Unplugged Series: Chocolate Abbey

Tasted with Dan last week. Thanks to Justen Parris for giving me a bottle of this over the weekend during his beer tasting event. Just how many Unplugged-Series' does New Glarus Make??

Appearance: Darkened brown with a dense foamy head of beige, grayish color. Some clarity, but color inhibits. Lacing is wet and speckled. After minutes, the head dissipates into a fine film.
Aroma:  Whoa! A ton of chocolate and Christmas spicing as well as undertones of peanut butter. Strange as it may seem, I get twix! Clove and other phenols may be drawn out.
Taste: The front is bubbly (I know that goes for mouthfeel.) Some residual sweetness at the front, but a lot less than expected compared to the aroma. Chocolatey and subtly roasty but with some spiced character to it. The Belgians yeast promotes a mild roasted dark fruity flavor, reminiscent of figs. Finally the end results in a drying presentation profiled by clove and even hints of electrical tape. Alcohol is hard to pick out.
Mouthfeel: Higher carbonation than desired. Medium bodied, but not to large. Leaves a dryness, coating the mouth with a very resinous finish.
Overall Impression: Awesome aroma, probably up there with the very top beer's I've had. Nevertheless, I found the flavor to be a little insufficient and alcohol absent. Smell was the only note of alcohol - booze and peanut butter.


86/100