Roasting Planet | Half Hours on Earth Brewery
Score: 56/100 - not recommended
From a 355ml can served warm at 15 degrees Celsius into a TeKu glass. Canned on: 2020/08/07 with a best before of 2020/12/07. The beer's four weeks old at this point - I'm going in rather reserved since HHOE beers tend to not keep well. The can comes straight from the brewery and was acquired through a friend.
Appearance (5/6)
The beer pours an opaque black with 3cm of thin, dark brown head which dissipates into a partial film within less than a minute. Poor lacing and head retention.
Aroma (18/24)
Moderate intensity with sweet-ish balance. The aroma is quite interesting with an off-kilter character. Sweet vanilla and considerable smoke make for an intriguing combination. Once you slap a touch of caramel, cherries, black licorice, and cream in the mix, you've got yourself a curious scent. The dry nose is rich and dessert-like with notes of caramel, vanilla, and biscuit.
Flavour (20/40)
Medium-strong intensity with sharp balance and moderate perceived bitterness. The highly acidic palate opens up with notes of sour cherries and balsamic vinegar making way for a bearable center where the acidity begins to subside while the cherry character is joined by roasted notes (wood char + dark chocolate) and low vanilla sweetness. The long finish is strong and sharp-ish with notes of cherry yoghurt, caramel, charred wood, and dark chocolate.
Mouthfeel (4/10)
Medium-light body with mild carbonation. The mouthfeel is drying and puckering with restrained alcohol warming and a dry finish. The combination of moderate astringency and high acidity leave a harsh impression on the palate.
Overall (9/20)
Half Hours on Earth Brewery's Roasting Planet is not a good beer. The looks are decent with the head lacking in structure and retention. My favourite part of the beer is the offbeat aroma which unfortunately is not replicated on the palate. The sourness simply washes over any subtleties and the flavours are not in harmony. To make it worse, the harsh and drying quality of the mouthfeel significantly diminishes drinkability. Not recommended.