Swamp Yankee
Buzzards Bay Brewing

 

 

 

 

 

Roasted malt, pine bitterness, dark chocolate and a soapy flavor. Very dry. Lower sweetness. Resinous. A bit earthy. Bracingly bitter. Short flavored finish, but the bitterness lasts. It's a black IPA. If you like the style and lots of bitterness this is up your alley.

 

 

 

 

 

Look: Dark almost opaque brown with a white-cream head. Light activity.

Smell: Sticky piney hops with mild citrus. Nice roasted malt with slight coffee.

Taste: Piney hops greet the palate which gives way to a nice roasted coffee body with a complement of roasted malt. Then finishes with more pine and burnt toast.

Feel: Medium body. Wet on the palate with finishing bitterness from the pine and Burt toast taste. No alcohol.

Overall: A good black IPA. The piney hops blend well with the roasted malt to make for a pleasant dark ale. The bitter burnt toast on the end could use some tuning as the finish falls flat and one dimensional. With that said its a good beer. Nothing revolutionary but still solid.

 

 

Got in a BIF from ZebraCakez. 22 ounce bottle into signature pint glass, bottled in 11/2014. Pours crystal clear reddish brown color with a 2 finger dense and rocky light khaki head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with some light streaming carbonation. Aromas of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, dark bread, herbal, floral, grass, pine, light char, and herbal/roasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good complexity and balance of dark/roasted malt and earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, dark bread, herbal, floral, grass, pine, light char, and herbal/roasted earthiness. Good amount of herbal/pine bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, dark bread, pine, herbal, floral, grass, light char, and herbal/roasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice robustness, balance, and complexity of dark/roasted malt and earthy hop flavors; with a good malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with and very smooth, moderately crisp/sticky, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with no warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very good earthy hopped black IPA. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roasted malt and earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. A nicely enjoyable offering.

 

 

 

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a mug glass.

A: The beer is a deep black color, with a large foamy off-white head that fades quickly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains citrus, roasted malts, a good amount of hops and some coffee & chocolate.

T: The taste starts out very bitter with flavors of dark chocolate, black coffee and a strong but not over-powering hops presence. Then a hearty but not too heavy roasted malt character comes in to create a decent balance. There’s also a touch of sweetness in the background. The after-taste is slightly bitter.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is dry and slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, although there are better choices in the style, this is a solid beer to drink for a while.

Had on tap at Pour Farm New Bedford

Appearance: 1/2 inch head, clear, reddish-brown in color, moderate carbonation

Smell: cocoa and pine

Taste: cocoa, pine, and light citrus hops

Mouthfeel: bitter with slight sweetness, light bodied with moderate-low carbonation

Overall: A nice and roasty American black ale with creamy sweetness. I enjoyed this beer. While I would not turn it down if offered to me, I would not rush out to get it again either.