Aroma: “Nice Munich malt character, restrained with dark fruit undertones and noble hops. Fruity esters of pear and cherry. Rocky head hides a bit of the aroma, but as it opens there develops a nice earthy, spicy hops character.”

Flavor: “Big toasted malt, big kettle caramelization, mouth-filling carbonation, a touch of black pepper and black licorice, moderately nutty. Earthy/minty hops, light pear, touch of apple, moderate raisin. Woody hops finish is complementary with the cherry esters.”

Overall: “Fun beer. Lots of fruit notes with touches of dark caramel notes. The apparent kettle caramelization gives lots of fun dark caramel, toastiness, dark fruit, and roasty flavors. Many will love the hops despite them bordering on minty. Acidic finish is slightly at odds with the malt base. A bit over-carbonated, gassy. A decent enough beer that has been through some stuff, but its not ready to talk about yet.”