Gigantic Brewing Company - Kiss the Goat Black Doppelbock

Could it be...SATAN?

I had a bad experience with a goat when I was a little kid. I was about five years old, growing up in Nebraska, and my parents brought me and my twin brother to our aunt's farm for a visit. Actually, it was pretty awesome. She had a pony (that she let us ride) and every kind of barnyard animal that a proper farm should have. 

I was having a pretty good time playing in the barnyard, chasing the ducks and petting the pony, until an ornery goat decided that my sweater looked positively delicious. That damn goat ate about four inches off the back of my sweater before my clueless parents realized that the loud shouts from the barnyard were screams of terror rather than peals of laughter.

I'll never forget the blank, malevolent eyes on that goat, and those sharp, stubby horns. I have no doubt that goats are the agents of pure evil sent to earth by dark forces to terrorize cute, innocent, tow-headed children; devouring their sweaters, and their souls. Man, I hate goats. *shudder*

Despite the lingering childhood trauma, I recently purchased a bomber of Gigantic Brewing Company's Kiss the Goat Black Doppelbock. Now, Gigantic Brewing usually comes up with some very interesting beer names and I have often sung the praises of their awesome label art. That said, I must point out that the theme of Kiss the Goat is rather...dark. Well, dark isn't really an accurate descriptor. SATANIC. There you go. The name and label art conjures up something pretty SATANIC. Here's a quote from the label:

"A doppelbock emblackened. Perfect for midnight masses, dancing naked in the moonlight, and malevolent altars. Turn up the Sons of Huns, toast the dark, now turn and kiss the goat!"

Okay, that's pretty damned creepy. Damned being the operative word. Let's see how Kiss the Goat tastes, shall we?

The beer poured from bomber to glass a deep, dark, mahogany color. The beer was fairly opaque, but reddish amber hues were evident when I held the glass up to the light. The mocha head rose up to a full finger thick and dissipated slowly. Clumps and sheets of creamy lacing remained in the glass throughout the entire drink. Truly a lovely brew upon presentation. Nice!

Aroma was toasted malt and cocoa up front. Hints of roasted filberts and dark fruit in the background.

Taste followed the nose. Toasted, biscuity malt. Chocolate and dark fruit. Cherry and dates. Roasted nuts. A hint of smokiness. Loads of delicious flavors rolling around in there--no goat. No hint of the 8% ABV, either.

Medium mouthfeel with appropriate carbonation. Creamy finish with the substantial malt flavor left behind on the palate at the end. Smooth. No harsh.

Overall, this is an awesome beer. I really, really like it! Hey, I would say it's almost worth going to hell for it! I'm giving Kiss the Goat a BeerGuyPDX rating of 3 1/2 crushed cans out of 4.