Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
12oz bottle pours a nice deep brown that’s nuanced by garnet hues supporting a tan head. The mild aroma is a mix of roasted malts, chocolate malts and a pleasing firm level of clumpy wet earthiness. The taste is similar with a tasty mix of roasted malts, chocolate malts, some milk chocolate bar and a yummy earthiness. There seems to be something meandering around the earthiness but I can’t put words to it. Maybe it is the hemp or maybe I’m over analyzing. Along the edges of the flavor are thin rings of spicy hops. Overall the aroma is a bit timid buy everything else is spot on good.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Pour is black with a small tan head. Aroma is chocolate, oak with a nice roast. Flavor is heavy on the chocolate with some coffee and slight vanilla. Alcohol is there in the end but nothing too hot. This was a very solid and rich beer.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
On tap at Good beer NYC. An amber coloured pour with a small white head on top. Hoppy, floral aroma. Tastes hoppy, malty, fruity, bitter, crisp. A quality California IPA.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Pour is a dark red with a large tan head. Aroma is sweet caramel malts and nicely hopped. Flavor is a decent earthy malt up front and some hops make an appeariance. Decent amber ale and probably even better fresh.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Amber,small beige head.Piney hop nose. Medium piney hop profile, big malt backbone. Medium strength lasting hop finish.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Sample at the Yard House in Vegas. The beer is a clear amber-orange color with a thin white head that recedes quickly. Short strings of lacing. Citrus hops aroma with some bready malt in the background. Medium body with flavors of hops, grapefruit and sweet malt. The finish is hoppy with a citrus aftertaste. Slightly above average overall.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Whole Foods Market, DC sixer ($7): Pours a transparent brown color with a very quickly dissipating head that leaves a touch of lacing. Aroma is kind of nutty and metallic (which I know should be reserved for a taste). Taste is malty at the front. A modicum of grassy hops are present in the finish and continue into the aftertaste. I eat plenty of hemp seed in my granola and whatever else, and I couldn’t really line up that hemp taste with anything here. I guess I have to try another hemp beer to see if I can pick up the pattern. A bit too sweet I think, but a perfectly acceptable session beer, although not great in my opinion.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Pours black into a snifter. Mocha head recedes to mottle surface. Chocolate, espresso and oak aromas. Effervescent, yet thick with hot chocolate and deep espresso.
Kyotolefty (15912) reviewed Black Xantus from Humboldt Brewing Company 14 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bottle at Chriso. Black with lace. Big chocolate nose coffee, some citrus. Sweet chocolate flavor, berries, cafe au lait, luscious, sweet, tangy, with a bitter finish,
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Shaker pint draft at the Martin City Brewing Company. Pour is a golden amber, mostly clear with a nice one inch light tan head. Nice lace coats the glass. Aroma is caramel malt, resin pine hops, earthiness - nicely balanced nose. Taste is the caramel malt up front, then turns to some nice hops - floral and resin come in nicely. Palate medium, a bit heavy for my preference in an IPA, a bit mouth coating, though that clears as it hits the pleasant bitter finish.