$9.99 Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA.

Impressive pop from the unusually shaped bottle that is corked & caged. Some gun-smoke. Presentation is classy, including the label.

Pour is definitely intense-black with a large head at first but it fades away. Not much lace and a thin film is left on the surface. A little disappointing in the head department, but given the ABV not all that surprising. Having said that, I’ve seen similar strength stouts with much better retention and lace.

A little bit of roasty licorice in the nose but it’s not that big. Surprisingly very little solvent alcohol – a good thing in my book.

Tastes reflect some of the light roast but there is a larger smoke element for me. The surprising thing is the manner in which the alcohol is hidden. Very little burn or presence. The roasty bitterness builds a little down the bottle and in the finish.

Well, at least it wasn’t over-hopped! Outside of that a little too simple IMO for a signature event. Not a bad beer, but to be honest i was really expecting a LOT more. When SN gets out of AIPA mode they can sometimes struggle a little to define themselves.