Poured into a snifter, this beer is a bold, blackish, deep mahogany with slight reddish highlights and a large, fluffy, light tan head. Bready and toasty malt balances with grassy, floral, and tangerine notes in the aroma, with a background hint of smoke and sweet chocolate. Both the smoke and chocolate come out a bit more as the beer warms.
The first sip is bread crust malt and the same tangerine and grassy hop flavors as in the aroma, with a big kick of bitterness into the finish. There is a moderately high clean campfire smoke that goes nicely with the chocolate and slight coffee notes. Additional dark malt and black licorice flavors hover in the background. The West Coast-style high bittering tends to overpower the lovely smoky and chocolate balance.
Very nice beer to have with sweeter, Carolina-style BBQ baby back ribs, or with a flourless chocolate cake or fudge brownie.