Next Act Black
Blindman Brewing

 

Sampled on tap, on site at Blindman HQ in Lacombe. This is a rich, dark, and very understated CDA. Roasted malt dominates the profile, with just enough hop bite to round out the experience. If you love beer and live in Alberta, this is a treasure tucked away in the middle of the province.

20oz pint (holy shit, they still exist!) at the Next Act, their current house brew, actually called the Next Act Black CDA.

This beer appears a clear (I think), very dark brown colour, with one finger of weakly foamy, and mostly just bubbly and wispy tan head, which leaves some barely broken limestone wall lace around the glass as things swiftly abate.

It smells of roasted and bready caramel malt, bittersweet cocoa, earthy yeast, muddled citrus pith, and a blended leafy, grassy, and herbal green hop bitterness. The taste is semi-sweet, grainy and doughy caramel malt, cafe-au-lait, bitter chocolate, gentle domestic citrus rind, and more pleasantly melded earthy, leafy, and grassy hoppiness.

The carbonation is adequately supportive in its cheeky frothiness, the body a solid middleweight, and pretty damned smooth, with an airy creaminess trying to take off the whole bloody time, Flying Spaghetti Monster bless it. Things finish trending dry, but still resplendent in cocoa, coffee, caramel, roast, and hop alike.

Overall, this iteration falls favourably on the high side of the examples of this relatively new style for we oldsters to abuse. Not too toasty, and not too hoppy, all in a good sense, where no one trips over anyone else. Minimal praise, I know, but I'm currently distracted by the summertime amenities (it's not what you think) of my old haunt to differentiate any further. Come check this out, you shan't be disappointed!