7.1

Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5

Cask, 6/17/06, ABF ’06.
Medium clarity in this dark mahogany colored beer, showing some caramel/tan highlights and a smattering of dark grey/beige head that is modestly retained and laces lightly.
Mild chocolate and some sticky caramel are quite apparent, with a moderately bitter, baker’s chocolate-like note drying things out quite thoroughly. A glimpse of dark fruits, a hint of soft pale sugars (honey and vanilla) and ending on a graham cracker-like papery-dryness.The cask seemed to suffer the most in mouthfeel and flavor, being not quite thoroughly bright and a bit muddled with yeast. Some fruitiness, almost creating a light tartness, mixes with the darker malts to dry the palate, though there is certainly some residual sweetness, almost a caramel-vanilla-like flavor. The finish gets lightly papery, the flavor seemingly washed out on the end. The watery, loose texture certainly did not help things.
With that in mind, the draught sample is a more accurate portrayal of this beer....
Draught (same night).
Much more approachable, if somewhat more clean, the higher carbonation levels seem to soak up some of the sweetness and fruitiness, allowing a more accessible, dry chocolate malt nose, more clear and bright. Light graham cracker-like malts sit on the finish, and a touch of fresh, yeast nuttiness overlays the aroma.
Hints of cocoa, vanilla and caramel, though much more lean and attenuated, comprise the flavor. Clean, clear presentation on draught displays a very easygoing drinkable nature, with light, but appropriate carbonation and only minimal yeast influences of light fruits. Still papery, somewhat watery (as the style would dictate, being only a 3.7 abv beer) on the finish, it finishes without much fanfare and accomplishes what a mild should; quench your thirst. Fine stuff overall, just too bad the cask wasnt in peak shape. The second best beer to come out of Harpoon brewery (behind triticus)!