beer_name: Hotel
text: 12 oz. bottle to a Widmer pint glass, watching the seemingly endless pre-game hype leading up to Super Bowl XLIV. My first from the Brewer's Select Series, thanks to AdamB84. A: Very, very dark - only a slim trace of mahogany trim in an otherwise 'black' beer. Healthy 2-fingers of sandy head, a slow-dropping fluff that leaves a wide-stretched net of lacing. S: Served a little cool, just a few minutes out of the fridge...as such the aroma is mundane cocoa and vague fruits. Warmer, the fragrance is more a musty chocolate that hints at tartness, a little papery, too. T: Initially, a spiced chocolate, earthy and abruptly dry. Something akin to 'cherry', the dark and mildly tangy Bings or Rainiers. Dark coffee, hint of oxidation despite the freshness of the bottle. An oddly meaty, almost briny/salty flavor immersed somewhere; would 'beef jerky' be a bad word to describe? M: Medium feel, al though somewhat slick/oily (and that's a strange thing to say about an 8%+ 'imperial' porter) and that weakens the feel. A lasting malt stickiness, vague alcohol warming. Then more notable 'alcohol' the warmer it gets... D: Didn't really 'get' this beer...it's a hefty porter that doesn't seem as rich or complex as the weight led me to hope for. Flavors are 'fine', aroma and look are 'good'...reasonably likable and worth a try. Glad to have a second bottle; will take this to an upcoming Portland BA gathering and see what others think. Not my favorite from Weyerbacher...