Honeymoon Stout (Red Wine Barrel)
Fitger's Brewhouse

Originally reviewed on February 18, 2005. Growler. Aroma a glowing silky cherries, vanilla, and light oaky tannins, heavy with rich pungent vinous notes. Tart and a bit sour. Pour is a clearish dark brown read, with a glint of ruby in the corner. Rim of off-white. Flavor starts unimpressively, with thin slight sweet blackberry tart and a hint of chokecherry dryness. A brief flash of cabernet, before swiftly moving into a crushing blow of charred oak and beef brisket tips, light smoked. The charred quality is overbearing, a bit. Finishes with an incredibly long dry oak and wisp of berry sugars. A little thin bodied, which I don’t think carries the flavors too well and allows the crushing burnt oak flavors to dominate. A lot of roast, but not really from the coffee flavors. This is really interesting and complex, with a fantastic aroma, but the dominating char is too unsettling.