You Made Me Ink
Man Skirt Brewing

DATE: June 11, 2022... OCCASION: finishing up Battlebots after assembling the family from soccer and assorted birthday parties--one at Man Skirt, from which this was a part of the haul... GLASSWARE: HopDevil nonick... a midnight black body supports a half-finger's worth of creamy, beige head that unevenly coats the glass... big chocolate, chestnut, toasted malts, slight lactic hints, flecks of citrus and pine mingle to produce an alluring, dessert-like aroma... a hearty, hefty smell for a 6% ABV... speaking of hearty, its mouthfeel is chewy--almost gritty--effervescent, and medium-bodied, before its oily, viscous finish... its profile is chocolate, licorice, some spice, pepper, lactose, and toasted bread... warming, sippable, a beer eliciting both contemplation and enjoyment... straight scores of four suggest a truly solid, versatile IPA that is another gift from Man Skirt...

 

Canned on 5/6/2020. Poured into a pint glass. It pours a very dark cola-mahogany color with a think creamy, light khaki-head and creamy, clinging lacing. Its fragrant smell features roasted malt, chocolate, leather, tobacco smoke, burnt nuts, and earth peat with lesser notes of vanilla/caramel. This is quite good! It opens with freshly-brewed coffee and bakers chocolate that has both sweet and bitter qualities. There is a nice base of roasted malt. There follows a blast of bitter, burnt nuts and tobacco ash that nicely balances the initial sweetness. In fact, it finishes decidedly bitter. I didn't detect the advertised citrusy flavors. This ale has a great mouth feel; it's surprisingly creamy for the style. The level of carbonation is just right and at 6% ABV it's easily drinkable. A second pour is not an issue and is welcome. This ale is big enough to pair with a burger, ribs or steak but it's lite enough for casual drinking. Overall, this is a well-executed Black Ale. It's a notch below the leaders of the style but Man Skirt has a great recipe here to work and improve on. It won't take a lot!