Black Dinosaur
Strange Roots Experimental Ales

Appearance: Pours fudge brown with hardly a head; quick fading, there is no lacing

Smell: Chocolate, coffee, coconut and vinous red wine grape

Taste: Tart and funky, at the outset, with the Grenache cask overwhelming; there is some chocolate and coffee underneath; oaky and tart, in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation; puckery

Overall: If only the flavor profile matched the aroma, but on the taste buds I am afraid this is a bit of a muddle that is overwhelmed by the vinous tones

Thanks, ArtAttackEd, for the opportunity

bottle

Pours jet black, head is a bit of tan suds and then nothing.

Smells of dark chocolate, figs, molasses, coffee bean, oak, and red wine.

Tastes very much of red wine with hints of fig, cocoa, coffee and oak.

Medium body, no real carbonation texture. Boozy warmth going down.

Billed as being brewed with coffee, cocoa, ice cream and coconut, many of those flavors are very subtle or masked by the funk of DL's wild approach and the grenache barrel aging. The result is an overwhelmingly wine-like quality with some brandy tendency. Another of DL's experimental offerings, this one is enjoyable enough as a one-off but not something I'll revisit.