Mocha Smuggler
Funky Buddha Brewery

 

Poured at 53 degrees, a thin incomplete cinnamon brown fizzy cap sits atop a black with reddish brown edges liquid; no retention and thin ring disappears quickly; micro dots of lace and medium plus legs present upon swirl. Vanilla, whiskey, chocolate, roasted coffee beans nose; some booze on the retro nasal. Taste is sweet chocolate up front, followed by vanilla and caramel; layers of bitter roast coffee and phenolic booze add depth in the middle; bitter sweet dark chocolate, sweet milk chocolate and vanilla on the back end. Full minus body, not syrupy like some FB Stouts; slightly hot from the 11.2%; lite carbonation; lite dry barrel tongue coating finish. Overall, I like boozy beers and this fits the bill; as advertised, I taste cocoa, vanilla, coffee and whiskey; it’s not cloying and the bitter roast coffee and booze helps keep the whole in balance; the body is lightish (hey, it’s a Porter) the feel is smooth and dry - very easy drinking for the abv, and definitely not a sipper; in sum, a great release from FB that surprisingly doesn’t scream FB nose and/or body.

Poured a black body with no head or lace. The aroma is a mix of vanilla and chocolate along with some booze. A little hot thanks to the booze, medium body and slick so not hard to drink, a vanilla-tinted chocolate sweetness dominates the beer along with some boozy heat and roasted edges on the finish.