Kaleidoscope Series: Black Ale
Devil's Canyon Brewing Company

 

 

$ 13.57 (Including shipping)/22 oz bottle ($ 0.617/oz) from Blackwell’s, San Francisco, CA
Undated bottle at 42 degrees into a hand washed and dried JK snifter
Aroma – Initially moderately strong roasted malt. This rapidly fades to some weak black tea.
Head large (Maximum 4.5 cm, aggressive pour), light brown, frothy, rapidly diminishing to an irregular six to ten mm lacy ring and thin layer with thicker rocky islands.
Lacing – excellent! Wide rings of tiny to medium bubbles which last.
Body – dark brown/black, opaque.
Flavor – begins with roasted malt but then shifts toward black tea. I do not get any of the gut-wrenching effects that normally follow my green tea consumption. It is very slightly bitter, as likely form the tea as from hops. No distinct hop flavor is evident. No alcohol and no diacetyl are tasted
Palate – medium, watery, soft carbonation.
This is a pleasant black ale. I like the black tea component. Without the shipping cost, this was a very reasonable $ 7.00/bomber.

Appearance 4, Aroma 4, Flavor 4.25, Palate 3.75, Overall 4