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

(Draught at Brydens, Sept 15 2013) Pours a solid black with a decent-sized dark tan head, quite fluffy and persistent with lace left over. Aroma has chocolate, light roast coffee, rather smoky (but not woody, ancho smoky), slightly peppery and a bit herbal. Flavour starts just slightly sweet, roast malts, chocolate, dark coffee, a little bit of oats. Then the ancho peppers kick in, and contribute a large helping of peppery smoke with just a little associated spice. It’s enough, along with a little hops, to really dry the beer out completely. From mid-palate on it’s somewhat astringent/acidic and cuts any creaminess out of the beer. Finish is bone dry, a bit spicy, smoky, slightly bitter. Mouthfeel is fairly light though creamy at first, carb light in character if a touch high. No alcohol. Quite a good stout, the ancho chilies here are contributing more smoke than spice, but it’s not the smoke character of your typical smoked stout. One is enough, but one is quite enjoyable. Can’t imagine it at breakfast though, maybe a late brunch?!