Pretty Things Saint Botolph's Town

The Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project is based out of Somerville, Massachusetts (Davis Square, Red Line, Tufts University).  They are gypsy or tenant brewers, having no brewery of their own, they roam to host breweries to use their equipment.  This 5.9% ABV Yorkshire dark brown ale takes its name from St. Botolph, an Anglo-Saxon who lived in England around 700 A.D.  He built many stone monuments, and the words "Botolph's Stone" became the word "Boston", originally a town in Lincolnshire.  Their recommendation is to pour with gusto down the center of the glass, pause to allow the head to settle, and continue.

The beer pours a very dark brown, dark mahogany, touch of ruby when held to the light.  Pouring as the bottle directs leaves a massive light brown head, thick, creamy, foamy, and ragged from the settling and pouring alternation.  The aroma is malty, sweet, creamy, chocolate, mocha, sugar, coffee liqueur, hazelnut.  The taste is smooth, creamy, sweet, dark roasted, chocolaty, coffee, a hint of liqueur.  There is enough hop bitterness on the finish to keep this from ending too sweet, it holds all the sweet flavors in check.  In fact, the finish is quite bitter and even becomes dry.  This drinks, really, like a coffee-chocolate liqueur with a hint of the creaminess of Bailey's.  As much like a liqueur as a beer, but not as thick.