Review #71 - Old Sugar Distillery Number One Smash Black Malt Barley

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This was a collaboration between Old Sugar Distillery and Capital Brewery and Bier Garten in Middleton, WI. They used the same mash bill as their Schwarzbier, called Fishin' in the Dark.

Nose: Vanilla, sour wood, under ripe pear, musty, sour cherries. Tiny touches of something smoky, and a little floral.

Palate: Thin, lightly sweet. Apples, plums, a moment of wildflower honey spread on malted toast.

Finish: Honey and a little sour. The honey is gone in moments, the touch of tannic sourness remains.

Verdict: Overall, not great. I've sure had worse, but this is thin and lightly sweet and not much else. There's a tiny moment in the nose that hints at the black malt, otherwise I'm not getting it.

Would I buy this: I would not.

Would I order this in a bar: Negative.

Would I drink this if someone gave me a glass: Yes. But I'd take my time at it. It's not great, but it's not the worst thing.

Rating: ★

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