Deception
Ethereal Brewing

 

Dark, hoppy and completely wild, the homebrewer-professional brewer hookup takes Ethereal's cascadian-style black ale near the brink of imperial status and if that's not enough, a good cuddle with wild yeast provides and earthen, rustic charm.

Porter-like in its dark brown presentation, a firm cream of tarnish froth swirls gently above. toasty, chocolaty, spicy, woodsy, and a hop presence of citrus peel and pine greet the nose along with a faint soil, sod and mossy scent.

Burnt sugars layer on the middle palate with a sense of over-cooked caramel, toffee and spice cake. Turkish coffee, cocoa, chicory and walnut bridge the fledgling sweetness to the earth while a hoppy taste of grapefruit and orange offer their impression of peel and pith. Charred wood, pinecone and juniper trail into a light musty, boggish flavor of mushroom, game and peat.

Medium-full, the ale impresses with its character of creamy earth. Bittersweet and of coffee grounds, the finish is nutty, earthy and long in aftertaste. The ale simply begs for a pairing that ranges from roasted marshmallows to stewed mussels.