Sally Ridge
Mt Ascension Brewing Co.

a true to style brew and easily the best of the three beers i had in here, not quite a patio pounder, but their rooftop is lit, and it went down pretty easy. the cold fermentation is obvious, it has a crispness that so few dark beers do, and they were smart to keep the richer middle malts to a minimum and lean into the roast and the bitter, yet in a beer that isnt heavy to drink. not black, it lets some light in, mahogany edges, short but only slowly fading half inch of off white head, big bubbles, looks good. the nose here shows light smoke, a ton of dried fruit like raisin and fig, a kiss of woodiness to me to enriching it a little bit, they have gotten a lot out of the grain in this. light cocoa, some bitterness, but also light caramel and toffee, dark bread and its yeast, pleasant and german enough. the flavor is almost identical, sweeter for a flash up front than it smells, but nice the whole way, balanced, finishing more roasty and bitter with a chestnut layer, dry cocoa powder, and even a coffee note. it warms up well, still has some lager yeast coming through the malt, and is smooth and relaxed feeling on the palate. probably couldnt pass as from germany, but its a fine domestic take.