Jammed With Broken Heroes
Sand City Brewing Co. - North

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at sand city

Dark brown liquid , brown foam cap , good retention

Aroma of roast malts , coffee

Taste of roast malts , hint of blackberry on the finish

Low sudsing

Good beer

Pours a very dark brown almost black with a half inch light brown head that left lacing all the way down the glass. Smells and tastes of roasted malts, dark chocolate, dark roast coffee and a hint of char. The blackberries are non existant in the aroma and really just in the background in the taste adding a hint of sweetness and tartness.Full bodied, medium carbonation, lush mouth feel.

 

Tall can direct from the source...canned 5/23/19.

Pour near black, leaving fine mocha lacing on the glass.

Dark malts, mocha, cafe au lait on the nose.

Smooth velvet on the tongue and through the mouth, over tasty Impy stout, more dark malts, again coffee and mocha as well as a hint of the advertised dark berries. Delicious...well worth seeking out....super drinkable after 2 days (!) in the can.

 

Canned 05/23/19, it pours so dark brown it looks black with a 2+ finger foamy tan to brown colored head that was packed with bubbles, dissipating slowly and leaving decent foamy lacing rings along the glass as it went down. Smells or roasted malts, dark chocolate, mineral water/metallic notes, burnt coffee grinds and faint blackberries. Even as it warmed up the blackberries didn't come out more, which was surprising.

Tastes like a typical rich, roasty Sand City imperial stout, with roasted malts, dark chocolate, mineral water/metallic notes, burnt coffee grinds and charred grains or ashy accents. The addition of blackberries brings a mild sweetness, so tart fruity puckering and then what seems like candy or black licorice. It has grape soda like aspects but stays chock full of roasted malts and that campfire smoke which comes along with it. There is no sign of the 10.2% ABV, which is a feat in and of itself. The carbonation is mild and the body is a little too thin for the style, but this is really easy to drink and so tasty that the shortcomings of the "Feel" don't really matter.

Overall I really liked how the blackberries balanced out the roasted malts and charred notes. Most Sand City stouts have that heavy mineral and metallic twang in the flavor as it fades, and in this brew these guys let the berry additive tie in a sweetness that wasn't cloying, but instead was flavorful with a lot of depth and complexities. Another solid collaboration by Sand City, kudos to Kane for making a fine product down in Northport.

On a personal note, this is the 100th Sand City beer that I've rated on BeerAdvocate and I'm very proud to support the closest brewery to my home. Sand City kicks ass and people should seek them out and trade for their cans.