Sinister, 10 Barrel Brewing Company, Bend Oregon

On a recent stop to pick up a Flying Pie Pizza, I had the chance to enjoy the Sinister (Black Ale) from 10 Barrel while I waited. A great way to spend a few minutes while waiting for a pizza -

It pours opaque with a small head.

The aroma is mild, but sweet malt is detectable with some mild hop.

Mild chocolate malt with a little sweetness greets the taste buds. It has a rich body with lots of character. Not overly heavy, it is an easy beer to enjoy by itself. It finishes clean with brown sugar and caramel malt at the end. From their website, I learned they use German de-husked black malt. It is also mentioned that this malt is free of astringency, which helps keep the beer from being overly heavy or sticky on the palate.

The aftertaste is mild richness with caramel and brown sugar. It finishes remarkably clean...

Cheers!

Allagash Black, Allagash Brewing Company, Portland Maine

As is evident from previous postings, Allagash is hands-down one of my favorite breweries....ever.
This is my first tasting of their Belgium style stout...Let's dive right in...

It pours opaque with a big head.

The aroma is big chocolate malt, very roasty with mild smoke.

The taste is big smooth malt. There is chocolate evident in the full body. I also taste mild coffee.

It finishes roasty and a little smoky. It is a little biscuity at the end and lingers nicely.

If you are looking for a big stout with lots of girth, this is your beer. I thought it delicious, especially with the cold weather out there. It holds to their reputation (in my book) as another great beer.

I've seen Allagash here and there, at Whole Foods and specialty beer stores. I got mine at Belmont Station here in Portland. Their Dubbel and Tripel are usually more common, but I've seen the stout out there. Happy hunting for it and happy drinking it!

Cheers!