Other Half
Fine Balance Brewing Company

Pours a pitch-black coloration with a medium, creamy, mocha-colored head. Smells of sllghtly roasted, caramel malt, coffee, chocolate and vanilla, with hints of bourbon and oak as well. Taste is a good balance of slightly roasted, caramel malt, strong notes of coffee and lighter chocolate and vanilla, as well as hints of brown sugar, dark fruit and Bourbon-soaked oak. Finishes on the sweet side, with some coffee, chocoalte and vanilla lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel, with a medium body and carbonation.

While this is a bit too sweet and not quite roasted enough for my personal taste, it still makes for an enjoyable example of the style, with distinct coffee and lighter Bourbon notes, supplemented by chocolate, vanilla and hints of dark fruit and licorice. What it lacks in roasted malts, it makes up for with dark, roasted coffee providing a good counterpoint to the sweeter milk chocolate, vanilla and brown sugar notes along with the licorice. Overall, this makes for quite an enjoyable example of the style that grew on me as I drank it. It may be just a tad too sweet, but is well-balanced overall, without feeling quite too heavy, sweet or boozy.

Bourbon up front with coffee acting more as a balancing scale than a pastry item. good drinkability.