Tap at the Royston Hotel, Melbourne. Poured a clear dark brown with a thin broken light tan head. The aroma is roasty malt, dark chocolate, light vanilla, dry coffee. The flavour is moderate sweet with a dry roasty, sweet cacao, liqouice hop bitter palate. Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

Had to buy this when seen at Elsternwick Cellarbrations, where one of the staff once told me the way to win the peoples choice award at GABS would be to take a mediocre stout and blend in a black forest cake. Turns out this is not a mess. Bottle. Pretty much black with a small tan head. Aroma of preserved cherries and chocolate. Not notably smooth or sweet. Mild roast, cocoa, slightly tart cherries, decent bitterness with peppery vanilla.

From bottle. Hints of cherry on nose, but mainly burnt notes. Pours very black. Curiously subtle flavours, Hints of chocolate and cherry, and sourness battling bitterness. Not exactly what I was hoping for, as the black forest claims would make for a more flavour forward beer.