Lawson's Finest Liquids - Toast

Toast is a 5.9% ABV Black IPA/Cascadian Dark Ale/whatever from the good folks at Lawson's, who love their hops and i love them for it. I'm under the impression that this was brewed once, in the spring (and yes, I did drink it in the spring, but as you can see I've been really awful about posting my reviews lately, so sorry) and it was sent to me from a friend on the East Coast as part of a big box of delightful hoppy treats from Vermont.

Appearance: Deep brown that is nearly black, with a thick, mousse-textured tan head that is retained for several minutes and leaves sticky lacing on the sides of the glass. Very attractive pour.

Smell: Exactly how I like a black IPA to smell -- dark, roasted character from the malt, lending a robust espresso character, plus a more sweet, floral and resinous hop note that tempers the acidity from the dark malt.

Taste: The dark roasted malt dominates the palate. The hops come through a bit, but they aren't as present as they are on the nose, so the most obvious flavors are those of coffee and chocolate. Where I can detect hops, I get more of a citrus character than I picked up from the nose. As the beer warms, it becomes more astringent.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, with the moderate carbonation one expects from an IPA. Because I think the roast character wasn't as well balanced with the hoppy notes I'd want from an IPA, this more effervescent mouthfeel works against the beer. With this kind of flavor profile, I'm programmed to want a more creamy body like in a porter or a stout. It's not a bad mouthfeel, but the whole synergy is off.

Overall: This is a style that people are divided on. Myself, I like it when it's done well. Firestone's Wookie Jack and the Stone 15th Anniversary beers (not to mention Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous, which I also like, but not as well as the former two) are my favorites of the category. This one is a good tasting beer, but does fall a little short in the exact balance and seems to be tipped more in the robust toasted malt flavor. Not bad drinking, but not my favorite effort.

3/5