I picked this up on a quick work trip to Houston about 2 years ago and promptly put it in the beer fridge where it sat forgotten until now! The Hellfighter is Karbach’s Imperial Porter that is the base to all of their outstanding Bourbon Barrel vintages that I have yet to try. The beer poured a pitch black with a large and spongy tan head that left good lacing and a lingering ring. The nose was very sweet and fruity for a porter with a tinge of bittersweet chocolate to round out the dark fruit and dried cherry notes in the aroma. The taste started off with a burnt chocolate bitterness that quickly faded into the dark fruits and sweet malts. This thick and creamy brew finished with a roasty bitterness that was palate coating and begged to be extinguished with another sip. The Hellfighter was a very smooth brew that seemed to mellow after 2 years although it still had a lot going on with a depth and complexity that would lend itself well to Karbach’s frequent Bourbon Barrel Aging. Now I need to seek out the Aged version as I would love to see the effects of the Bourbon Barrels on a beer that was as robust as the Hellfighter.
No comments:
Post a Comment