Big Hole Diablo

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Pours a dark but clear mahogany with an initial thin tan coloured head that fades into just a thin ring around the top. Aroma has a little bit of burned coffee notes,and heavily roasted malts. A very rich beer, distinct dark chocolate and black licorice flavours. At over 7% this beer definately packs a bit of a punch.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

Like other Big Hole beers, this one is full and sweet smelling and pleasantly full to medium in body. Head is creamy and brainy and brown/tan. Nice. Flavor is sweet like light molasses or dark brown sugar, not very spicy, but hints at the idea of it...reminds me of molasses cookies. Malty and not much bitterness, clean and fresh finishing.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

The third, and I am sure last, bottle from the Big Hole Brewing Company to wind up in my `fridge and my pint glassware. After a dull Pale Ale, and a quriky White (a.k.a. Belgian Strong Pale Ale Lite), I didn't have much hope for this Trader Joe's Special.

Poured weakly, and without much in the way of aroma production. And my initial impression, after the first sip, was a rather plaintive "ugh". But I perservered, and powered through this beer until the not-even-close-to-being-bitter end.

I warmed up to this beer as it, in turn, warmed up in temperature. Hints of a real malt backbone -- almost Old Suffolk-like -- showed up late in the game. Still no aroma, but enough of a flavor profile to work with. Boring mouthfeel, and rather sophmoric drinkability, doesn't help this beer's case much, though.

A beer that I expected much worse from. Not very interesting, but at least I was able to finish it off without much trouble. But you can do better...
//TB

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 8

Dark brown color Small head. Aroma is molasses and brown sugar. Medium bodied. Malts are prevalent and not very sweet. Hops are slightly spicy There are a lot of brown sugar notes to this beer, yet its not very sweet. Which is kind of weird. Some yeastiness. Smooth taste. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 4 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 6

~2 year old bottle... Poured a deep, dark, purplish, brown color with a large tan head and light lacing on the glass. Spicy banana, clove, yeasty, sweet aroma. Taste was very bland, sweet, light spices, and chocolate. Reminded me of a dubbel, though very bland in the taste and weak mouthfeel. From what I understand this beer is discontinued.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

This ale pours with a deep amber-brown body topped by a medium thick tan head with a good amount of lacing. The aroma is slightly roasty and malty wtih notes of coffee and a slight sourness. The aroma is a little weak. The flavor is slightly sweet and malty with slight notes of roasted coffee and a slight bitterness. Medium bodied and smooth.