Interesting label, a quick read of the story behind the faces (plural as there are 2 more beers in this ‘spoon bender series) on the bottle reveals paintings done by the brewers wife of the brewers sisters’ old schoolmates. Exactly what that’s got in common with the beers remains unclear. Unique and somewhat funny.
Anyhow, we served this porter in a beer tulip, the impenetrable dense black pour generates a 1 finger tan head which simmers down to a thin film on top. Other than some random spots it laced poorly. The first thing that has our olfactory’s abuzz is this firm crystallised sugary sweetness from the botrytised Viognier candi sugar that was added to the brew. Wafts of fairy floss, musk, toffee apple, chocolate bullets, raisin, red berries, molasses and alcohol are so beautifully complex and well put together. Strange yet very likeable aroma. In the mouth it’s thick and creamy with mild carbonation and full body. The flavour starts with that sweet candi sugar along with a noticeable alcohol burn. The sting from the booze (10% ABV) sets off a tangy cherry-like tartness which is softened by hints of vanilla and caramel through the mid palate. The long sweet and fruity finish offers excellent duration on the tongue. Wow, definitely a quirky porter here, the brewers have balanced the feature fruits through the usually dark and roasted characters of a porter really well. These guys should team up with moon dog….we can only dream of the whacky and peculiar kind of beer they would concoct. Well, we can hope.