It has now been in the bottle for two weeks and the whole thing has really come into its own.
Appearance: What can I say, it has been beautiful from the beginning, with a wonderfully opaque, ebony color (with that beautiful garnet red every time the light passes through a small amount of it!) and a cream-colored head. The head has developed with the carbonation, though. Where in the beginning there was barely any to speak of, a gentle pour now yields a finger of the off-white goodness with a bit of pretty lacing and a definite layer of foam that remains throughout my drinking a glass of it. Mmmm.
Aroma: Mmmm chocolate, coffee, and caramel. No complaints here.
Flavor: I had my first taste a week ago today, and for the first few days, I was detecting this bright, sort of fruity tang that I didn't like all that much and that wasn't exactly in tune with the style. In the last couple of days, however, that twanginess has all but disappeared from the brew, leaving it roasty, chocolatey, and wonderfully drinkable. Really nice coffee and cocoa tones with a nice clean finish.
Mouthfeel: This is another aspect of the beer that has changed for the better over the past week. Where my first impression of it was a little too light and watery, it now possesses more body and has a great sort of silky feel on the palate. I think the carbonation just needed to fully develop.
Overall: Holy smokes. The low ABV makes this an amazing session beer and super easy to drink anytime. Can't really say I'd change much about this recipe at all!
The moral of the story: I need to be just a little more patient! I've got some great brews on my hands!
Hit me up if you'd like to enjoy one sometime :)
Original brew day post from 2/13/11
Sláinte!
-Yer ruddy brewmakin' honorary Irishman
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