Harbinger
The North Brewery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured in a Teku from the well sealed swing top 64oz. growler, under 40F. A moderate pour rate gives a beautiful cascading effect, releasing a thick tan head and an absolutely wonderful aroma. Look: Black as my soul and has an interesting "cloudiness" to it? Smell: Rich chocolate with the unmistakable "Dank"(yes I'm talking pot) and fruity notes I've only experienced in a NE hop bomb DIPA. Mango, papaya, stonefruit with chocolate? smells like heaven! Taste: Intense! the same notes in the nose are even further accentuated when it hits mid pallate. I usually don't drink a stout this big this cold but it's dangerously smooth and luscious. deep sweetness balanced by a full but not overbearing hop and grain bitterness and the chocolate notes are unbelieveable. Chocolate milk has nothing on this. The back end hits you with the amazing dank, fruity notes of the best DIPAs. Feel: silky smooth, thick and chewy. There are very few beers out there that can rival this! Overall: I can't say enough about this except, BE FUCKING CAREFUL! 11% goes down easier than an 8% hop salad because the rich chocolate sweetness totally mute any semblance of alcohol. You guys can take your hop bombs in a pale base. This is how hops should be done!

Best beer at tap ny

 

Impressive hop aroma with solid malt backbone. Another crazy stout from The North.

I've broken a cardinal rule of craft beer from tap and have had this for a week before being able to sample this. I have faith that the beer Zach makes can hold its own, despite the time lapse.
A: Poured into a snifter; the pour being thick and luxurious. The brew itself is gorgeously black with a medium width burnt-tan head that dissipates rather quickly, leaving large bubbles clinging to the edges of the glass. In the light, there is the faintest hint of auburn, but the color is completely opaque. Definitely a gorgeous stout.

S: This beer is a hopped stout, with citra and mosaic. As the brew was poured, the hop aroma was overwhelming and beckoning for a taste. The scent is rather balanced, as a deep inhale brings out all the coffee aromas one looks for in a stout, while the floral and earthy tones of the hops linger on top. When the two layers intermingle, the scent is titillating. Due to the age of mine, the hop scent is a little old, but definitely still as effective.

T: The taste is lovely, with the two flavor profiles mixing well together. At this point, the age of the hops adds a broken flavor but is still enjoyable. The bitterness is very mild and comes into fruition at the end of the taste, leaving the majority of flavor to be earthy; coffee aspects are rather hidden.

M: This is one of the silkiest beers I have had from this brewery but I feel I can attribute some of that to the lack of carbonation due to age. Regardless, it sticks to your tongue and has an almost creamy feel to it. Even if this adaptation in mouthfeel was due to age, I am not disappointed in the least.

O: Were this to be as fresh as I would have loved to enjoyed it by, I highly doubt the rating would be as low as I have it. This brewery creates lovely brews and this one is no exception. The complexity of the smell is truly admirable as well as the breathtaking appearance and interesting mouthfeel. I have had this brew before and am glad I am able to review it this time.