the art of dark beers

For some reason, a good Halloweeny label wasn't easy to find.  It's better on a dark beer, but I would have settled for an IPA.  Still nothing.  The best I could find was a can, which aggravates some people, but there are some practical arguments for them.  I say "the best I could find', but Dark Arts Surreal Stout does have a legitimately spooky design.  So, it's a stout, there's ghosts on the container, will it be the rich redeemer of my stout tasting?

It's a smooth pour, but a little over-bubbly in the glass; maybe it's more chilled than it needs to be.  It's just the color you want to see from a stout, and there's a fairly strong and enticing smell from it.  The taste is not extremely powerful, but pleasing, tending to chocolate at first and then dying back to more low-toned bitter.  It's exactly the consistency a stout should have, being smooth and creamy, but with that bite of bitter and smoke in the background.  I'm quite pleased with Halloween weekend beer!  If somebody dropped it in my bag for trick-or-treat I'd have to TP a house in their name.

Supplier: La Birratorium
Price: €2.25-2.45