6.4

Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 4 | Overall - 6.5

Can pour into nonic pint glass from Redstone Liquors, Stoneham. Appearance is opaque black with chestnut brown at the bottom of the glass, tons of sparkle at the sides of the glass, 5(!)-finger light brown, rocky-foam, crackling (like a summer rain) head (like a root-beer float--was this 4-pack dropped?) with good retention (was actually kind of annoying waiting for it to fade to finish the pour), and no lacing. Aroma is mix of roasted malt, milk chocolate and light nuts, earth, effervescent smell like fresh rain. Taste is rich, roasted malt, light chocolate, earth, nuts, hint of bubble gum. Palate is light-to-medium bodied with frothy texture, lively-to-fizzy, stinging carbonation and bittersweet finish as taste. Overall, the head is too big--annoying--aroma and taste are decent with a little intrigue and the palate is distracting and not fitting for the style. Fix those elements, and there could really be something here.