The Path to the Dark Side
Black Hat Brew Works

I miss hitting up this brewery, and so glad to see some cans making it up here. No can date.

Pours a large tan frothy semi thick head with good retention, nice soapy lacing, very dark just about black color

Nose brings chocolate and vanilla up front, creamy vanilla ice cream, lush cocoa and milk chocolate, light background coffee and roast, touch of caramel and baking spice, no real pepper

Taste starts rich, big heavy malt and roast, spicy bitter hops kick in with med bitterness adding to the roasted bitterness that borders acrid, heavy roast with a bit of espresso and coffee, vanilla comes in with a little vanilla ice cream but more like a spicy vanilla, creamy milk chocolate and a little fudgey, very light pepper flavor and maybe a touch of heat, actually pepper heat continues to build, with a touch of astringency on the dry finish with spicy hops and peppers lingering

Mouth is med to fuller bod, a bit rich creamy like, med foamy carb, little astringency

Overall pretty good, except that spiciness on the taste gets a little to distracting and unpleasant, and leads to some astringency, if not for that it would be much better... also for me... the lack of pepper is disturbing.