Black Sam
Lighthouse Brewing Company

 

 

 

355ml bottle, day 2 of the Craft Beer Advent Calendar, and with a listing here that illustrates how some people just can't freaking read (or simply don't want to, which is a whole other thing).

This beer pours a solid black, with the barest of basal cola edges, and three fingers of puffy, finely foamy, and mildly creamy brown head, which leaves some active thunderstorm cloud lace around the glass as it swiftly abates.

It smells of roasted caramel malt, muddled dark orchard fruit, wet ash, earthy licorice root, cafe-au-lait, and a weak weedy, leafy hop bitterness. The taste is bready, grainy caramel malt, more separate roasty notes, subtle plum and cherry flesh, a heady cocoa/lactose sweetness, gritty and somewhat dusty anise, and a low-key earthy and musty hoppiness.

The bubbles are nice and light and fluffy in their genial frothiness, the body a solid medium-heavy weight, and well smooth, with a pleasant, if duly understated creaminess. It finishes on the sweet side, but moderated in a level sense by the roast and that behind the scenes licorice edginess.

Overall, an approachable and agreeably rendered (I'm gonna say oatmeal) stout, with just a soupcon of real black licorice added for shits and giggles. Easy to drink, but not as a sessioner - I perceive a bit of cloyingness building up over time.