We are a big fan of this microbrewery in Brunswick East, Victoria so when this new brew came out, we simply had to try it.
Pouring an intense black colour, there is plenty of fizz as it fills the shaker glass, whereby a tan head bubbles up to about 20mm then quickly subsides leaving a foamy 4-5mm rim of lacing on the glass. First aromas are that of roasted malt and espresso, along with a sweet molasses hit and some cherry ripe. We sense some good hops here giving that fruity aroma. In the mouth we notice a strong bitterness of dark chocolate, espresso and ash (on the bottle it states tobacco). It’s full bodied on the palate, with medium to high carbonation for a stout. We certainly get a heap of spice on the back palate..almost like black pepper. We wonder if these are ella hops. There is an undertone of fruit hops here but the roasted flavours drown them out. There is not much lacing on the glass as we push it down, just some isolated patches here and there. This stout sits at 6.5% and there is a little booze hit mixed in with the bitterness but it’s not dominating. Overall, it’s a nice stout and the use of spicy hops gives it a bit extra. Enjoy on a cold night in front of a fire.