Dynamo Donut
Almanac Beer Co.

 

 

canned 3/16/18

Beautiful dark body and a dark tan to light brown head that recedes to the edges of the glass. Some foam scattered across the surface. Smell is deliciously roasty and complex. Cherrywood roasted malts and some dark intense aromatic coffee beans. Slightest hint of brown sugar sweetness. Flavor very much follows the nose with an earthy and woody character from the roasted malts, a big wave of coffee bean bitterness and oily character, followed by a slight sweetness that resembles brown sugar, molasses but not quite maple. At the very end you can taste something that resembles a donut but I mostly get a good whopping roasted coffee character. Mouthfeel is medium thick, medium to light carbonation, and nice smooth slight velvety character. This brew drinks EASY for a 10%er. Very well done and doesn't come across as an adjunct heavy imperial stout. Still a very classic tasting coffee infused stout.

 

 

A - Pitch black pour with a micro thin light tan lacing ring.

S - Maple, bacon, glazed donuts, light cherries, oak, vanilla, and bourbon.

T - More bourbon forward on the palate than the nose. Bourbon, oak, cherries, vanilla, delicate bitter chocolate, sweet glazed donut. Finishes balanced with lingering chocolate cherry and bourbon.

M - Full bodied and silky with some alcohol effervescence. The oak lends a bit of dryness.

O - Worth it. Try it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aroma: Booze chocolate vanilla, hints of smoke and sticky maple

Flavor: Slightly harsh bourbon, stingy, cherry fruit,r maple sweetness up front, supported by oak, sticky sweetness, chocolate, vanilla. Very light smoke bite. Mostly char and bitter coffee and roast. Bourbon smooth finish.

 

 

Drank on tap at Lord Hobo, Cambridge, MA
Served in a cervoise

Near pitch black appearance. Oily and slick. Perhaps a touch thin for the style. The beer was capped by a small, cappuccino colored crown that quickly transformed into a clingy collar. Spotty drops of lacing trickled down the glass.

Outstanding aroma. Super rich and decadent. Loads of vanilla, chocolate fudge and maple. Freshly baked donuts definitely came to mind. Sweet but not overly so. Big coffee presence too. Very mocha-like.

The flavor profile was similar to the nose but not quite as potent or as smooth. Rich and malty. Lots of vanilla and chocolate fudge on the front end. Some coffee and roast in the center. More roastiness on the back end. A strong booziness came through in the finish. Maple notes lingered after the swallow.

The mouthfeel was the only aspect of the beer that did not totally impress me. It was rather thin for the style. A touch oily and slick. The liquid contained a very fine, subtle effervescence that left a slightly sticky film on my lips.

Many craft breweries are making some type of breakfast or dessert beer these days, and thus cutting through the fray can be quite challenging. Dynamo Donut Barrel Noir, however, did just that. This beer is amazingly fragrant and complex yet surprisingly drinkable. It would indeed pair perfectly with donuts.

In tap at Klüddes gastropub Redlands on 08/26/16.
Pours opaque black with a half-inch khaki head that remains as wisps on top and leaves faint spots of lace. Cocoa, faint fruit and booze aromas translate in the taste with cocoa, dark fruit and a dry boozy finish. Thick texture.