VariaBull Batch 002
Bolero Snort Brewery

smoke in the air, smoke in the glass
eyes...
2 fingers of off white foam, subsides pretty quick, brown hue with some amber highlights, lacing is decent,
some carbonation is making its way up from the bottom, pretty average looks wise

nose...
sweetness up front kind of like a coffee candy bar, further in it does resemble a cold cup of coffee, the smoke is a resident but occupies a space somewhere in the back of the house, the dominant note is sweetness, almost a maple syrup type except with a more chocolate/coffee tinge. pretty nice

taste etc...
the carbonation seems absent, nice medium mouthfeel, the coffee flavor while mild does help to tame the sweetness that seems to want to overwhelm this, that said the prevalent after taste is a mild sweetness more like chocolate than coffee.. and smoke? where there is smoke there is fire.. and there ain't no fire here

verdict?
not offensive, not great, not worth the price of admission. try again bolero snort.

 

 

 

Look is A reddish brown, no head. Smells like maple syrup and bourbon poured over pancakes. Taste is sweet buttery and finishes with a minimal amount of smoke. Medium bodied and carbonated. Overall, I really liked this. Not a ton of smoke character, but tasy nonetheless.

Brown with some ruby hues. White head with fine lacing. Smell is chocolate, coffee, smoke. Taste is a lot of milk chocolate with a nice balance of coffee and smoke - neither are overdone. Alcohol is well hidden. A little more body would be nice - but very good beer.

 

 

Definitely a brown ale. It looks heavy but has a smooth finish on your palate like butter. It has a smell of coffee and a taste of toffee and coffee combined with a smokey end. Seasonal on a fall side but definitely an all around delight!

22 oz bottle poured into a DFH snifter.

Pours a ruddy brown color with a finger and a half of off-white foam. Aroma is full of roasted bitter coffee, with a hint of smoke.

First sip is sweeter than expected, but the sweetness quickly dissipates to a bitter coffee finish. Above-average level of carbonation. The malty backbone really helps balance out the coffee flavors - a thinner bodied beer would be overwhelmed with the coffee flavors. There is a bit of smoke flavor as well, but it takes a backseat to the other flavors.

This is a pretty good coffee porter. This is a full-bodied and flavorful brew, making for a nice sipping beer if you are craving some java.

 

 

Smokiness is hard to describe. It is apparent instantly with the caramel sweetness and fades into a chipotle pepper finish. I'm interested to see how this would taste without the smoke

I think this is a fantastic beer with just a touch of smokiness. I get both flavors and aromas of chocolate, coffee, toffee, and vanilla. There's a lot going on here, but it all comes together very nicely. This isn't a sweet beer, but it definitely reminds me of a rich dessert - like I'm drinking the echoes of decadent, caramel-drizzled tiramisu.

The beer is also very smooth, with just a touch less carbonation than average, which makes it very nice to drink at a steady pace.

 

 

Look: Pours dark chestnut brown. Allows quite a bit of light through. Thin tan head with little lacing left behind.

Smell: Not a strongly scented beer. Light smoke, even less coffee.

Taste: Smoke up front, but not overwhelming. Toffee and light roasted notes, but finishes with a slight coffee bitterness.

Feel: Thin, but appropriate for a brown ale. Moderate carbonation.

Overall: Solid, but not outstanding. Just not intense enough for my palate.