Black Elephant
Seven Sheds Brewery

Pours a dark-brown colour with slight red tinge. Clear body, with beige head. Decent darkness, not bad.

Sweet nose, with a slight nutty edge and bit of roastiness. Warm alcohol comes through as well, and a little bit of chocolate. Not bad.

Bit boozey on the palate, with good roasty notes and a fair sweetness. Phenols come through on the back, spicy but mostly sweet. Not bad.

Bit of a syrupy texture, and mildly boozey. Bit flat which doesn't help.

Decent drop, but it needs something to cut through the booziness and maybe freshen it up. More phenolic character wouldn't go astray. This is, frankly, the sort of beer that makes you feel drunk and possibly gives you hangovers.

Classified as a "Black Trappist-style Ale". It's not big enough for a Quad, and too dark for a Dubbel. I've gone with the more generic Belgian Strong Dark instead. Had on-tap at GABS in Melbourne.

Pours a deep dark brown colour, seemingly opaque but with a clearness at the edge. Body is full. Head is a light mocha-coloured foam, which leaves firm, sheeting lace. Looks good.

Nose is pretty good, with a lot of the characters expected from the described style. There's a pleasant hybridisation of roasted grain, with estery Belgian notes, giving characters of currants and blackberries. Very decent.

Pleasant amalgam on the palate as well, with berry and roast characters forward on the front, with more ester characters coming through later, giving a hint of medicine, banana and a boozy heat on the finish. Aftertaste has a dryness like banana leaf. Feel is a little light. It's suitable for the style, but it has complexity that would love some more weight.

Not a bad brew all up. Tasty, relatively complex and delivering what is promised.