Mark It Zero!
J. Wakefield Brewing

 

Drank from a 16.9 fl oz (500 ml) bottle purchased at Fenway Beer Store, Boston, MA
2020 vintage
Served in a tulip

Dark brown/black appearance. The oily looking body was capped by a small, frothy, mocha colored crown that fell to a thick, bubbly, lasting collar. Streaks and dots of lacing cascaded down the sides of the glass and stuck around until the drink’s end. A wall of sticky residue (I am guessing from the peanuts and banana) also coated the glass.

The aroma was very solid. Really malty and robust. Big roasted malt presence. Rich chocolate notes were also apparent. There was a faint fruity sweetness, but I definitely would not pick out the banana. Subtle peanut notes were detectable initially, but they dissipated almost immediately. The apple brandy barrel character was noticeable too and really intensified as the beer warmed. There was a nice dry woodiness from the barrel as well.

The flavor profile was similar to the nose. Super malty and rich. Loads of roasted and caramel malt notes. Dark chocolate appeared in the center. The apple brandy barrel character came through on the back end and carried into the finish. Big and fairly boozy with some lingering woody tannins.

The mouthfeel was oily and slick but a touch thinner than I anticipated. A fine, fairly subtle effervescence gave the liquid a nice creamy fluffiness on the palate.

Although both the banana and peanut additions were almost completely undetectable, Mark It Zero! was still an impressive beer. The most notable aspect of this was perhaps the apple brandy barrel character, which became significantly more pronounced with time.