Beachwood Six
Beachwood Brewing - Huntington Beach

 

From BeerAdvocate Magazine #76 (May 2013):

Dark Saisons aren’t very common, let alone a smoked black one. This mishmash of beer styles works though, resulting in a very interesting beer with layers of complexity. And despite a lot going on, it’s quite drinkable too. Fans of Saisons and Rauchbiers should be pleased.

STYLE: Smoked Black Saison
ABV: 6.9%
AVAILABILITY: Limited

LOOK: Opaque black; creamy tan head

SMELL: Spicy, yeasty, earthy, wood, smoke

TASTE: Light, lively mouthfeel, citric snap, treacle, bready, smoke, herbal, spicy phenols, earthy dry, smoky linger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottle I brought to share at Retsinis' tasting.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of smoked malt, grain, and spices. Taste is much the same with a smoke flavor on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a high level of carbonation with a crisp and prickly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but I think it smells much better than it tastes.