Night Cap
Moksa Brewing Company

2021 vintage (released on 2/13/21, so presumably bottled within a few days of that date); consumed on 12/13/21

Pours a viscous, inky midnight-black body, crawling into the glass to form a rocky ¾ of a finger of mocha-hued foam, fading quickly to no cap, a luxuriously creamy and large collar, and sparse though sizeable strands of lacing holding tentatively to the walls of the glass.

Aromas bring wafts of cherry pound cake and freshly baked raisin bread against underlying dark chocolate fondue, while port tannins continually layer dark fruits detailing figgy jam and fruitcake over time; an underlying roast contributes some cocoa sensations, culminating in raspberry torte closing impressions; an exercise in the gradual richness and cohesion between dark fruit saturation and cocoa roast.

Taste shows raspberry torte upfront, with an oncoming vanilla pod overwhelmed by stewed dark fruits and port tannins; seedy strawberry jam over the mid-palate welcomes dusty dark bakers chocolate along with slight oak and subdued roast on the back end, with lingering hints of cherry pound cake pronouncing on the finish.

Mouthfeel offers a full body with minimal carbonation; a roasty prickle meets a weighted, tannic twang, with a subtly evolving richness over the mid-palate guiding toward densely slick textures of tannins interwoven and accepted alongside roast, drying to dodge stickier textures into the finish.

Vanilla makes sacrifices to effectively neutralize the characteristically dominant port barrel, the usual sweetness embracing a roasted malt undertone ag equilibrium with the waves of plummy, dark fruit saturation; a bold execution of contrasting elements, and an unwavering commitment to the unique one-dimensionality of the port barrel.