Ex Novo Brewing Kill the Sun (Coffee & Chocolate)

Barrel up front with vanilla, oak, a bit of banana. Dark chocolate and coffee malt come in next and show up in the flavor as well. A fairly big initial sweetness fades quickly into a medium full body. The barrel character adds a toasted woodsy note throughout.

Medium roast espresso with a bit of marshmallow sweetness that leans toward caramel. This beer relies much more on the coffee, letting the malt bill show off a simpler crystal-malt character. The lactose sweet-ness is there, but combined with the malt character, it’s a bit cloying.

**Aroma:** “Notes of chocolate up front, with some creamy milk sweetness. The roast malt dominates on the nose, with a tart black-cherry ester and slight clove. It’s roasty, earthy, and oaky, with tobacco and a campfire smokiness.” **Flavor:** “Burned roast hits up front, and the roasty malt character carries through the sip. Some milk and chocolate sweetness sit behind the roast, with notes of licorice, cherries, plum, and other dark fruits. It’s a very earthy beer with fruity esters potentially from the hops, but for sure from the roast. Notes of oak, pine, and the big hops bitterness leads to a dry finish. The body is a bit thin.” **Overall:** “Overall, it’s a ‘punch you in the mouth’ kind of stout that delivers on a roast-forward presence. The more I drank, the more it grew on me. The roast has a finesse with some evident fruit flavors, in both aroma and flavor, but the burned characteristics really shone through. Reminded me of sitting at a campfire on a cold winter night, with ashes flying and coals burning.”