Cake Water
Barebottle Brewing Company

Whewwwww, dessert and then some -- all in liquid form. This bad boy pours it on thick like crude oil in the glass. Surprisingly tart. Intense chocolate. Boozy and hot.

Pours with a very dark brown stream, forming a pitch-black body and over a finger of a frothy uniform mocha-brown head on an aggressive pour down the middle of a tulip. Excellent head retention and lacing for this style. Smell is pretty basic: lots of rich roasted malts and some chocolate. I expected more from the smell of this beer. Taste follows the nose. Lots of malt complexity to dominate the palate, along with some chocolate, but not any discernible coconut or vanilla. The description had me expecting a molten lava cake... The feel is perfect, with a full body, and a well-hidden abv (imho). Overall, quite good, but not quite as good as expected. The riches of the malts and the complexity of chocolate come out well, but the other flavors just aren't there. As always, I'm grateful to have tried.

Bottled on 11/15/18. I let the beer sit out for about 15 minutes prior to drinking, and I am drinking rather slowly to see how it develops.
L: The beer pours dark brown, settles pitch black. As it is being poured into the glass, little bubbles travel upwards forming a tight ring around the glass. The head is about half a fingers worth, khaki colored and settled nicely. Alcohol legs are evident. Small, tiny bubbles cling to the glass as I drink the beer, coating the edge of the glass in an appealing fashion.
S: The first thing I notice is chocolate. It's sweet, confectionary chocolate similar to that in a pastry. Molasses and fig also present in the aroma. As it warms, the coconut starts to shine through even more. Not getting much of the vanilla as or right now. Booze evident on the nose.
T: The same chocolate that dominated the aroma is also the domineering flavor. Following the chocolate is roasted malts, molasses, and caramel. The vanilla is minimally present on the finish, but seems more pronounced in the aftertaste. The coconut is very minimal in the majority of the flavor profile, but is somewhat noticeable in the aftertaste. At 11.7 abv, the alcohol is detectible, affirming the beer of its sweet boozy nature. As it warms, the aftertaste leans heavily on malts and chocolate, with hints of vanilla and coconut.
F: Heavy in weight and medium in mouthfeel. The alcohol presence slightly inhibits this beer from being stellar in regards to the feel, but it isn't a deal breaker. Carbonation is moderate, leaning slightly on the higher side. Has a great feel with nice viscosity. Not quite motor oil or chewy in terms of feel, but its commendable.
O: It's an enjoyable beer. It's sweet, dominated by chocolate flavor. I wish the coconut and vanilla shined through in the flavor a little more, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. Its sweet boozy goodness that warms you up on a cool Fall night. I personally think it would be better if it were lower in ABV. I am very glad to have tried, and look forward to trying more from Barebottle. Cheers!