Vitals:
Name: Pepe Nero
Style: Farmhouse Ale ("Belgian Style Ale" is on the bottle)
IBU: 30
ABV: 6.0%
Gravity: ??
Purchased at: Riley's Wines of the World
Descriptions:
Appearance: Pours midnight black; NO light makes it through this bad boy. One finger of light milk-chocolate colored head that is quick to leave and doesn't lace much. A formidable cap is left atop this beer, though. Probably the best cap I've seen on a beer in a few years, maybe ever.
Smell: This beer smells...unique. You get roasted, earthy malts and almost a coffee-ish smell, yet you get a spiciness as well. The spiciness, in my mind, is probably ground black peppercorn and maybe anise. You get a faint chocolate smell, but the smell is mainly what I've previously described.
Taste: The chocolate is much more pronounced here and leads off the experience with sweetness. YOu also get some faint fig/date flavor, but not a whole lot. The beer evolves with the sweet roasted malt into more of a coffee flavor and, as it rolls back down your tongue, you really get slammed with the peppercorn taste. This beer hides its 6.0% ABV well and provides you with a very unique drinking experience.
Mouthfeel: VERY heavy and even creamy. This beer leaves your mouth surprisingly dry as well, which is a bit of a detractor here because it combines with the creaminess to give you a bit of unpleasantness in the mouthfeel.
Overall Grade: C (perhaps a B or B+ to dark/heavy beer drinkers)
Comments: I'm not totally feeling this one, though I can appreciate how unique it is. I would give it a try if you're into stouts/porters or other dark types of beers. It's a solid, but not great, effort that is unique enough to warrant paying $7-8 for a big bomber of it. Enjoy, and keep expanding your beer tasting horizons!
Cheers,
Hurls
No comments:
Post a Comment