This glorious offering comes from the Box Steam Brewery out of Wiltshire, England. It is sold in 500mL bottles and contains 5% alcohol. Dark & Handsome pours a deep, brooding ruby colour and features considerable head and lace.It has a sweet, malty aroma that is reminiscent of a stout. To my mind, the flavour tastes like a hybrid between a stout and a bitter. It has the dark molasses notes of a classic stout married with the lively hop bitterness of a pale ale. Somewhere lurking in the body of this behemoth is a heart of sweetness. D&H ends with a slightly smokey aftertaste.
The packaging features some unusual touches, such as the observation that it was "engineered by hand". and an anecdote about Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who was apparently a reputed engineer in the 1800s. What gives? Is this beer brewed by former engineers?
This is a damn fine beer. It's quite unique, features ample character and is a highly stylish pint. Box Steam Brewery's Dark & Handsome is more than worth a try. I'd be eager to buy it again.
Rating: 9.0 out of 10.
If there were an Engineering Hall of Fame, Isambard Kingdom Brunel would be voted in on his first year of eligibility. Bridges, tunnels, ships, marine works - he built them all.
ReplyDeleteIn a British poll in 2002 to identify the "100 greatest Britons", Brunel finished second, behind only Winston Churchill, and ahead of such luminaries as Shakespeare, Darwin, Newton, and John Lennon.
"apparently a reputed engineer" indeed. Hmph.
This may be the greatest comment my blog has ever received. I commit to doing some light research to rectify my deplorable ignorance about Mr. Brunel.
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