“Back in Fil’s shed was where the Sludgebeast emerged. All we said was “Why not?” Why not fill the mash all the way to the top? Why not use that many specialty grains? Why not dose it with coffee, cocoa, vanilla, oak, port, why not? Then we learned why not. Sludgebeast followed us to the warehouse, and destroyed everything it touched. It stuck sparges, broke pumps, perplexed palates, ruined parties, consumed souls.”

Glassware: Snifter.

Appearance: As black as midnight! A finger of brown head assembles and maintains its shape pretty well. Spotty lace clings to the glass as it ebbs.

Aroma: Displaying some real gritty richness. Espresso, dark chocolate, ash, charred wood, cacao, vanilla, toasted marshmallow, fortified wine, licorice and molasses just to name a few. This could go on forever considering the way the aroma keeps evolving. Really impressive.

Flavour: Beasty! This intense concoction of heavily charred malts, burnt wood, espresso, 100% dark chocolate, stinging booze, licorice, vanilla, raw cacao, earthy richness and bitter blackness (sorry we just can’t articulate those last two). This weapon finishes as expected – aggressively, burned and bitter with good length.

Mouthfeel: Starts off with a thick viscosity but it thins as it warms. Booze (12%) always hangs around. Low Co2, high audacity!

Overall: This thing is animalistic but we feel the aggression of it is a double edged sword. It seems to undo itself a little with its outright disdain for the palate. Excellent in small doses is the best summary.