UPDATED: JAN 9, 2022 Aroma is roasted malts and a slight off element. The flavor is roasted malts, chocolate/dark chocolate, a hint of vanilla and a mildly sweet/acidic/bitter finish.

UPDATED: JAN 2, 2022 500ml bottle from Windsor Hy-Vee, in a Pretentious Sequel glass. Aromas of milk chocolate, light roast and toasted barley malt with hints of stone fruit and marshmallow. Pours inky black with nearly 4 fingers creamy tan head with a little light lacing. Flavor is light roast and malted barley on entry, subtly transitioning to chocolate and caramel on the mid-palate, subtly transitioning to a medium long finish of overripe fruit and bitter roast with hints of foresty hops. Full-bodied and mildly roasty astringent. A bittersweet brew with very subtle but satisfying flavor transitions from start to finish. Not complicated but well made. Nicely done Maine Beer Company! To your health, and happy new year to you!

UPDATED: DEC 26, 2021 Pours a dark, cola-black, with minimal head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is coffee, chocolate, burnt toast. Flavor follows. Not tasting or smelling the vanilla in this one. Mouthfeel seems a bit thin, though the ABV is pretty low, I guess.

UPDATED: SEP 26, 2021 Bottle pour, dark brown. Chocolate aroma. Medium body with a lightly sweet coffe flavor with notes of chocolate and hints of char.

UPDATED: AUG 6, 2021 Bottle. A- Roasty, char, cocoa, mild vanilla. A- Black color, black liquid, light brown head. T- Cocoa, roasty, char, bitter. P- Medium body, average texture, average carbonation, roasty finish. O- A pretty plain jane stout with a whiff of vanilla Not bad but I wanted more complexity to it. Dare I say it's a tinge overrated.

UPDATED: MAY 28, 2021 Black poor, mocha head that thins quickly. Nose is vanilla and coffee. Middle is coffee, coco, vanilla, wood, blackened malt, some currants. Finish is more of the same, but add a silky oat coating to the tongue. Delicious.

UPDATED: APR 13, 2021 Bottle. Black with a resilient beige head. Aroma of vanilla, roast, chocolate and coffee. Medium bodied and pretty smooth. Tastes roasted and very lightly sweet and bitter. Good stuff.

UPDATED: MAR 15, 2021 Bottle (Feb 16, 2021 bottling). Head is initially average sized, frothy, brown, mostly lasting. Body is black (non-opaque, flashlight tested). Aroma is moderately malty (chocolate, caramel, roasted grain), with a strong note of vanilla. Flavor is heavily sweet, lightly acidic. Finish is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Medium body, oily/watery/syrupy texture, soft carbonation, lightly to moderately alcoholic. The vanilla is prominent but not overwhelming, so the aroma isn't too bad. It's just too sugary sweet to drink, though.

UPDATED: FEB 28, 2021 500 ml bottle. Pours a very dark brown almost black in color and capped by a thick tan layer of foam that settles in slowly to a thin film and leaves patches of lace on the glass. The aroma shows notes of dark cocoa, caramel, earthy roast, and toasted vanilla over a dark roasted coffee malt base with a touch of bitterness. The flavor follows with notes of dark cocoa, roasted coffee, and toasted vanilla to go with the dark roasted malt base and a firm hop bitterness on the back end. Medium bodied and smooth with moderate carbonation that leads to a slightly dry and bitter sweet dark cocoa, caramel, toasted vanilla, and earthy roast on the finish. Smooth and easy drinking stout with a nice smooth vanilla flavor to go with the earthy roast and light bitterness. Nice stuff.

UPDATED: FEB 14, 2021 Draft at Hoppy Monk. Opaque with thin head. Aroma of coffee, chocolate and vanilla. A little dark chocolate/coffee bitterness.