Cocoa Alastor
Central State Brewing

 

 

From the tall boy can in a snifter via Party Source in NKY.
This interesting brew pours a dark oily black with cola
highlights and a nice head of dissipating brown foam that
settles to a thin ring, thin light layer, and shows subtle lacing.
Nose of cocoa, vanilla, char, and woodsy malts. The flavors
lightly surpass the nose with dark cocoa and fudge
with coffee and char laced with cream and earthy
malts. Warmth shows dark fruit notes of blackberry and
blueberry along with increasing warmth from the
higher ABV. Mouth feel is the only thing lack luster
in this brew----full body, smooth, light carbonation,
and a rich cocoa finish that is subtly dry.

Only thing that could use tweaking is the subtly
watery finish. Other than that it is a solid brew from a
new to me brewery.

Strong head production, but mediocre retention and virtually no lacing.

Wonderfully smooth roasty notes, accompanied by chocolate and cream. Brown sugar, dark coffee, molasses, light tobacco, and red grapes. Not enough roast or char to come across as an RIS, but definitely possesses a strong malt backbone.

Similarly smooth on the palate: bold, chocolatey, malty, even nutty. Light cream, brown sugar, and powdered cocoa stick to the palate on the finish. Other notes include prunes, red grapes, burnt coffee, bananas, taragon.

A touch watery, especially for such a big beer. Slick. No impression of the sky-high ABV.

 

The feel and overall character of this is very similar to their collaboration with Greenbush from a few years back, A Well-Forged Sword, except with cocoa rather than orange. Moderately full-bodied and exceptionally smooth, with a very pronounced cocoa aroma and flavor, followed by a shorter, dryer finish than expected.