Clock Tower Swirls
Mortalis Brewing Co.

 

Drank from a 1 pint .9 fl. oz / 500 ml bottle purchased on Tavour
Served in a tulip

The beer poured an incredibly syrupy and viscous total pitch black. A frothy, burnt sienna colored cap of froth topped the body and quickly dropped to a thick, lasting collar. After every dip, some streaky, spotty lacing trickled down the sides of the glass.

The aroma was interesting and very nutty. Freshly roasted peanuts came to mind. Perhaps some hazelnut too. There was a big cocoa presence as well. Vanilla was also noticeable. Sweet overall but not excessively so. I definitely would not pick out the butterscotch or the (vanilla?) ice cream without prior knowledge of the beer’s ingredients, but I could see their influences on this. As the beer sat, I noticed some coffee too. Very mocha like.

The flavor profile came across as excessively sweet, boozy and a bit artificial. Big powdered cocoa presence up front. Nutty notes appeared as the beer moved along the palate. Some vanilla was detectable here as well. Loads of sweetness. The beer finished with a mix of roasty notes, a near cloying sweetness and a big boozy kick. At a modest 11.5% ABV, this definitely drank hotter than I anticipated. Vanilla and butterscotch lingered after the swallow. As the beer sat, coffee/mocha notes appeared.

The mouthfeel was syrupy and fairly viscous. Fuller bodied for the style. The liquid contained a fine, subtle effervescence that worked nicely for a beer of this magnitude. By the drink’s end, the sugars in this left a sticky film on my lips.

While I typically love Mortalis’s fruited sours, their pastry stouts always seem to be excessively sweet and somewhat artificial tasting. I had hopes that this collaboration with Aslin might be different, but unfortunately I was wrong.

 

Pours matte black, and that blackness is extremely dense. It is reminiscent of old motor oil, except, the blackness is cleaner. A fine ring of coppery gold lace is all the carbonation could muster. A film clings to the wall of a Swiftwater snifter, and never quite falls after each sip. Tiny dots of prismatic oil seem to float on the top. Calling this one opaque is a gross understatement.

Roasted coffee and cocoa nibs are very strong. Natural peanut butter, once noticed, can't be forgotten. Soft fumes of alcohol cannot be avoided.

Sweetness is controlled by trailing bitterness. The chocolate and peanut butter are both through the roof; much more evident than the aroma had suggested. Dark roasted malt has a charred quality that holds this one together. That char builds and carries into a finish that simply never fades.

The body is dense and feels like pudding. Alcohol heat and soft carbonation conspire to provide an interesting effect. Residual sugar cakes on the lips.

This is a true dessert beer and far from cloyingly sweet. While it is a nice accompaniment to a cool and sunny summer afternoon, I expect it would be even better after evening falls.