Draught at the brewery, 4/22/17.
Dark coal-black with dark magenta tints on the edges and an undetermined clarity (seems opaque). Tan head atop is medium-sized and fades slowly to cover.
Light char, adding a touch of salinity, earth and general dryness mixes with equally dry dark chocolate. Lightly fruity Brett breaks through, restoring the brightness and notes of prunes, plums and raisins dot the finish. Lots of minerality and earthiness here with a big pepper character and very dry, ultra bitter Baker’s chocolate-like notes on the finish. No alcohol noted, which is impressive, though it is quite estery and very fruity. Despite the very dark bitter roasted edge, the various fruitiness helps keep it mostly balanced, though it still tends dry and bitter. Attenuation seems like it’s high, with absolutely zero fudge and even light on the caramel.
Soft, almost silky mouthfeel is malty yet very well-attenuated. Vanilla, light char/ash and lots of the baker’s chocolate from the nose create a powerful, dark, roasty base that slowly divulges light caramel and plentiful dark fruit acidity. The extremely low carbonation works wonders here, as it displaces the dryness and makes the beer seem a little softer and wetter all around. Brett adds a touch of lime zest and lightly tart acidity, but is here less pronounced than other versions of Malefactus. Peppery phenols, light minerality, earthiness and dark fruits lie on the complex finish with a gentle, barrel tannin and wheat-like texture. Again no alcohol noted, which is impressive given the extreme dryness here.