Headstrong Black & Tan

Headstrong Black & Tan is, according to the can, an "expert blend of pale ale and stout". However, the 473mL can also features a bizarre paragraph about the bison, so there you go. It's an amber-brown ale with a thick tan head that comes from the Big Hole Brewing Company in Utica, New York. It's got a healthy 5.5% alcohol content.

The Black & Tan has a smooth, chocolatey aroma.  The flavour is decidedly stout-like, with chocolate notes.  There's a dollop of pale ale bitterness, but nowhere near as much as I was hoping for. Like a stout, though, this brew has a silky smooth mouthfeel.

H.B. & T. is a decently interesting little brew, but it's not balanced quite as I would have liked.  Still, it's probably worth a try, since it's a change from the ordinary.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.