Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. 500 mL bottle.
Jet black pour with standard appearance in terms of head and lace. Not a great deal to report but nevertheless, looks good.
Nose is quite rich and boozy and promises much.
Frankly, tastes are less impressive. There is a very distinct chalky nature to the beer which detracts from the richness in the mouth and also leads to a diminished taste profile. Elements of alcohol and light roasts are there, but the residue that coats the teeth and tongue subtract from the overall experience a bit.
It IS true that as the beer warms things get quite a bit better, both with heightened alcohol and some more warmth and depth of character. However, the beer still finishes with a dryish, precipitate feel – the solid suspension sits somewhere in the middle of it all. Light burn in the finish too.
This is not a clean beer at all, and although all of the requisite elements are there the mouthfeel and richness is not, and the chalky feel really gets in the way for me. Ultimately this does not do it for me.