Raspberry Festivus
Town Hall Brewery

Stopped at Town Hall and grabbed a beer before meeting someone. Saw this on tap and was bummed that I missed the regular Festivus the last time I visited. That being said, I was disappointed.

A: A dark brown bodied beer with a slightly tan 1 cm head that faded very quickly. As I got closer to the bottom of the beer it because less opaque and light broke it's way through. A thin ring remained for the majority of the beer and the lacing was sporadic, but still weakly covering a small amount of surface area.

S: Raspberry + Chocolate. With the raspberry being the bigger brother in this case. The chocolate was sort of fudge like. The coffee aroma was not as big as expected. Then again I never did taste the base beer.

T: This is really smooth and drinkable. The raspberry's intensity slowly fades into the finish where it becomes slightly tart. The fruit element is fresh tasting and isn't a distraction to the beer as the chocolate is apparent too.

M: Light-medium bodied, more light bodied. The subtle carbonation still made for a creamy mouthfeel, but more viscosity would have been nice.

D: Damn good beer and a good example of fruit not ruining a beer. I want to try the base beer now, but who knows if that will ever be around. Chocolate + raspberry in a great

After running around town trying to hunt down a Valentine's Day present I decided it was time to reward myself. If this is half as good as regular Festivus I'll be in heaven. Drank from a 10oz snifter.

Appearance- Pours a pitch ass black with a one finger dark tan head that has some weak staying power. Thin collar and spotty cap remains with a bit of random lacing.
Smell- Oh man the raspberries have taken a hold of this most magnificent nose. Fruity and fresh even amongst the earthiness of the intense chocolate notes the fruit is unmistakably raspberry. After a few sniffs notes of coffee pick up with the chocolate as does a raw grainy thing. Something slightly oats like. Smells like Midwest Brewing malt room.
Taste- Almost as good as the nose. Starts out with a fruity tart burst of raspberry before a smooth and chocolaty wave of goodness takes over. The coffee was much stronger in the original but there are still glimpses every now and again. The chocolate is dark and slightly bitter and nice and earthy. A touch of caramel sneaks in as does a fleeting glimpse of vanilla. The finish is chocolaty with a random lingering bit of tartness from the berries. Really the raspberries are only up front as the slowly fade away.
Mouthfeel- Ever so slightly thin with a decent creaminess. The carbonation is low and despite the weaker body, it's still pretty nice.
Drinkability- Another amazing brew from Town Hall. They definitely know how to use fruit in ways few breweries do. I actually wish they'd take a shot at a fruit beer like Selins grove and New Glarus put out. But back to the beer at hand, great stuff. I don't know if I like the regular better or this, but depending on my taste for the day either would work. Fucking A!