Buffalo Sweat (Tallgrass Brewing, Manhattan, KS)

Buffalo blockage in Yellowstone 2006

Watching the most recent episode of Brewing TV featuring Tallgrass Brewing, my wife thought Buffalo Sweat looked like a promising stout.  She can sense the taste characteristics from the color of the head (and is surprisingly accurate).  So, I took the opportunity to try it again and see if Gloria could have a stout to drink at home.

Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat

Incredibly thick brown head the color of malted milk balls.  So creamy that it trails dark where the final line of beer fights through to join the luscious blackness on the bottom.  Heavy earthiness, roasted malt and light floral notes in the nose.  If a buffalo sweats roasted chocolate, it would smell like this--oddly.  Mouthfeel is unexpectedly light and the coffee comes across as acrid over the smooth sweetness in the mouth.  I could see where an all day coffee drinker would like this beer--a cold coffee taste lingers about.

Yellowstone 2006 when we got through the line of cars

I'm perfectly fine buying this four pack of Buffalo Sweat, but probably won't get another one any time soon for either of us.  I'm curious to see if a draft would mellow some of the flavors, so will give that a shot when the opportunity arises.  It's a perfectly good stout, but the flavor profile doesn't match with either one of us.

And the Buffalo Sweat name doesn't exactly get my taste buds watering.  However, taking a closer look at our travel pic, the two tone color of the beer has a striking resemblance to an actual buffalo's coloration.  I have no idea how Tallgrass came up with the name, so it's just an observation.  Creative names are becoming harder and harder to find in the booming craft beer industry, but this one doesn't leave me dreaming about the next one.