Black Rice Ale
Anderson Valley Brewing Company

RB transfer

Can pour - very dark brown with foamy khaki head leaving frosty lacing and a ring of bubbles. Nose is mild roasty malt with hints of cocoa and coffee. Taste follows more or less, a bit nutty. Finish is rather thin.

 

From Sisk fridge:
LOOK: Pours a dark chestnut brown with full 2 finger tan head that has good retention and plenty of side glass lace.
AROMA: Roasty malts, cocoa beans, dark fruit.
TASTE: Malts have more of a burnt taste. Some dark fruit and caramel.
It looked better than it turned out to be.

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a cola color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of dark malts, kind of mild. Taste is light coffee, nuts, malts.Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall it's certainly unique, and a pretty good beer.

 

 

(12 oz can, no date/code; purchased single off shelf at State Line yesterday... poured into a fat tulip)

L: clear, dark, chestnut-brown liquid; two-finger tall foam stand, swiftly deflating... thick lace ring around the high mark; keeps thin collar going down

S: chocolate-glazed toasted nut, touch of light roast coffee grinds (or coffee-caramel hard candy)... subtle prune-like fruitiness slowly creeps out

T: bit more roastier than expected; clean, dry malty foundation; mild-moderate lingering burnt grain in the aftertaste... yeah, just dry, nutty roasty-toasty essences

F: mellow, inflated roundness up front, airy follow through... delicate foamy contact; flat, shapeless finish... subtle sense of warmth from its roasted elements

O: pretty much a standard brown ale, clearly in the American realm, but lacking rich sweetness or robust hoppiness or enough alcohol to accentuate flavor nuances... not bad, but indistinct (1879)

I have no clue how to rate this. This is not a brown ale IMO. Looks like a black ipa so don't hate that.

Smells mute

Tastes like an ABSURDELY thin black ipa. Like a 70/30 blend of stone SSR and water.

Feel. Water.

Overall. I guess it would serve a function to session given the low abv but there's no enjoyable quality to this. Yuengling lite has the same amount of flavor at the same abv if that tells you.what to expect.

Pours a dark brown with modest foam in the Chimay chalice. I don't detect much aroma but there's a pleasant nose of rice. slightest hint of sweet malt but dry grainy finish. Watery and refreshing body and perhaps less carbonation than ideal for such a "light" brew.

Overall this is really pretty good, and for a sub-four-percent brew it's stellar. I think of a Schwartzbier with a mellower taste, but still with that charred note. From the 12 oz can purchased at the big box.

 

Copper with a 1/2" tan head, which fades to a wisp. Light lacing.

Aroma is light roast malt, slight chocolate.

Taste is roast malt, coffee, chocolate, nuts.

Thin body, light carbonation. Dry finish.

Fair. Much better than AAL's.

Pours a dark brown with a big dark tan head, very strong retention and lacing. Nose is reminiscent of soba; roasted malt and some alkalinity to the nose as well. Taste is full of light roasted grain with a brackish quality to it. Mouthfeel is smooth with very light carbonation. Very refreshing overall and see if pairing very well with a rich soup or stew.

Poured from a can into a pint glass
Appearance – The beer pours a medium brown color with a one finger head of tan colored foam. The head has a decent level of retention, fading over time to leave a light level of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.
Smell -The aroma of the brew is strongest of a rice and caramel smell mixed with notes of brown bread and a hint of roasted malt.
Taste – The taste begins with a lightly toasted malt flavor mixed with some flavors of rice and a tiny bit of caramel sweetness. Ass the taste advances, the roastiness gets stronger all while the caramel gets lighter. At the same time the rice gets a touch more potent and is joined by a little bit of graininess. Right at the end, caramel comes back a bit and is joined by a light char and corn like sweetness, which mix with the rest of the tastes and leave one with a nice lightly toasted and very easy going lager like taste to linger on the tongue.
Mouthfeel – The body of the brew is thin and crisp with a carbonation level that is on the higher side. For the light abv, and rice brew style the feel is great and makes of a nice crisp sipper.
Overall – A rather decent session style, darker lager like ale. Overall rather fun to try

Pours nice and dark with a light tan head. Aroma is toasty and nutty, like a stout, but it is light on the palate. Good for a casual, refreshing drink, with or without food.

 

12oz can, illegible canning date

Pours nearly two fingers of tan head into my hour-glass, very fluffy and pillowy. Fades to about a finger, but holds there for quite some time and seems quite resilient. Initial lacing looks very nice. Body is black with some brown hues when held to the light, which also reveals a large amount of bubbles coming up. Looks great so far.

Nose is savory, almost fatty, light notes of roast and bread as well. Bread comes out more over time and gets noticeably starchy, not unwanted. Seems on the drier side. Very unique nose, not quite like anything I’ve ever smelled. The rice definitely lightens things up here, but the darker malts come through too, it’s just the culmination of everything that is very different. Really nice nose though.

Flavor is quite similar. You get a hit of that bread and starch up front, and then it drifts into a very light finish that has some roasty notes to keep it afloat. Very faint nuttiness. At times this seems a little too light, but all things considered - the alcohol, the weight - it’s got a decent amount of flavor. I’m enjoying this.

Carbonation is on the higher side. Body is very very light. Definitely on the drier side, but not bone dry. Bitterness is very light, but perceivable. Nice.

Drinkability is great, this is light and has enough flavor to keep it interesting.

Appearance turned out wonderful, lacing was extremely thick.

Really nice beer, simple, tasty, gets the job done.