328. Heavy Seas Beer (Baltimore, MD) - Night Swell

“Night Swell’s arctic winds and northern tides make their way south, a darkness descends upon the Atlantic, and even the most hardened hop head feels the pull of the darkness. Night Swell’s nor’easter blast of hoppy aromas combines with a warming dark roast and rich malt sweetness for a full-flavored, full-bodied IPA that stretches the boundaries of the style. Surrender to the darkness and ride the swell.”

The first sip made me think of the Samuel Adams Triple Bock that I managed to luck into trying twenty-odd years ago. That one was big and thick, with a consistency somewhere between beer and syrup. This one has a consistency more like beer, with strong flavors of molasses and chocolate up front, and possibly the echo of a bourbon barrel in there—though I suspect that if that were the case, they would have mentioned it. Not sure I like this one either, but it, too, is interesting.