Tiramisu
Maumee Bay Brewing Company

 

 

12 ounce can into pint glass; no can dating, but was just released. Pours hazy very dark brown color with a 2 finger dense and rocky khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roast coffee, hazelnuts, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, cake batter, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, coffee, vanilla, hazelnut, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with great strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roast coffee, hazelnuts, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, cake batter, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of molasses, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, grassy, peppery hops; and roast, char, coffee bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, dark roast coffee, hazelnuts, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, cake batter, toasted biscuit, dark/brown bread/crust, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, coffee, vanilla, hazelnut, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready, and fairly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol as expected of 5.4%. Overall this is an excellent flavored American brown ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, coffee, vanilla, hazelnut, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the modestly bitter/drying finish, not overly aggressive. Awesome balance of rich malts, fruity/nutty coffee, vanilla, and hazelnut flavors; with nice earthy hop balance. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on base style example. Tastes very close to tiramisu as intended.