Green Man Brewing La Mas Negra Imperial Black Ale

Posted by: Marc Hanes

Green Man Brewing La Mas Negra Imperial Black Ale - 08-19-2016 17:37:31

Green Man Brewing Co.
La Mas Negra Imperial Black Ale (With Cocoa Nibs, Cinnamon & Peppers) (International Series)
American Black Ale
North Carolina
8.9%
25.4oz, Single
$14.25
Modest head, under one finger but very thick, just watching the pour it looks like motor oil, the foam is some of the darkest brown you'll ever see, the lacing likewise is wispy and lacks stick. As noted the liquid is jet black, close to buffed to a shine onyx, so opaque you cannot see a single bubble. Pungent lifting waft of cocoa, creamed coffee, milk chocolate, lactose, sneakily spicy and somewhat indistinct, fresh leafy underpinning, the chocolate just overwhelms all else. Full-bodied, creamy and expansive, covers the full palate. The carbonation has both more life and length than expected. Here the hot pepper spice takes on the leading role, not searingly hot, more so adds flavor. The chocolate to cocoa more woven into the whole here, sweet yet with a roasty touch too. More grainy than bready. The herbal qualities more subdued. The cinnamon and any other baking spices most present as echoes through the finish. No fruit flavors I can find. Pleasing smoky residue at the end too. Pulls off intensity without seemingly trying hard, plus deserves kudos for having balance at this level of density. It's rare you can drink a full 750 ML of a beer like this as quickly as this went down.
5 out of 5