Dark Belgian Single
Russell Brewing Company

Clear dark red-brown color. Poured an extremely tall head that took a couple of minutes to collapse down to larger bubbles and then a thick skiff. Too dark to get a good view of the carbonation level; could only see a few of the largest bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. Left many small dots of lacing.

Dried fruits and spices dominate the scent, like a Christmas pudding. Some toffee malt. A hint of yeast. Swirling the glass kicked up a barnyard for a couple of seconds. This died down to a faint barnyard that blended well with the other scents.

Much milder flavor than expected from the smell. A slightly sweet chocolate-toffee malt flavor dominates. Just a hint of dried fruit. Light bitters pop up that seem stronger than the listed IBU 20. The aftertaste is a slow fade out of the malt. More dried fruit shows up towards the end.

Very gentle foam builds up that stays creamy for a while and then turns coarser. Feels too flat to generate this much foam.

Excellent beer that deserves a place in the regular rotation. The milder, well balanced flavor and low ABV make this a candidate for an everyday house beer. My greatest regret is that this only comes as 2 cans out of a 4-pack sampler, and the remaining can is going to someone else.