maintains a very enjoyable nature and is worth a try. Try one!
"Well ya see, Norm, it's like this... A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers." - Cliff Clavin, of Cheers