Concrete Ship
Cape May Brewing Company

Almost black coffee brown, with a dark tan, almost brown modest head, it shows, after the entire contents of a pint can were emptied into a clear glass liter mug. There's plenty of roasted malt and alcohol to enhale and dark chocolate and coffee notes aren't that far behind. Being barrel-aged, there's tannins there, too. It tastes less rich than it smells. On the tongue, there's more of the alcohol and tannins and a little less of the chocolate, coffee and rich maltiness than expected. It's tasty, but it shouldn't be described as velvety smooth. Not that it's overly harsh, in fact it's sweet and the tannins aren't out of reasonable balance. But the body runs disappointingly thin for what it carries. It makes the alcohol burn a little more and the sweetness more than ideal for a balanced taste, especially with this ABV. More of a roasted malt inclusion couldn't have hurt the taste, nor mouthfeel. The modest head didn't last long and there was no glass lacing. Overall, its flaws slightly outdo its several attributes. In the final assessment, despite a rich flavor, it's thin for the amount of such delivered and the alcohol burn isn't well intertwined with its body, nor taste.

 

 

 

Solid beer with dark tastes of chocolate and cocoa and barley. Black color with ample booziness in this fine brew. Smooth texture with a good edge to balance.

 

eyes...
if concrete was black and mimicked the night... yeah, you have that here, lacing is good, the head that was went out quick, looks the part, nothing fancy, nothing tacky

nose...
boozy peat bog, dirty marsh with a hint of sweet marshmallow, definite notes of the wood (wet), not totally dominated by the bourbon, is that a good thing ? not sure yet, it is a marker of a little uniqueness though

taste etc...
drinks short of dry, almost like a baltic stout (related), the sweetness seems to override some of the darker tones, I can sense the bitter chocolate/coffee trying to break through but they pass underneath like water under a bridge, this certainly is not viscous as you might expect, further in the bourbon takes over, move over rover, let the bourbon take over, you really taste the bourbon and get a nice burn, a good burn, when bourbon is good the burn is fine, such is the case here I so declare, the ABV is also sneaky, a good balance, maybe the carbonation is where this is loosing me, too much which is probably what bothers me about the weight in the mouth, it has all the other dressings of a top notch stout however,

verdict?
very good, not great, just missing here and there, I mean I love the history involved which is one of the least appreciated aspects of craft beer, in fact I was @ sunset beach tonight, but that aside this is a just miss, but the brewery is pretty young, keep going my jersey son...

 

 

Light carbonation with just above average body
Aroma is roasted malt,burnt black coffee, peat,earthy, licorice
Taste is mildly sweet with roasted malt,black coffee, dark chocolate up front. Flavor turns into licorice,burnt coffee, peat, dry burnt coffee

 

Appearance: Pours fairly opaque, with an espresso color; shards of splotchy lacing

Smell: Bourbon tones that are well-integrated with the roast, chocolate and coffee

Taste: Chocolate and roast forward with the Bourbon insinuating its way into the fold; fruity coffee tones emerge, in the middle and while the Bourbon continues to be well-integrated, the roast takes over the back end

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate carbonation

Overall: I like the way the Bourbon has been integrated here but the finish is a little harsh; that's a minor quibble as I did enjoy the brew

 

 

I had this on draught at the brewery. Served in pint glass. It pours pitch black with one finger of creamy, mocha-colored head and lacing. It smells of roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. The taste follows the nose with burnt coffee and baker's chocolate. It has a nice hoppy finish with some bitterness in the after taste. My one disappointment is the lack of dark fruit, which I enjoy in an RIS. It's creamy, lightly carbonated, and its 9.5% ABV gives it substance. Overall, it's a creditable Russian Imperial Stout but clearly not at the level of Parabola, Ten Fidy, Expedition, etc.

Almost black pour with a nice head. The nose is pure roasted grain, black and bold. Flavor profile reads dark, toasted, almost burnt, grains. Malty and drying at the end. This could probably age well.