The Misterioso
Aquanaut Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

Vigorous pour results in a 2 finger head that dissipates pretty quickly, beer is jet black. Smell is a mix of coffee, chocolate and sweet milk. (it almost smells like a milk stout - had to recheck and confirm that its a Porter).

Taste is coffee up front with some chocolate notes, slightly bitter bite from the coffee mellowing into a sweet milk stout flavor. Perhaps a bit sweeter than I usually expect from coffee beers, but I like the balance in its approach to the flavors there and it works well. However, the flip side of this "balance" is that the coffee doesn't really get to shine through. You're more left with the sweet milk flavor rather than the coffee. Would have liked to see the coffee come through in the overall flavor more, still its very good.

Beer is pretty carbonated and I think this hides some of the flavors when you initially drink it, maybe lightening that up a bit would allow the coffee to come through more. This beer is surprisingly drinkable for such a dark beer, but its not high abv, and its not all that heavy of a beer since it is a porter and not a stout. I actually liked that it wasn't all that beefed up - its not thin, but its also not a stout, and thats ok!

Overall a really pleasant brew here - I'd definitely pick this one up again especially in the fall/winter months.

Poured from pint can into a stemmed goblet. Look is deep brown, almost black with a quarter inch cappuccino colored head that quickly dissipates to form a thin ring around the rim. Smells of coffee, and reminds me of a bakery or candy shop, that smell of fresh baked bread or a fudge shop. The taste is malty, with coffee, extra dark chocolate (like 85% cacao), toffee, toasted marshmallows, and a zip of cola. Overall goes down smoothly with a nice tingle if you let it linger on your tongue. Would definitely drink again.

 

 

Tasted in a Rastal Teku from a 1 pint can on January 31, 2016. 6% ab. Aromas of mildly dark chocolate, toffee and rich caramel lead you immediately to a sip that wraps your tongue with dark roasted grains and rich stone fruit like sweetness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wanted to give these guys a fair shake after trying the ESB, which wasn't great.

Pours a dark shade of burnt umber with a blackened middle. Struggles to maintain a surface skim, let alone any lacing. A thin layer forms and disappears within a minute.

Aroma is all chocolate and rich dark roast coffee. A bit of graphite and toast, plus some yeasty notes.

Taste is more coffee forward, rich and roasty. Dark bakers chocolate, dusty and bitter. A moderate astringency tends to mar the overall impression somewhat, and leaves the after impression thinned out but with a pleasant aftertaste of rich coffee. Overall it's good, but needs some work in the body dept. Maybe just some oats or something would beef it up just enough.

Sound:
Skarpseian - Skygge Slottet