Boulder Beer The Dude’s D’Spare
What the brewers say
“Uses a blend of specialty malts for a dark chocolate, roasty flavor with hints of black licorice. Aging it in first-use Cabernet wine barrels adds depth, bringing out soft fruit flavors and subtle oakiness.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “A very mild aroma, with a hint of chocolate, vanilla, and roasted malt. Some fruity yeast esters and dry cocoa with a touch of alcohol heat.”
Flavor: “Relatively smooth blend of strong roast and vanilla. Chocolate resides underneath, along with some tannic character to tie things together. Nice malt richness. Some oak character. Dark toffee flavors and some iron minerality as it warms.”
Overall: “Enjoyable with nice chocolate notes and vanilla, but perhaps needed to spend more time in the barrel to pick up more barrel character.”
