Blackberry Milkshake Porter
Griffin Claw Brewing Company

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 3/30/2019. Pours dense pitch black color with a 2 finger dense and rocky tan head with amazing retention, that reduces to a large cap that lasts. Thick foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Amazing appearance. Aromas of big juicy, lightly tart/tangy blackberries, fruit skin/seeds, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, molasses, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, wood, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of blackberries, dark/roast/bready malts, lactose, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of huge juicy, lightly tart/tangy blackberries, fruit skin/seeds, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and dark/brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, molasses, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, wood, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light pine, herbal, woody, grassy, peppery, roast, charred bitterness; and fruit tang/tartness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy blackberries, fruit skin/seeds, milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, dark/brown bread/crust, licorice, molasses, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, wood, herbal, grass, pepper, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Amazing complexity, robustness, and balance of blackberries, dark/roast/bready malts, lactose, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome hop/char bitter/sweet, and tart/tangy fruit balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness and tart/tangy fruit. Medium carbonation and medium-full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly sticky/chalky/acidic/tangy/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 9%. Overall this is an amazing fruited imperial milkshake porter! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of blackberries, dark/roast/bready malts, lactose, and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to drink for the big ABV, with the mellowly bitter/charred/acidic/tangy/drying finish; awesomely soft feel, not overly bitter/charred. Amazing balance between juicy/jammy berries, rich malts, and lactose flavors; with solid earthy hop presence/balance, and restrained fruity yeast. Light residual sweet with lingering tart/bitter dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing style example. This was even better than IDIOM. Softer and less bitter/charred from the lactose, and not overdone on fruit.