Cave Rodeo
Von Ebert Brewing

Pint at The Ski Inn Taphouse in Sisters Oregon.
$8.00.
Lovely day.
Pours pitch black as expected. Lovely thick tan head. Lots of lace.
Aroma of coffee, cacao and blackcurrants .
Taste .smooth chocolate..dark , finished off with a shot of espresso.
Great mouth feel. Luxurious.
A lovely regular stout.

easily one of the most unique beers ive had so far in 2024, and another awesome offering from these guys. a cold stout, which you rarely see, salted, which you rarely see, and done with cardamom, which is a really cool touch, i was blown away by this, and its as thoughtful and dialed in as these guys always are, what an elite operation! because of the cold fermentation and the dark malt, this does exhibit some schwarzbier characteristics, the low alcohol too, but the bitter next to the bready lager yeast, its not particularly european to me, either in terms of malt or yeast, but it has some of that synergy and some definite crystal malt at its center. its got a hint of smoke to the nose, minerals from the water and perhaps from the salt, a crispness thats uncommon in beer this dark, and a floral and tea-like cardamom profile, almost a chai thing to it, lovely and in an understated way, a tough element to not have dominate. the flavor is killer, the salt really makes an impact, not just drying this out but highlighting different aspects along the way, the earthy grain up front, some middle sweetness, and late a coffee note, along with the peppy cardamom, a super cool addition to this that makes it entirely unique. lighter in body like a dark lager, less bitter than it smells, faster finishing than expected for being this flavorful, awesome technical attention to detail, and overall a drinkable wintery brew thats both cozy and refreshing, uncommon attributes to have together, but here they are. i loved this, found it sort of odd, oceanic with the salt, and built for cool wet weather. expert and brilliant!