Bottled in pleasantville. Deep brown pour. Small tan head. Malt and almost vanilla smell. Similar taste with oak and rummy sweetness. Good.

From Mar 2008

I got this in a trade with nutbrow. Thanks Alan!

It pours(Batch 1)..yikes! nutbrown *told* me to open the bottle by the sink and I totally forgot. Gusher! Gusher!

Ok, it's a clear dark brown with a substantial head of foam and lots of lacing. I couldn't help but smell it while I was trying to tame the foam: sour cherries, just a bit of rum, really, and some roasted malt. Last pour and it is no longer a clear brew but it's still a looker in the glass with very good head retention.

The taste has more of the same. Again, nutbrown said that it took a turn towards the sour and he was spot on. Me, being a big fan of sours beers, found that to be a little enticing yet confusing, especially since this is an American Porter and I've never had one that was any way near having sour charactaristics but Captain Lawrence changed that, for sure.

Back to the tasting, the sourness is very vinous and could overtake every other flavour easily but for me, the roasted malt and coffee, a touch of smoke, along with a bit of chocolate, make a mad dash and calm the sourness to the point of near balance. Mind you, if sour isn't to your liking, it's still noticeable enough that it will probably put you off and so I wouldn't recommend you try it unless you're really game. As it is in its present state, I'd consider it more of an Oud Bruin than an American Porter but whatever you want to call it, it works for me.

Bottle, 75cl. An almost clear, almost black beer with a dense, tan head of moderate size. The aroma is smoked and rum-boozy, with roasted malts, licorice notes and some molasses. Bonfire notes. It’s full-bodied and warming, with a pleasant carbonation level. Smooth, with flavor of rum, smoke and some molasses. Roasted malts, licorice and some bonefire. Lasting warming finish with roasted malts and molasses. And of course boozy rum. Really nice this one, although too warming. 150228

Süßlich malziger, weich holziger Antrunk. Mild rauchig, was sich nur geringfügig steigert. Süßlich bleibend, Rumnoten, Vanille, wärmend alkoholisch ohne zu stören. Schwieriges Bier bei dem man ein paar Schlücke mehr braucht. 10/11/8/12/12/11

Tasting at Matt’s
Black color, sparse bubbles. Leathery smoke, old wood, rancid cream (in a good way). Lean body; good chocolate flavor, mellow, with a bit of leather, but the milky touch is a bit out of place; light smoke; it would benefit from a fuller body. The alcohol is well hidden. The bitterness is medium-low.
Great aroma, good flavor.

750mL bottle, pours black with a small tan head. Nose is pretty hot, with notes of rum, smoke, and alcohol -- interesting aromatics. Flavour is an unusual mix of different elements, including lots of smoke, rum, and oak. Rather confused flavours in here. It somehow works, but not overly enjoyable to me.