The Alchemist Broken Spoke

**Aroma:** “Grassiness, earthiness, spiciness, sweet tobacco notes, tropical fruit, lemon zest with a touch of leather in the back. Little-to-no malt aroma.” **Flavor:** “Had some oddness to it—curry? Complex flavor with some spice notes—smokey, earthy, cheesy, leather. Good sweet hop fruitiness of citrus, orange juice, slight grapefruit with mild notes of pine. Juicy character comes through. Touch of malt backbone. Finish is bitter but not lingering. It’s great how clear the hops were.” **Overall:** “An odd, aggressive beer that highlights the complex fruit hop character that is balanced well through the beer. Nice grapefruit lingering in the finish.”

**Aroma:** “Hops! Fruity passion fruit, orange, lemon, grapefruit, dank resinous in the background—if I didn't see the color, I’d expect an IPA. Some dark roast and chocolate sweetness sneak through once your nose is dead to the hops. Light tart note. As it warms, a slight molasses note starts to mix with the hops.” **Flavor:** “High hops flavor up front with bit citrus notes. Moderate chocolate with big roasty notes support the hops. Quite sweet up front. Sweetness slowly fades into a low bitterness. Toward the end, slight smoke note but big hops that continue into the aftertaste with a mix of roast. Dry, bitter hoppy finish. As it warms, the smoke turns into a burnt molasses note. Very fruity: passion fruit and pineapple. Finish is sweet and lingers. Rich chewy body that doesn’t come across as thick. Big pine and orange flavors from the hops. Chocolate from the malt gives it a chocolate orange flavor. The sweetness comes together with all the different bold flavors and finishes with a slightly dry finish.” **Overall:** “A nice balance of stout and hops, but if you don’t like hops, this stout is not for you. Strong flavors all around with a touch of alcohol warming in the background to fill it all out. Good balance of hops flavor and bitterness. This is a very different take on a stout—kind of a black IPA more than a stout. This beer tastes like a better, less sweet version of those chocolate-covered orange candy sticks, but with a heavy dose of pine richness. Very tasty!”

__Aroma:__ “Juicy and fruity, with notes of overripe pineapple, melon, grapefruit, and orange. Light white bread yeast notes. Some slight spice character, with a funky hops aroma up front.” __Flavor:__ “Assertive hops bitterness that lingers and sticks to the teeth. The flavor hits with an interesting complexity, adding grapefruit sweetness and pineapple that extends into the finish as it warms. Dank earthiness on the finish.” __Overall:__ “A full-bodied IPA with lots of hops flavor and aroma. Good body and nice complexity, but a little too bitter for a New England IPA without the juice character to support it. This is an interesting beer that invites more investigation.”