Maple Bacon Void of Light
Gun Hill Brewing Company

Crowler from Earls Beer and Cheese on the UES of NYC. Pours black with a tan head and nice lacing, smell is sweet smokey bacon and chocolate, taste is straight licking burnt wood smokey, bitter roasted malts, more hints of maple goodness as it warms, surprising light, bordering on thin. A quaffable smoke bomb. Delish.

Can to snifter.
The appearance was just like normal Void of Light - thick dark brown close to black color with a quickly dissipating small tan foamy head. Barely any lace.
The aroma had a very nice level of maple syrup sweetness with a lighter touch of bacon smokey sweet character with some ashy/char sweetness and a very nice level of dark chocolate. Stifled coffee grounds.
The flavor leaned towards the sweet ashy/coffee grounds initially but some maple syrup came in for a very nice blend. Bacon is once again very low key. Mellow aftertaste of ashy/char to coffee ground sweetness along with a very light touch of maple syrup.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a fair sipping quality about it. Good carbonation. Some smoothness running through. Nothing cloying but some stickiness. Finishes with some maple sweetness, ashy/char dryness and a touch of dark chocolate.
Overall, a very nicely done imperial stout but I say could have had a touch more bacon in it. I'd still have again.

 

On tap at DiveBar, NYC.

Pours a pitch black color; truly void of light as the name suggests. A finger length tan cream head displays good retention and lacing.

As expected, the nose reveals strong smoky notes of bacon. This is accompanied by notes of roasted and smoked malts, chocolate and maple syrup. Sweet aromas overall, with additional notes of caramel, toffee and doughy malt.

Very smooth and full bodied with a fluffy mouthfeel and gentle carbonation. Good combination of sweet and smoky flavors. There are savory hints of bacon and creamy and mouth coating malts. Notes of chocolate and maple syrup are, to their credit, not too sweet. The finish is dry and with notes of toasted malt.

This was enjoyable. It reminds me of a Rauchbier while also being a good dessert beer.

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a finger high mocha colored head that died down, leaving a short tan head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Moderately strong aromas of hickory smoke are present in the nose along with notes of coffee beans and hints of maple syrup.
T: The taste has lots of flavors of chocolate and burnt coffee beans along with notes of hickory smoke and sugary hints of maple syrup.
M: It feels a bit more than medium-bodied, rather dry, and quite smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: I was expecting bacon in this export stout and instead got smoke but in any event found it to be a well crafted beer that hides its alcohol very well. The maple syrup adds some interesting contrasting sweetness to the bitterness and smokiness.

Serving type: can