BlackTale
Tamarack Brewing Company

when did we do away with the generic black ale style here on BA? this is decidedly not a porter, but probably the closest thing, not a black ipa, not a dark lager or dark mild, makes no sense that this has gone away, its misleading as porter, but there is no better choice now. weird. anyway, this is great beer, apparently with some rosehips added at the end of the boil, subtle as they are i guess they make it unique. a nice sort of coffee roast to this, a little bit of hops, earthy rich dark flavors without being too sweet or full bodied. its slightly floral, with a drying tannic thing and an herbal bitterness at the end, notes of dark chocolate, cigar, and maybe a little earthy spicy too, fairly dynamic, especially as it warms. some fruitiness coming on late too, blackberry or even strawberry character but only subtle, its the roast that wins the day. really nice nuance to this, smoothness, and its just unique enough to really stand out from the crowd. a clever and well executed black ale that i could have happily made an evening out of. yum. they do not actually brew at the missoula location i dont think, but an awesome spot for a pint nevertheless!