| Rich Howard | starts on moderate peat and wood smoke, then gets malty and quite grassy, even some yeasty bread dough here, with undercurrents of spicy chili powder and even some tangy barbecue sauce. after a few minute, some deep caramel sweetness with a ginger kick. the palate is strong and quite smoky, with smoldering wood, over-cooked vanilla custard, a spicy kick and lingering smoke on the finish. water clears the smoke a bit, making more room for the sweet malt and vanilla, and also the baker's yeast, still some notes of barbecue sauce on the tail. the palate is both sweeter and spicier, some maple barbecue sauce here now, not shy on the chili powder, even some saddle leather. summary: a fairly aggressive peated malt with some yeasty bread and undercurrents of spicy barbecue sauce throughout. [tasted blind for the 2011 Awards] |
