Refreshing for a darker beer. Lucy says it's nutty.

I love the Phantasm movies. The Tall Man was a great villain. Admittedly it is what made me choose this beer. And I have had good brews from both these collaborators before. I didnt realize until after I got home and strarted filling my glass that it has a new funky ingredient. Phantasm Powder. I had to pause and check the bottle as I began pouring because I was hit with a strong skunky cannabis smell (not that I would know anything about that😉) and thought they wouldn't would they? No. The didn't but I discovered they did use phantasm powder which apparently is made from New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc grape skins. Anyway, after taking some time to let old olfactory detector poke its nose into this buffet of aromatic wonders, I came up with the following list. Dank pine, but well underlying, Mango, green grape, indistinct tropical fruit, pineapple, sweet citrus candy, almost but not quite a kind of cotton candy, white wine, and of course Marijuana. It is not the juiciest thing I've come across aromatically speaking but is quite the tropical and citus wonder. Appearance is not highly attractive but a gently bruised orange mango. Nice foamy head that lasts a good while. First sip was even weirder. First thing my brain translated was nuttiness. Before I could ponder that a generous helping of tropical fruits and citrus. If you took all the fruits I listed and made a juice it would be similar. But oddly not vibrant, more earthy I think is the best way I can describe it. Sweet but balanced well with an appropriate bitterness. Then the pine wraps up the whole thing carrying the bitterness out past the sweetness to it logical conclusion. The flavours in this are big enough that half way through the glass the subtitles become more homogeneous and less interesting but still very enjoyable. The salt receptors on my tongue are insisting that they are being activated but my flavour pallet is telling them to mind thier own affairs and not make unfounded allegations just to get attention. And of course just under it all trying to be all incognito, some of that weed flavour. I think I like it. Perhaps further testing is in order.

Enticing as it poured, with a lovely darkeness showing just a hint of ruby as the sun caught it. Sadly the head was gone almost as quickly as I could place the can down on the counter. A metallic tang worked the edge of my nasal consciousness but yielded to a pleasant aroma built of roast barley, gentle chocolate, a whisper of soy sauce and faintly in back a pillowy sweetness I associate with oatmeal. I will say in advance defense of this beer that I have been spoiled of late by big, bold, rich, decadent stouts. I tried to keep that in my thoughts as I sipped this thin almost watery offering. It was not bad but really underwhelming. It does provide a well executed roastiness and the chocolate notes are fall in between dark and milk, which I like. I understand that this is a session stout but neither the oat nor the malt gave it enough buoyancy for my preference. It just felt thin. My favorite parts become diluted by lack of body and the carbonation has nothing to push against so comes through as more of a lackluster tanginess than a bite. I know Ive not made this sound good, but it isn't all bad. It would be a stout you could have a few of on a hot day or, and forgive me if I've used this in the wrong context, a sauna stout.