Darkness - Surly Brewing Company

hopdog

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Acquired in trade with footbalm (thanks!). Vintage was the year before they starting bottling.

Poured a dark black color with brown edges and an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of strong pine, chocolate, smoke, and some dark fruits. Lots of hops in the aroma. Tastes of dark fruits, pine, chocolate, coffee, roasted malts and more hops.

One of, if not the most hoppy Imperial Stouts I've had (which for me is not a bad thing). I would even go as far to call this a dark IPA! Had a light alcohol finish. Nice smooth and easy drinking body.

Notes from and tasted on 1/5/07.

Serving type: growler

11-04-2008 19:52:23 | More by hopdog

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review is from the February 2007 issue of Beeradvocate Magazine.

Only 12 barrels were made, and we've been blessed with a 1/2 gallon, sent directly from the brewery on ice packs. Kickass!

Aptly named, this is one hell of a black brew. Its dark crown is rich, creamy, tightly formed, and coffee colored. Looks like a freshly frothed coffee. Blackberries, strong sherry, velvety dark chocolate, perfume of soft dried fruits. Thick, viscous, chewy, round, smooth and creamy. Semi-spicy alcohol is caught in the center, surrounded by char and smoke, and grasped by a fi st of sweetness. Malty sweet, but not cloying; molasses, dark brown sugar, charred raisins, juicy, ripe black cherries in a sharp, dark berry middle, and an exotically acrid dark-roasted coffee bite. Hop bitterness rises from the depths, along the sides of the tongue, stabbing at the palate here and there with some leafy and oily notes. Smoky-char linger in the fi nish, with a residual, deep, dark sweetness. Alcohol creeps, lurks and eventually strikes a warming blow to the skull.

Dark Lord Imperial Stout, kneel before Darkness! All hail Darkness! The best American-made Russian Imperial Stout we've ever had!

Serving type: growler

08-12-2008 17:47:30 | More by BeerAdvocate

Jredner

Florida

4.43/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The body is black with a pick-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps, magically self-forming head. It’s a small head, but it gets a nice dark mocha color before slowly fading out. The aroma holds some muted hints of acetone and perfumey alcohol along with dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, raisin and very faint burnt grain notes. Fore is chocolate, dark fruits (blueberry/cherry) and malt sweetness just before the finish. The finish holds dark chocolate, cooked dark fruits, cocoa powder, burnt malt and toasted/burnt grains. The mouthfeel is quite thick and very creamy and pleasing on the tongue. Very nice.

Serving type: growler

03-29-2007 17:59:08 | More by Jredner

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks to DarkerTheBetter for sharing this amazing beer. Sampled side by side with 2006 Dark Lord. Pours an opaque black with a thick, dark tan head about a finger thick. Smells of rich roasted coffee, bitter cocoa, and fruity hops. Initial taste is a huge hop blast followed by bittersweet chocolate, cappuccino, vanilla, molasses and yet more hops. Full bodied with medium carbonation. Coats the tongue. If this was the only RIS left on Earth, I would be completely content. Looking forward to drinking this again and soon. Cheers!

Serving type: growler

02-09-2007 20:08:22 | More by ClockworkOrange

Westsidethreat

California

4.72/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

JeffKrenner :worship:

A: Into the extra large Riedel snifter it goes. A full inch of the darkest, thickest foam blooms out of no where creating a firm and solid lid to the brew. The body seems thin compared to the thick head, but boy is it dark. Its like a black hole, no light gets thru.

S: Interestingly enough, the first thing I smell is cascade hops. The rest of the aromas are almost oily in nature...plums, chocolate brownies, espresso drip, chestnuts and robust brown sugar.

T: Again the first thing that hits me are the cascade hops, full and juicy. The tip of the tongue experiences milk chocolate, some sappy pine and an interesting dynamic between grapefruit and molasses. Actually I think most of the sweetness is in the realm of butterscotch. Espresso moves in allowing roasted characteristics to blossum. Then these hops pop back up! Is this the hoppiest (read: not bitterest) imperial stout on the market? Boy this beer warms well…the hops really become pronounced while the chocolate comes forth full and creamy. Finishes with buttery burnt cashews, spicy pine and bitter bakers cocoa. A heavy dose of roasted barley coast this one to fruition.

M: Full, thick and chewy.

D: Delicious and quite original. Definitely stands out from the crowd. Its up there for the best imperial stouts but I’m not quite sure its thee best. Not as luxurious as some of the others but jam packed with flavor. Delicious beer. Thanks again to JeffKrenner and his “mystery” source. I owe you guys big time.

Serving type: growler

02-03-2007 16:53:43 | More by Westsidethreat

Phatz

Pennsylvania

4.88/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Thanks to DarkerTheBetter for sharing this beer. A chance to sample this next to the coveted Dark Lord from Three Floyds proves that Surly Darkness is an Imperial Stout worthy in the company of the best available. Roasty chocolate cocoa and hops leave this beer a bit more drinkable than the boozy monster previously mentioned. It is a different animal but quite tasty as well. A berry tart attribute orange hops parallel the espresso and dark malts. Full bodied rich and beautiful, this beer is everything I hope for from a RIS.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!

Serving type: growler

01-30-2007 01:24:57 | More by Phatz

weeare138

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to hopdog for sharing this...
Appears a black with a dark maple brown hue. A dark tan, soapy head fades out into a gentle cap and leaves spotty lacing around the glass.
Smell is of hoppy pine, and oakiness up front followed by molasses, caramel, and cocoa. Sort of reminds me of Storm King with the hoppiness up front.
Taste is of cocoa, sugar, molasses, and plentiful of citrusy hops.
Mouthfeel is syrupy, lingering of chocolate, bitter, and mildly astringent.

Serving type: growler

01-10-2007 18:08:40 | More by weeare138

objectivemonkey

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

After a few servings of this fantastic brew, I finally sit down to reviewing.

Into a tulip glass, pours the darkest of midnight black, a thick, creamy tan head settling atop a Guiness-esqe cascade in reverse, bubbles look like they're going upward (though its dark in here, could have been seeing things). The head settles down after some time and drinking, and the darkness creeps through, but a good swirl brings the head back to life, and lots of lace is left on the glass.

Aroma is amazing, perfectly balanced between sweet and bitter, rich and thick of chocolates and espresso, sweet molasses and licorice. I can't imagine it being any better. The taste is similarly flawless, an understated study in the perfection of balanced parts creating a seamless whole. Even though this seems like the hoppiest Impy Stout I've ever tried, in both nose and taste, it isn't skewed toward the the leaf, as an equally potent yet counterbalanced sweet malting with dark fruits and chocolates and such combine into a beautiful whole. And its thick, very thick, one of the thickest, viscous brews I've had, and its just a fantastic beer to drink. And now I ask myself, dear God, why don't they brew this year round, bottle it in pure gold, for only the truest of beer lovers to drink and cherish.

Overall, I don't think I'm ready to give a 5. I almost did, but held back partially because and in spite of the fact that Surly is just over two years old, ie, it gets props for such fine-crafted beer so early, and if this one returns, I'd imagine it'd get even better (ie, the supposed bourbon barreled version). Only time will tell. So, drinkablility gets the blow because its potent, and, well, I couldn't very well knock it anywhere else.

EDIT: So, I was at Cafe 28 today, very delicious brunch. Anyway, they still have Darkness on tap, and I had given this beer a 4.95, but after having it one last time (maybe), I've noticed that on tap, its even thicker, creamier, smellier, tastier, and wantier than ever. So, with out further adieu, 5.

Serving type: growler

01-02-2007 02:17:15 | More by objectivemonkey

alexgash

Connecticut

4.88/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Picked up this dark, inviting growler at the brewery on the 23rd. Glad I got there early enough to get one of these, because this is a terrific RIS!

Decants a dark inky black with dark brown highlights. Topped by a very dense, glass-crawling, light cocoa brown head. Complex aroma of resinous hops, rich stewed fruits, sweet smoked meats, roasted barley, licorice, tobacco, and sugary espresso. Roasted bitterness up front. Followed by sweetish raisins, figs, coffee/chocolate liqueur, sweet smoked meatiness, molasses, and dark coffee. I really like the way the smoky/meaty flavors work with the sweeter, richer fruits and chocolate. Bittersweet finish of numbing hop resin bitterness and mocha chocolate syrup.

Amazingly thick and viscous mouthfeel and as full-bodied of a beer as I have ever had! Velvety smooth on the palate and dangerously drinkable. Complex and outstanding. Not just the best RIS made in MN (ha!) but one of the best I've had period.

Serving type: growler

12-28-2006 00:58:37 | More by alexgash

WonderWoman

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This poured so dark there was no penetrable light. There was a ring of golden head reminding me much of motor oil.
Smelt of chocolate and coffee.
Tasted alot like hoppy dark chocolate. Oddly it was salty when I licked the brew off my lips. There was a noticeable alcohol after taste.
It was thick and smooth with mild carbonation.
This was a bit much for me, but I thought it was nice for the style.

Serving type: growler

12-10-2006 22:38:30 | More by WonderWoman

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Special thanks to the SurlyMan for arranging to set aside a growler for a displaced Minnesotan. Then, my hat's off to feloniousmonk for getting said growler out to the east coast. Much obliged, gents!

First off, this one is about as dark as they come. It poured relatively flat, but then a copper and tan head crept out of the darkness to create a short creamy head. this fell after five minutes or so and left a slight collar. The bubbles that struggle up from the bottom along the sides of my tulip look like they're running in slow motion. Beautiful!

Smells of caramel and maple syrup that's effortlessly faded into grapefruit rind, pine hops. Seriously, I can barely detect the seam. In between the two comes little hints of classy dark chocolate. Nice.

The hops come through in the flavor much stronger than anticipated. They really steal the show up front with a dry sour hop snap that reminded me a bit of orange or grapefruit, but it's really in a class of its own. This is also accompanied by a glassy corn syrup sweetness. As the pine goes, it is replaced with a creamy, ever-so-slightly charred barley that reminds me of marshmallows roasted over a campfire and chocolate chip bran muffins. Finishes with a slight sting that feels more like citrus, with only a trace of a sharp lime sting. As the sting fades, I'm left with a nice espresso and a touch of smoke. Holy dynamics, Batman!

The body is medium to heavy bodied, but the viscosity traps in tons of little bubbles making this one feel like pudding. It also coats my mouth a little.

This is a very well done beer. Great for the style, and fantastically intricate. A sipper for sure, but I don't think I'd want too many of these on any given night. I'm glad I have help with this growler. Thanks again Omar and Al!

Serving type: growler

11-29-2006 01:51:22 | More by DarkerTheBetter

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

jaasen64

Massachusetts

4.19/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 Darkness, 750ml bottle poured into Lawson's tulip. Thanks Jameson for sharing this during our Murda'd Out tasting.

A- Pours a dark brown that appears a jet black in the glass with a thin mocha brown head that has about average head and recedes to a flat top. Spotty lacing that slides back into glass.

S- Cocoa powder, light bakers chocolate, some faint hop, decent aroma strength.

T- Cocoa powder, light baker's dark chocolate, light hops hiding in background that I would assume is more pronounced in fresher bottles. Finishes with rich dark chocolate cocoa powder that lingers as a nice aftertaste.

M- Smooth, very drinkable, nice carbonation that doesn't dominate too much, medium bodied.

O- This was a great stout that I really enjoyed drinking however I'm not sure if I'd say its one of my favorites. The overall flavor could have been richer instead of the cocoa powder taste. I would love to compare a fresh version of this.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2013 00:57:56 | More by jaasen64

Beerandboards

New Mexico

4.61/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

2011 bottle

A - motor oil black. Black the whole way through, even at the edges.. The thickness of the beer is obvious from its appearance. Small to medium amount of dense tan head.

S - aggressive chocolate, milk and dark. Coffee. Maybe molasses, some anise/black licorice. Dense and roasty.

T - wow. powerful. It tastes like someone made a great stout and then distilled it down to an extract. Really really rich. Up front there is a bunch of sweet dark chocolate, black coffee, sweet molasses. Roasted malts. The ABV is completely imperceptible.

M - this really is the perfect mouthfeel for a stout. Pretty thick, but not overly so. Light carbonation, smooth. One of the best I've encountered in this category.

O - quite simply an outstanding stout. Just an unbelievable amount of flavor. If there is a demerit, its that its so intense it is almost fatiguing. I split the beer with a friend, and we agreed it would almost be difficult to finish a bomber on your own, just due to the fact that it almost overwhelms you with the flavor profile. This is a must try for any stout lover. Easily the best non-barrel aged stout I've ever had, and one of the best stouts I've ever had period.

Excellent beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 06:13:43 | More by Beerandboards

vfgccp

New York

4.66/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A - Amazing looking stout. Full, thick, creamy khaki head with sheets of lace. Pitch black body with no highlights to speak of, even when backlit.

S - Raisin, booze, spiced rum, oatmeal, whoppers, vanilla malt milkshake, almond, touch of licorice.

T - Milk chocolate, oatmeal, nutmeg, brown sugar, caramel, cream, vanilla, bourbon, charred oak, molasses, rum soaked raisins, licorice, black cherry.

M - Outrageously smooth. Creamy full body.

O - A killer RIS that lives up to its reputation.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 03:17:41 | More by vfgccp

Jeffo

Netherlands

4.13/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Originally reviewed a bottle of the 2010 only a few months after it had beer released. I found the beer excellent and scored it a 4.43. We compared that bottle to a 2009 vinatage and found that the hops had faded quickly and it had become much sweeter and less appealing. Thanks for those bottles rpstevens and oakbluff. I thought I'd re-review a newer vintage now that I've been around a little longer.

From a 750ml bottle into a snifter
Vintage: 2012
Red Wax

Note: We drank a 2012 and a 2008 back to back. The scores are for the 2012 with comparisons to the 2008.

APPEARANCE: A dark pour yields a 1+ finger, thicker looking tan head with good retention. Head slowly fades to a good cap and coats the sides of the glass. Black body with higher levels of carbonation evident. A splotchy wisp remains until the end and leaves some good lacing down the glass. A good looking beer for sure. The '08 looked exactly the same.

SMELL: Roasted aromas and lots of pure, dark chocolate too. Quite hoppy for sure, with lots of citrus and floral notes as well. This is definitely a bold and hoppy stout on the nose. The '08 smelt a bit stale in comparison, so perhaps some oxidization is starting to play a roll. Caramel, leather and soy sauce show up as well.

TASTE: Very nice stuff. Roasted and chocolate flavors with caramel and toffee sweetness at the swallow. Lots of bitterness at the fninsh, with plenty of hops as well. Citrus, floral notes and some bitter, dark chocolate linger on the palate, balancing the toffee and caramel sweetness. Bold and flavorful for sure. Good stuff. The '08 didn't have the oxidized staleness that I'd expected from the nose, but the hops had pretty much disappeared. Sweet caramel and toffee with leather and soy sauce. A touch of dark chocolate, but it's mostly sweet and soy flavors.

PALATE: Full body and medium levels of carbonation. Very creamy and full with enough weight for sure, goes down smooth and finishes rather sticky. Full, heavy, and creamy. Great feel. Like chocolate milk. The '08 is much the same, though perhaps a touch lighter. Still, this is a full, heavy, dominating mouthfeel.

OVERALL: Perhaps not as impressive as when I was just getting into craft beer, but this brew is definitely a top class example of the style. Fresh, Surly Darkness shows great balance between the sweet, syrupy malt base and the big hop profile. The 2012 was great. As it ages, however, the hops fade and the sweet toffee and soy sauce become too dominating for my palate. As such, the 2008 just wasn't all that enjoyable any more. In fact, we did a 2011-2008 vertical a couple years ago and only the relatively fresh 2011 was enjoyable while the others were simply too sweet. I would call this a top class stout, but wouldn't bother with it after the 6 month mark. Anyways, thanks to SliverX for the 2012, and to whomever sent that 2008 a couple years back.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 19:23:14 | More by Jeffo

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Vintage 2011: This poured out as a deep black color with a brown head on top. There is a nice retention with a good lacing as well. The smell of the beer is of dark berries with deep roasted malts chocolate and subtle vanilla and soy. The taste is the beer is really nice, bold roasted malts, some smoke and bit of dark chocolate, there is a touch of saltiness in there too. The mouthfeel is silky smooth with a creamy body and subtle carbonation. Overall it's excellent. I had been curious how it would compare to Dark Lord and this is much better in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 23:53:44 | More by Knapp85

FLBeertender

Florida

4.95/5  rDev +10%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This was the 2010 at an EPIC BEER TASTING at a fans house. Huge. I mean as big as a parade of elephants jaunting through the mall...and there was beer too.

This edition was strong on the nose and palate, I remember wincing on the first sip. Deep bitter cocoa and molasses with hints of vanilla and clove. It went down smooth and I was sad that my 2 oz pour was only. Rich coffee flavors with layers of toffee mirrored by sweet caramel and a tar-like drip...not perfect, but close enough.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 09:00:48 | More by FLBeertender

HopHeadCnK

Virginia

4.86/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Enjoyed a 2012 vintage with a friend after letting it age for 2 months, this is the second best imperial stout I've ever had imo, only falling short to Abyss. Really excited about the 2011 I've got in the cellar, going to have to think of an excuse to open that some day. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 19:15:17 | More by HopHeadCnK

MNishCT77

District of Columbia

4.99/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On-tap at Pizzeria Paradiso DuPont Circle, unknown brew date, poured into a snifter glass, drank 3/28/13 over ~one hour.

A: 4.75 - black, no clarity (wouldn't it be ironic if there was any? ), soft vertical bubbles and substantial legs, one finger frothy tan head that resolves into subtle glass lacing;

S: 5 - chocolate, coffee, vanilla beans, some dark raisin/fruits in the background to boot

T: 5- minimal hop bitterness on the front of the tongue that quickly dissipates into rich and substantial dark chocolate and coffee flavors, vanilla bean and minor molasses sweetness on the back of the tongue

M: 5 - incredible smooth, silky mouthfeel, thickly coats the mouth and lingers for days; this is the epitome of mouthfeel for RIS

O: 5 - I never though that I would try this beer considering that it is only released one day/year in Brooklyn Center, MN with very limited local distribution but thank goodness for the CBC 2013 in Washington D.C.; like all of Surly beers, this one lives up to the extreme hype and is overall the most complex RIS that I have ever tried; I have never tried Dark Lord or Marshal Zhukov but I cannot imagine it being better than this

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2013 14:13:21 | More by MNishCT77

BrownNut

Florida

4.11/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 release. Served near to room temp in a tulip.

A - 4.25 - Pours dark brown, opaque black in glass. Substantial tan head that endures.

S - 4.5 - Wonderful malty, chocolatey, fruity nose. Like chocolate covered cherries. Also smells like some kind of candy bar element that is complementary to chocolate, whether sweet biscuit or caramel or something related, I can't place. There's a lot more going on here. It's not barrel aged but still there's a barrel liquor aroma going on. Reminds me of the nose of a scotch or a cognac just in terms of the complexity.

T - 4.0 - Powdery chocolate, mocha, cocoa, chocolate syrup. Sweet, mild, and particularly round in that respect. But alongside that round chocolate is something more pointy and bitter, which also leaves a dry finish and slightly raw tongue alongside the sweet and sticky chocolate aftertaste. Presumably it's hops given the tongue abrasion. Unexpected and interesting, that. Overall the taste is substantially less complex than the nose. The alcohol is more prevalent than in many of its ABV peers, but I'm a fan of more booze.

M - 4.0 - Creamy, yet not as thick as I've come to expect from RISs. I'd call it medium, maybe a bit north of there, though there is some stickiness in the end.

O - 4.25 - Good. The nose is fantastic and so I suppose there's just some disappointment when the body does not exactly follow suit. There's a round sweetness and a woody dry bitterness, which make an interesting pair, but it wants something more to elevate it, and a stiffer backbone to offset some of the sweetness. Still, it is somewhat unique. Probably not enough that I'd trade for it again, however. The hunt continues.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 02:11:31 | More by BrownNut

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

2012 vintage.
*sigh* Another overhyped beer.

Looked like a stout should: dark brown-black pour, with a small tan head that sank to a ringlet and left some splashes of lace on the glass. Aroma was typical as far as stouts go, dark roasty malts, some cocoa bitterness, with notes of herbal hops and anise. Same story on the palate, dark malts, dark chocolate, herbal hops, light woody notes, and a touch of dark fruits and licorice. Not very full in flavor like a good stout should be. I'm not really understanding the hype over this beer...you get about the same effect as you would from a Storm King. Not full-bodied, but on the heavier side of medium. A decent stout, but pretty standard overall.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 21:47:20 | More by Rifugium

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.03/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

the beer pours jet black with a thin tan head. the nose is caramel, alcohol, bandaid (subtle) & sugar. the taste is definitely all chocolatey malt forward with booze. the mouhfeel is definitely full bodied rich chocolatey stout, but easy drinking and smooth, very slight bitterness. this beer is definitely an approachable, drinkable ris that most people would enjoy

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 23:14:19 | More by ThePorterSorter

alysmith4

District of Columbia

4.86/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Whoa, what a beer! Had this as part of a 30+ mini-whale share that I went to. It was the second beer I tried, and ended up being the best of the night for me. Appearance and mouthfeel are good, but smell and taste were both awesome! Definitely on the sweet side for a RIS, but still well-balanced. And it's surprisingly non-BA, as all those wonderful barrel flavors seem to come through as it warms. Would have this beer again, and again, and again.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 16:45:00 | More by alysmith4

dptaylor

Minnesota

4.7/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Oh man, what a delight to try such a rare RIS.

My good friend works at a liquor store in the Twin Cities, so naturally he had a 2012 "Werewolf" bottle aging in the basement for the entire winter. We spontaneously decided to crack it open after what had already been a long night of drinking beforehand, so I apologize if anything seems biased and I obviously didn't take any notes. I drank the beer. I loved the beer. The wax around the cap that looks like blood was pretty cool, but a bit of a pain to cut through. Onwards!

Poured into a 12oz mug at basement room temperature (~65-70F)

A: Flawless black opaque with below average amounts of lacing. This is not an especially carbonated beer. I definitely enjoyed it's appearance though, you will not be able to shine light through this one, and the head has that awesome darkened "chocolate" appearance which you see on other heavy stouts and especially cream sugar stouts like Tallgrass Buffalo Sweat, etc.

S: Dark, earthy, chocolate, mocha, toffee, lots of toffee at the end too. Not much hop aroma that I remember (note: remember)

T: The complete, utter lack of alcohol taste is the most notable thing about this beer. It is 10.30ABV and yet it DOES NOT taste or burn like booze whatsoever. Deep, chocolately coffee notes and a sickly sweet fruitiness (prunes? raisin? some kind of dark fruit) intermingle with caramel, vanilla, they packed almost every usable stout every flavor into this RIS and with success. My ONLY gripe, is that it is a little too sweet for me. I would prefer the creaminess to be upped a little bit and the sweetness toned down, as it's slightly too "fruity" and sweet. The beer IS hopped, despite what I'm about to say, but to me the finish has a tiny itty bitty microscopic bitter note at the beginning and end, but I'd say it's safe to say it's almost pretty much hop-free to my worn out taste buds.

M: It's a tiny bit thinner than you'd think it is, and not very carbonated. But the MASSIVE body makes up for it completely. The aftertaste is addictive, you will want another sip!

In short, the best RIS I've ever tried. Tastes better than most stouts at half the ABV I've tried!

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 18:07:02 | More by dptaylor