Three
Castle Island Brewing Co.

22oz. bottle served in my Spiegelau tulip. Pours two shades shy of black with an opaque clarity and a tight, half inch, mocha-colored head that quickly recedes into a fairly consistent froth. Nose expresses notes of cocoa, molasses, brewer's licorice and ethanol towards the back. Taste consistent with nose with the addition of some piney notes and char. Finishes with a slight bitterness at the end. Mouthfeel is light-medium with a slight oiliness to the texture and a pleasant, even carbonation. Overall, this beer definitely has old-school RIS written all over it - a nice diversion from the pastry stout craze. Well-crafted but I don't think this will stand up in the cellar long-term. I think it's starting to develop some oxidization.

Very fluid for such a foreboding beer. Lacing dances off this pretty quick. Heat is there on the nose and on the taste. Sweeter malt notes on aroma - dark caramel and a bit of toffee - get much stronger dark chocolate notes in the mouth. Good beer. I like that the body allows for some complexity.