Doppo Black Ox
Miyashita Shuzo

 

12 ounce bottle - $3.00 at Woodstock Beer Market in Woodstock, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a very (very) dark brown body with, at least for a bit, a tall, lofty, beige head.

Smell: Roasted barley with a liberal dusting of instant coffee and bitterish chocolate, predominately, but also rounded out with some toast, nuts and plump raisins.

Taste: Lightly sweet roasted barley, powdered coffee, slight earthy nuttiness and a bit of dark chocolate and toasted breadcrust. There's a little inkling of smokiness and astringency from those dark malts. Background dark fruitiness. Roasty, slightly fruity finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Overall: Not a bad lil' beer.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown,with little light transmission in the glass with a fine, half finger khaki head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of biscuity dark toasted malt, cocoa and a hint of coffee. Flavor is dark toasted malt with some dry biscuit, cocoa, hints of coffee and vanilla. Medium bodied with light creaminess. A solid light bodied stout with pleasant moderately toasted malt and chocolate notes. Looks nice, a little light bodied. Character is somewhere between an American and foreign export style. This might be the same beer sold as Doppo Chocolate, since the chocolate character is distinct. This and White Rabbit seem to have been rebranded for US export (or are completely new beers).