Vantablack
Pondaseta Brewing Company

Dark grey 16 oz. can (missed the name of the beer, did you, Pondaseta?). Odd name. Signifying nothing to me, personally.

Pours & bubbles, fading to a sticky ring on top. Nose is strangely weak. Smells like beer & barrels, not much of either.

Vanta Black is squarely in the ‘odd’ category. At times this mixing of barrels & unusual styles yields brilliance; in this case, it yields ‘wtf?’. There’s roast (…and now let’s pause for some delicious ice cream that may or may not destroy my palate but leave me a happier, more fulfilled human being), plenty of wood with only a distant splash of bourbon. Not a lot of beer in this beer. One & done for this person.

Mediocre. Wouldn’t bother with in the future.

Clear, dark brown pour, appears black and opaque in the glass; thin, light tan head, more substantial inner ring, lasting. Rich, dark roasted malt nose infused with notes of bourbon and barrel wood. Bold dark India pale ale taste coupled with a distinct whiskey flavor. Medium-heavy body; robust boozy heat; light residual sugar stickiness.

A generally fine beer, this barrel aged Cascadian dark ale clearly wears its barrel aging on its sleeve up front. While one of the base beer listings describe it as an imperial dark IPA, I'm sure it's the bourbon barrel aging that is responsible for the majority of the beer's listed ABV. It's there! Not quite 'in your face' yet it maintains an unmistakable presence when drinking this beer. Personally, I love this as it combines an oh so rare black IPA with an intense bourbon quality. Good stuff if you like dark ales and whiskey!

ABV: 12.67%; pouring temperature: 41.9 °F; canning info: n/a
Source: Tavour