Negura Bunget Dark Ale
Southern Star Brewing Company

Black with a tan head. Very mild roasted malt flavor, a little on the thin side but agreeable. Hardly bitter at all. Light to medium bodied, mildly sweet aftertaste. It reminds me a little of Shiner Bock. If I'd known it was a band tie-in, I wouldn't have bothered, but as it is, it's okay. Not exactly "metal," but okay.

Pours out black. Head is tan with no retention and I see no lacing.

Smells a malty and toasty. There is an ever so slight bitterness in the back but its mostly lightly toasted malts.

Taste falls in line. Lightly toasted malts. A bit sweet slighly bitter. Nothing to right home about.

Light bodied light carbonation. Eh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from a can into a tulip glass. Deep dark brown color, short lived head, decent lacing. Chocolate smell and taste. Also favors of dark toast. A bit thin on the mouth feel.

 

Poured into a pub glass. Pours dark brown with a fingernail head that leaves a ring of lacing at the top of the glass. Nose of roasted malt, chocolate, and floral hops. Taste is roasted malt, oak, dark chocolate, and subtle hops on the back end. Medium-light body and medium carbonation that is very quaffable.
I'm not entirely sure what this is supposed to be. Not hoppy enough to be a black IPA or APA and also not enough sweet elements to go into a porter-like direction. It's interesting and complex despite it's lack of definition. I'm not sure what a "Transylvanian ale" is supposed to be, but this is a good gateway beer for the "style".

 

Almost clear dark brown color with tan head. Aroma has fudge and brownie batter with a hint of brown sugar. Taste has dark malts, not overly roasty or bitter, balanced, grainy not really hoppy. Medium body, medium to low carbonation. It's a nice beer but I wouldn't really call it a black IPA.

 

 

 

12 oz. can poured into pint glass (Guinness style)
(02/23/17 printed on bottom of can but 2016 on label ... past it's best-by date or a crossing of date streams?)

L: dark purple/claret/black with dark brown/orange highlights, clear, pushes up over an inch of beige/tan foam; no stick, no lace, keeps a thin collar of beige foam

S: toasted roasted oak wood ... the roasted quality comes through each sip, pleasantly pungent; as it warms, pinch of coffee/espresso and chocolate peek in

T: toasted oak wood lightly sweetened with a few grains of brown sugar; earthy aftertaste but not bitter; occasional buttery note but not a strong diacetyl flavor, just a little butter on a cinnamon roll kind of thing; the lighter side of dark malt, the brown sugar sweetens the toasted wood to the point that the wood is far from "dark" or bitter

F: thin, light, filled out some from light carbonation; for a porter you'd like to session, it's not bad at all, but held to the highest of standards, it could use an ounce more body, either in the weight or the carbonation

O: a "moreish" porter if ever there was one, Negura Bunget is made for drinking lots of ... fairly simple but very tasty and consistent from ice cold out of the fridge to the warmer last 1/3 of the glass ... you really want to keep drinking it; the mix of light sweetness with darker roasted wood/earth flavor is a major achievement by the brewer, what a deft hand!