Fear Not Black Coffee w/ Guatemala El Embajador
BKS Artisan Ales

Pours black with two fingers of caramel-khaki colored foam. Head retention is good with a thick ring of foam lingering long after the pour. Aroma is 50/50 stout and coffee, with the stout coming through with notes of roasty, toasty, nutty, earthy, very light bready malts. Coffee is slightly earthy with floral qualities. It's a solid medium-roast with a moderately bold quality. Chocolate comes on towards the finish, adding more sweetness, but not enough to push this beer into dessert territory. Flavor profile is rich roasty, toasty, earthy, caramely malts with a hint of toffee. Woven between every malt is ever-prevalent coffee, with chocolate, earthy and very light floral qualities. Mingle the toffee with chocolate and the modest, pour-over-strength medium-roast coffee for a splendid blend of light sweetness and acidity. Balance is sublime, with the richness of the underlying stout unhindered by the coffee, and yet the coffee manages to resonate despite being tethered to a double milk stout. Mouth feel lands at 'thick' right on the nose, especially for a milk stout. Texture is lightly creamy, with modest effervescence that does little to bubble or fizz up on the tongue. Overall, a splendid pairing of coffee and beer, allowing each to resonate within their own area, and yet cohesive within the dynamics of each sip.

Served in a 15.5oz Speigalau tulip from a 16oz can.