
HARPOON DIRECTOR’S CUT

On tap, Yin’s rich chocolate malting outdoes Yang’s tropical fruiting for resilient B & T. Roasted chocolate, cocoa and vanilla contrast currant-spiced black cherry tones. Betters most competitors.
Enormous 32-ounce can brings tinny metallic derision to slick caramel malting and phenol-hopped acridity of understated, lackluster porter-bock mix. Despite boasting ‘glacial mineral water,’ crispness lacks. Obliging brown-sugared cocoa-powdered chocolate roast overrides ashen cola-walnut singe consuming astringent purple grape, prune, and cherry whimper, weakening to chalky mocha tartness. Slight barleywine lick detected at blah dried-fruit finish. Serve to less discriminating brown ale consumers.
Strong fruity essence not often associated with Black & Tans. For better or worse, bitter chocolate notes overwhelmed by grainy lager sharpness. Distracting over-carbonation and sour mocha finish are letdowns, but a burst of sweetness coats the aftertaste. As with many black and tans, it loses its natural essence since it’s difficult to create in the bottle and easier to blend on tap when mixed at the time of serving.
Gentle overriding carbonation consumes faintly mocha-scented deep brown body, degrading insignificant black & tan. No bittersweet malt thickness exists and plain toasted hop finish stumbles.
Durable ale-porter mix permeated by sour mocha waft, rich chocolate malting, and lactic cocoa absorption retains milky vanilla creaminess, careening towards robust stout instead of lighter pale ale. Arguably the best bottled b&t, avoiding indistinct murkiness of floundering challengers. Brewery defunct: 2006.
Complex ink black burgundy-highlighted hybrid (67% IPA/ 33% stout) propels oat-dried black coffee-chocolate sentiment above pureed black cherry, grapefruit, and pineapple fruiting while ashy cedar-pine bitterness advances. Coarse hop-charred cocoa-powdered coffee-roasted souring underscores creamy maple-sugared toffee-vanilla sweetness at busy licorice midst.