Whenever I watch the evolution of a nitro in my glass I think beer pouring could well be a spectator sport. A nitro stout fade to black is magic in the spirits world, the inverse of Metallica’s take on the subject. * So it was with these mountain high hopes that I bellied up to the bar and ordered me one Newark Obsidian nitro dark lager on tap.
The pour did not disappoint, as the cocoa brown morphed to black before my eyes! Roasted malt metamorphosis. Body to black but the head came up all bright and white, not the typical tan topper.
The aroma was roasted malt and… vinegar? Seems odd. I looked around to see if anyone was eating fries. Nope. First taste was thin light and watery, not a typical nitro creamy, with a vinegar like thing going on. Did the dishwasher miss the rinse cycle? Then a malt cocoa emerged and a bit more body. It has a flat smooth finish with a touch of cocoa bitters backend. Roast malt cocoa with minimal bitters, it is watery light. Easy drinking and eventually a nice flavour emerged. Then a coca cola caramel sweet showed up for a quaff or two. This brew has more changes than Bowie. **
I must admit, I was a bit taken back with this fade to black. This dark draft had its moments, I just wished there were more of them and closer together. I would suggest their Helles Lager, it’s a classy classic.
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