Derailleur
Cycler's Brewing

 

Poured from a bomber into a tulip glass. Nice dark brown with a short lived head with decent lacing. Smells and tastes of red wine, some dark toast. A bit weak on the taste.

22 oz. bomber poured into snifter
(Nov. 30, 2016 born-on date)

L: classic black-and-tan look with a big thick head of tan foam; no sticking off head and minimal lacing, but it keeps a thick collar of tan foam and some skin; beer might be clear but it's hard to see through it it's so dark

S: chocolate ... you can smell it as you pour; then peaty malt, not overpowering but definite peat; then as it warms loads of chocolate, milk chocolate and cafe mocha; as it warms more, dark-dried fruits, raisins, even a pinch of licorice, earthy red wine

T: chocolatey peat ... slight toasted wood flavor, especially in the aftertaste, and some earthy peat flavor lingering; as it warms and you get into the glass, the toasted oak aftertaste is a highlight ... really helps balance that up front chocolate sweetness

F: creamy soft, slick, full from the carbonation ... a true ale; the carbonation is crisp inside that soft chewy feel up front

O: like the label advertises, Cyclers gets a lot of stout-like chocolate flavor into a wee heavy, and it works wonderfully; as good a wee heavy as I've had and a beer any stout drinker would love; this bottle is six months old and drinking perfectly, and I bet it would handle as much as another year to 18 months in the fridge just fine; I'd fill my cellar with this one if I had room ... and it's good enough I might make some room

Feel is flat. Taste has coffee notes that are up front but fade fast. I would like more of a bold hit.