Black Xantus

From a 2010 bottle (or earlier). Pours opaque with an inch of tan foam. Retention runs away, hiding quickly. Lacing is sporadic, thick, but 90% or more seeps back to level. Aroma is on the rather lighter side. I have a hard time describing it: sweet, peat, and that's about it. Taste made me say wow after the aroma. Molasses, vanilla, and bourbon begin in the middle and last through the end. A nice medley. Chocolate is at the beginning but subtle. Big body with medium carbonation, drying out towards the end. Boozy. One glass is enough as there is a sweetness and alcohol mix that is tough to cut through. Overall a solid brew that I think needs some time to age. Glad this bottle was a year old. Enjoy!

A: Dark amber brown with tight bubbled, tan foam head of moderate size and retention. S: My first impression is floral and faint notes of smoky peat in the background. Overal mix is white sugary sweet and really hard to categorize. T: Probably the biggest gap between the aroma and taste that I've had this year. With that said this brew is a huge wow...on the first taste. Bourbon, vanilla, and a slight alcohol sting hits all at once. It starts a touch like it's going thick, then quickly dry's out with a slight lingering crisp, white burn. O: Complicated brew from N California hemp country, which only makes sense and it's what I hoped I would find. Upfront I've got to say there's a bit of clear alcohol heat to this brew. But there's also a significant element of personality to the brew, with it's fruits, chocolates, whiskeys, molasses, and unusual scents. This bottle was a year old, so I'm dealing with questions about the effects of aging, but at 11% abv I hope that a brew like this has improved. My first Nectar Ale, but not my last.