Maplewood Brewing Company Fat Pug

“Soft chocolate-malt and dark-fruit aroma with a hint of vanilla. Very low woody hops. Bright and velvety malt character with flavors of light roast coffee, caramel, vanilla, cherry. Playful berry esters add sweetness and acidity. Semisweet, silky finish.”

__Aroma:__ “A nice medium roast on the nose, with secondary notes of bitter and semisweet chocolate. There’s a fair amount of caramel and dark toffee on the nose that pairs nicely with the roast, but the earthy aroma at the back really dominates. Initially, it almost comes across as a chocolate latte.” __Flavor:__ “Bitter chocolate covers the mouth with some extreme roast character, which gives it a slight wood and tobacco presence. The roast really dominates with a chewy flavor, as if biting into an espresso bean−laced dark chocolate bar. The mouthfeel is fantastic, and coats the cheeks. Finishes with hoppy bitterness, cigar, and tobacco notes.” __Overall:__ “A very good beer. The chocolaty sweetness comes through on the nose and holds on just long enough to balance the roast and cigar notes.”

Clear copper color; good head with excellent retention. Nose offers a swirl of caramel, toasted nuts, browned biscuits, light cherry, and floral hop. Malt builds in the flavor—dates, chocolate, toast, caramel, tobacco, fig, currant, brown sugar, along with a spicy alcoholic warmth. Additional flavors emerge with each sip. Touch of sweetness lingers into the finish, with a light toffee topper. Smooth, fairly creamy. Excellent doppelbock.