As promised, since I took so long to make the trip out to Medusa Brewing I am doing a second review this week. To be honest, this idea also gave me a reason to buy two 32 oz growlers (not that I needed and excuse). I usually prefer the smaller serving of multiple beers anyways, and now I’ll need to make a return trip soon to get them re-filled. I mentioned that Mesmerist was my wife’s pick for favorite beer we tasted, but my choice was a limited release, Medusa Black Ale Project. The Black Ale Project is the brainchild of Dave Pappas, a Marine veteran and founder of beer-journal.com. A series of breweries will each make a unique dark ale and donate all of the proceeds from the sales of this beer to a charity of their choice that helps our country’s veterans. The inaugural beer in the series was brewed by Medusa in August and is now available on draft and for growler fills until it’s gone. Medusa chose to brew a milk stout, which uses the addition on non-fermentable lactose to add some residual sweetness. I love when craft brewers use their popularity to give back to charities, and there are clearly a number of foundations that provide critical services for veterans and can use the assistance. Stop by Medusa to get some of this beer before it’s gone!
Medusa Black Ale Project pours pitch black with a small cream colored head. The scent fills your nose with the aromas of rich roasted malts. These malts lead the flavor with notes of black coffee, milk chocolate and toffee along with a subtle sweetness. There is just enough hop flavor for balance, earthy with enough bitterness to dry out the finish a bit. Black Ale Project is full bodied but smooth and not too boozy at 5.8% ABV. The finish has just a little malt sweetness that keeps you coming back for more. This is a perfect beer for after dinner, getting warm on a crisp fall night, or really any other time. Medusa had a chance to brew a beer for a great cause and they didn’t hold anything back, my only regret is that this isn’t going to be a regular part of their lineup. Hoppy Boston score: 4.75/5.
Previous Medusa Reviews:
Hoppy Boston 
