A complicated brew – behind its fiercely black exterior is a melange of subtly different roasted malt flavors that add nuance and depth to a style of beer that is too often heavy and one dimensional. To add a bit of roundness to the flavor we diverted about 20% of the brew into our Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, one of which we topped up with cacao nibs from our friends at local San Francisco organic chocolate makers, TCHO, for a period of oak-aging before blending it back into the primary batch. This is a special beer that reveals a little something different about itself every sip. 9.5% ABV.