Appearance

The Boombox Midnight Train (Batch 2) is packaged in a tall can with a black background, and a faint train with a bright center headlight. The beer pours thick, with a fluffy tan head. I liked the packaging overall, I think it was interesting without making the font along the beer unreadable.

Aroma

Nosing the beer after being freshly poured,I get aromas of toasted oatmeal and other grains, and a rich chocolate nib undercurrent. The nose on the beer is good, and definitely screams stout.

Flavor

My initial impressions are of cold brewed coffee, then the mid palate is sweet malts and chocolate nibs. There is overall a creamy mouthfeel. The great part about the flavor here is that there isn’t an intense or cloying sweetness that I so often find with stouts.

Balance

The cold brewed coffee component is considerably more intense than the other flavors. The creamy sweetness and chocolate nibs are roughly two levels of strength lighter. Average isn’t bad, it just means in this case the balance didn’t hurt or help the beer in any way.

Finish

That big coffee note is back as each sip finishes, and gives way to chocolate and sweetness similar to how the flavor profile presents. I enjoyed the flavor profile so mirroring that in the finish is going to get a mark of good from me as well. The finish isn’t overpowering in any way, and fades out over a reasonable length of time.

Overall

What’s not to like on the Boombox Midnight Train (Batch 2)? Big coffee notes and subdued chocolate nibs and sweetness deliver satisfying and consistent flavors through the taste experience. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick this up if I saw them on the shelf.

John McTavish

SCORE

6.50

Cost/Point

N/A

Scoring System

Personal Beer Review: Boombox Midnight Train (Batch 2)