Holi-DAVE
Artifex Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass with a quarter finger khaki head that dissipates to a thin film, leaving light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt with light char, milk chocolate, coffee and a little molasses. Flavor is dark toasted malt with deep char, bitter chocolate, coffee beans, hint of vanilla; develops more coffee and choclate bitterness into a grassy hop finish that reveals that the bitterness was really hops all along. Medium bodied with light creaminess, peppery carbonation. This is one bitter forward stout, with both a decent char and hop bitterness that was disguised as the expected bitterness from a coffee bean or cooking chocolate bar. The malt, although supportive does not have much dark malt flavor character, but has good char. Normally, I'd wish for a little more malt flavor to support the hefty hops, but this really presents enough complexity to carry the bitterness as other natural components. The flavor is satisfying throughout the taste, revealing different elements into the ultimate hop forward imperial stout finish. I like a heavier malt body to my big stouts but I really liked this one because of its handling of the hefty hops. Long lingering charry malt and hop flavors. This bottle is quite a few months old and the hops have held up quite well.

 

Very dark stuff with long-lasting beige foam. Quite spritzy on the tongue. Aroma of cocoa. Flavor is intense coffee and burnt malt. Quite hoppy with a lingering bitter aftertaste. Rated at 80 IBUs and for once I believe it.

This is so roasted tasting. There is a touch of sweetness in the substantial malt. It's not at all sugary. Dark and more darkness and a bitter chocolate finish. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Bottlecraft in San Diego.

 

 

On nitro at Bread and Barley Covina on 02/22/16.
Pours opaque black with a thick beige head that remains throughout the drink down and leaves thick strings of lace. Chocolate and roasted malt aromas. Roasted grain and cocoa with a bitter finish.