Lumberjack Off
Brooks Brewing

12 ounce bottle into snifter; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours hazy very dark ruby red, light copper/brown color with a 1 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing cling on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, pear, apricot, and red apple; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, wood smoke, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, raisin, plum, prune, fig, date, pear, apricot, and red apple; with lighter notes of molasses, licorice, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, wood smoke, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, floral, woody, grassy, peppery hops; and roasted bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, roasted nuts, dark fruit, molasses, licorice, chocolate, cocoa, coffee, wood smoke, leather, tobacco, herbal, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance; and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/bready, fairly sticky, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 9.2%. Overall this is an excellent wee heavy. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/light roasted malts, fruity yeast, and light-moderate earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the ABV, with the mellowly bitter/drying finish. Awesome balance of rich English malts, fruity yeast, and earthy hops. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and impressive spot on style example.