The newest canned offering from the folks at Point. 2012 Black Ale was previously only available on tap and in bottles. 2012 makes reference to the forecasted end of days according to the Mayan calendar. What better way to enjoy such an uplifting event than by enjoying a few beers? Cheers!

From the Point site:

"Thousands of years ago the ancient Mayans of Central America developed a "Long-Count" round calendar that ends ominously on December 21, 2012.  Some predict this symbolizes the end of time as we know it.  Inspired by this mystery, we offer Point 2012 Black Ale to help contemplate this 'end of time' or perhaps a 'new beginning.'  Dark rich roasty and complex, Point 2012 Black Ale is hand-crafted with Pale, Munich, and Roasted Malts with Cluster, Saaz, and Cascade hops for the robust flavor and finish.  Enjoy -- while there's still time."

Here we go...

Aroma - coffee with lots of sugar, caramel, molasses, cocoa powder and chocolate cake batter.

Taste - roasty and toasty with a sweet and tangy finish that reminds me of bread dough a bit. Fairly light bodied despite it's appearance. This actually quite a refreshing beer with a nice malt profile, little to no hop presence and rather light carbonation. 

Overall - this beer is more like a stout in some ways than a brown ale. It's got a lot more roasty flavors and an almost dry, espresso-like finish without the sweetness a brown ale usually brings. If there was an actual "Black Ale" style category this would fit nicely into it! 

Would I buy more of it? - possibly. Although I'm not within their distribution range. This is a nice beer, nothing too fancy but solid. If you like dark beers with a lot of flavor but not too heavy this is a good one. 

Note - With the recent announcement that Point will be canning their Oktoberfest this fall, this will make six canned offerings from the Wisconsin brewery. They also can their Cascade Pale Ale, Nude Beach Summer Wheat, Point Amber Classic, Point Special Lager and of course their 2012 Black Ale.