Darkness - Surly Brewing Company

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1,580 Ratings

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rAvg: 4.5
pDev: 9.78%
Reviews: 701
Hads: 879

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Brewed by:
Surly Brewing Company

Minnesota, United States

Style | ABV
Russian Imperial Stout | 10.30% ABV

Availability: Fall. bottle (524), on-tap (163), growler (11), cask (3).

Notes:
Labels:

2007-Grim Reaper
2008-Devil
2009-Mummy
2010-Vampire
2011-Zombie
2012 - Werewolf

View: Beers (31) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by DocJitsu:

DocJitsu

California

4.4/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I nearly cut my finger off trying to get that red plastic off of the top of the bottle. That wouldn't been a good way to start. Once I finally got the top popped, the beer klugged out of the opening like motor oil. It's nearly black as coal and just as opaque. Except for the bottom edge of the glass, which when enough light does pass through, glints of cola brown are noted. The Irish coffee (not the cocktail--actual coffee in Ireland) foam-colored head is a stubborn, sticky, foamy one that certainly contributes to the sexiness of the beer. The nose is nice, but, surprisingly, not strong. Chocolate liqueur, lactose, mild smoky notes, and ripe banana are all present. The mouthfeel is nearly perfect. Creamy, smooth, viscous, and delightful. It never really dries up either, not even on the finish. I love the flavor of this one! Milk chocolate out of the gate. Alcohol shows up about midway and keeps things warm even after the finish. But the alcohol doesn't take away from the beer. If anything it helps temper the sweetness. This is reminiscent of the chocolate bourbon balls my Grandma used to make around Christmas time, only quite a bit less boozy. My Grandma could get a little carried away on the bourbon in her recipe. Dark ripe fruit, somewhere between a sweet cheery and a date, emerges late. It amazes me that more aroma doesn't blast out of this thing given the big flavor. This is a really nice Imperial Stout. One of the best that I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 23:20:01 | More by DocJitsu

More User Reviews:

Hophunter18

Delaware

4.75/5 rDev +5.6%

06-17-2013 03:58:22 | More by Hophunter18

browniewithnuts

Pennsylvania

4.25/5 rDev -5.6%

06-15-2013 06:18:34 | More by browniewithnuts

jakeox

Illinois

4.5/5 rDev 0%

06-15-2013 02:46:30 | More by jakeox

Reggae4203

California

4.5/5 rDev 0%

06-14-2013 22:40:54 | More by Reggae4203

StevenSpringer

Wisconsin

4.75/5 rDev +5.6%

06-14-2013 14:16:03 | More by StevenSpringer

Prager62

Indiana

4.75/5 rDev +5.6%

06-13-2013 07:37:17 | More by Prager62

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.49/5 rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml red waxed 2012 poured into tulip 12/6/13 big thanks Rutager for the bottle, split with alpineclimber

A lives up to the name, black with a deep edge, massive three fingers of dark mocha foam stick around long enough to leave a a few well spaced thick rings, looks decent

S shocking how well the hops stand out against all this dark malt, grapefruit, tangerine and a little pine, sweet chocolate fudge smells so rich, Hershey's syrup, molasses, and a little coffee but not much, just a hint of plum and the booze is well hidden

T much like the nose but a little sweeter and the chocolates a little darker, coffees a little burnt and the hops are still strong, crazy strong, they must have used a shitload of the green stuff making this bad boy

M rich thick and creamy from the bubbles, a little sticky on the lips and I really have no idea where the booze is hiding

O hopped to hell and rich fudge make a great combo, pretty much zero booze and my glass is already empty at this point

Its always a great thing when a beer lives up to the hype and this one did exactly that. I wasn't expecting the high levels of hops but I loved it, for a fresh big stout the booze is nearly invisible. This one could age for years but great fresh if you like a hop bomb

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 02:21:39 | More by wordemupg