Transient Artisan Ales Buckley Light

__Aroma:__ “Intense aroma of plums and currants with some fig, and as it warms, more fruity flavors or chocolate-covered raisins and dark stone fruit emerge. Slight roasted character comes through, with dark chocolate, coffee, and a slight creamy sweetness that’s evident in the back. A bit of charred marshmallow. Very welcoming.” __Flavor:__ “Fruit esters come through on the flavor, with well-rounded plum and date flavors. Great milk chocolate and malt sweetness with slight toffee in the back. From start to finish, it rides the line between sweet and bitter roast, and no one flavor dominates—they start and finish together. Lots of warmth on the mouthfeel—it’s really amazing, creamy, and smooth as it carries the flavors.” __Overall:__ “This is a really great beer. The fruity esters and flavor provide an interesting complexity in a style that is often so dominated by roast that it’s difficult to find other flavors. A definition of a balanced yet big stout, with hefty amounts of roast and sweetness in almost equal parts.”

__Aroma:__ “Rich sweet notes of cherries make it smell like a cherry cordial. Some high dark chocolate aroma dominates the notes, with some raisin, plum, and slight vanilla presence, with a bit of toast.” __Flavor:__ “The notes of chocolate and cherries dominate and carry through the beer—the cherries are bright and sweet, and the chocolate is light and milky. Fruit esters (cherry, raisin, and plum) dominate the mid-palate and give a round and sweet flavor throughout. Roast is thin and light in the back, with little to no hops presence outside of the finish.” __Overall:__ “A very fun beer—I enjoyed the blend of cherries and chocolate, and as it warmed, it tasted like chocolate- covered cherries. It’s a great sweet and chewy stout with fruity esters to balance the roast. Would love an imperial version, with boosted flavors.”

**Aroma:** “A rich roasty blend of coffee and dark malts, with some maple syrup and dark stone fruit esters—perhaps some banana, too. Hops aromas of rosemary, pine, and juniper berry. A touch of maple and dark chocolate, mild cocoa, and cherry syrup. Paperboard oxidation.” **Flavor:** “There’s no doubt that coffee is the main focus of this beer—it dominates that palate start to finish. If you’re able to peel away the coffee, there are some nice chocolate and cherry notes, with a heavy roasted malt presence and a bit of soy sauce. Hairy hops presence. Moderate paper and sherry oxidation, creamy body, and some dark fruit esters of dates and raisins. The 14 percent ABV is relatively under control. Well balanced, with the alcohol and sweetness riding out the bitter aftertaste.” **Overall:** “Really fun and tasty. The umami usually gets in the way of most of these monster dark beers, but this is a great example. It’s rich and complex, with a great mix of dark chocolate, coffee, and dark fruit flavors.”