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

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: ★