Hoax
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery

 

 

 

Dark brown, approaching black, with a fat finger of soupy, dark mocha head. Settles quickly into a wisp and thick crown, with some very modest, clingy lacing.

Umami and cocoa stand out most in the nose with hints of caramel, cherry, shoe leather and tobacco behind.

Great depth of flavor: rich dark chocolate, tobacco, leather, light umami and plum. Warming alcohol in the finish.

Big, creamy mouthfeel with moderate carbonation.

Absolutely delicious. The aroma is a bit reserved, but the flavors and mouthfeel are excellent. Tastes like an RIS with the feel of an oatmeal or milk stout. A real treat.

 

SWEET TASTING MILK STOUT - GREAT MALTNESS

Pours out dark and dense as midnight. Looks like syrup. Even an aggressive pour yields almost no head. Dark brown foam when it does appear.

Nose is roasty malt, wood/oak, chocolate, dark fruit/grape, a touch of soy sauce, and booze. Somehow 11% ABV comes through blazing. Strong notes of booze, barrel and malt. Weaker notes of sweet chocolate. The barrel comes through brighter and sweeter than bourbon which typically is the case with brandy.

Taste is similar and more impactful. Wood/Oak, barrel, roasty malt, chocolate, cinnamon, dark fruit all come through to the forefront and explode onto the palate. Chocolate vying for domination. A melange of flavors creating a complex brew.

Mouthfeel is fullbodied. Creamy and dense and chewy. Minimal carbonation. Alcohol provides a little evaporative quality, creating a drying effect, counteracting the sweetness. A deliciously smooth brew.

Overall a great brew. The stout provides a great base for brandy barrel aging and it brings it to a top-notch level.

 

 

 

Pours near black with about a half finger of dark brown head. Smell is chocolate, dark fruit, brandy. Taste is brandy, dark fruits, chocolate, hint of roasted malts. The brandy comes in as a pleasant grape flavor, adding some nice sweet balance. Creamy, pleasant body with little carbonation. Overall this is nice, different

L: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a jet black color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was a thin, tan-colored, foamy head that quickly dissipated. Not a whole lot of lacing.

S: A big, bracing aroma of dark chocolate, roasted malt, booze, and dark fruit.

T: Tasted of a moderate amount of roasted malt (present throughout, but not a big factor), some dark fruit (plums, perhaps?), a ton of dark chocolate (a major ingredient), and just enough brandy (and its accompanying barrel). This is a powerful, complex, and engaging flavor. It borders on being a chocolate bomb, but still manages to work.

F: A below average amount of carbonation with a silky smooth finish. Full-bodied.

O: If you like big stouts, check this one out. Drinkable.

Appearance: Pours pitch black with a film; a few spots of lacing

Smell; The Brandy element here is powerful and is insinuated into the milk stout tones of chocolate and vanilla

Taste: As with the aroma, the Brandy flavors swirl into the chocolate/vanilla, bringing a fortified grape aspect that dominates the flavor profile; boozy through the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low carbonation; considerable warmth in the gullet

Overall: Just released and this is one of those beers that will improve with some time in the bottle for my taste buds, as I would prefer the Brandy to complement rather than dominate

 

 

This one pours a fairly dark black color, with a small head, and a little bit of lacing.

This smells pretty strongly of fruity brandy, with grape jam, chocolate syrup, oak, smoke, and roasted malt.

The brandy is quite heavy in this, but it doesn't make it too boozy. The brandy leaves heavily into sweet grape tones, almost like chocolate-covered grapes here a bit. There's some honey and roast, too, with a nice oak bitterness on the back end that helps balance the sweetness imparted by the brandy barrels.

This is medium bodied, pretty thick, with only a little bit of booziness. It's decently drinkable.

This isn't quite to the level of Foolery or Trickery from this series, but it's still a fine, fine beer.

 

A-Pours a very dark color with a slight head and lacing
A-Aroma has malt, chocolate and grape brandy hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a malt, chocolate and grape brandy flavor
M-A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
O-A good Stout