Xingu Black Beer

I bought this thinking it was from China. Oh well.

Pours black alright. Color and body of a standard stout, with a fizzy head but I'm going to stick with my gut that it's an ale and not a lager. Smells kind of like a porter. Slightly sweeter than a stout, with a smaller roasted smell.

Whoa. It's like drinking fizzy raisins. Blech. Too sweet with a weird tobacco (cigar, not pipe or cigarette) aftertaste. Stay away from this one.

Ridgeway Brewing's Bad King John Black Ale

I've started to like all Ridgeway beers, and a black ale as opposed to a black lager is intriguing, so I have high hopes for this one.

Pours like a stout, although not as opaque as some. Nice tan head and a good, roasted grain smell to it.

Excellent taste to it. I'm not sure what the difference between a black ale and a stout, but it feels just a little lighter in the body so maybe the gravity is the distinction. Either way, it's about like a Saint Arnold's stout, which I think is one of the lightest out there. It's even got a little more flavor than St. A's. Good beer, from a brewery that's working its way up my list.