Darkness - Surly Brewing Company

Scoobydank

Minnesota

4.95/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

L:Thick milk chocolate colored head. The color itself is a dark black oil with not an ounce of light shining through.
S:I pick up a burnt bacon type smell, which i love. A nice hop nose, but not over powering. Very light coffee bean. Just a tiny hint of a fruity raspberry comes peeking in.
T:A big time smokey coffee pops out right away. Which apparently is where I got the burnt bacon from. A sweet chocolate covered raspberry with just a touch of toffee. The hops pops out and stick around throuhg out the whole sip.
M:Thick round and fat for a nice warming feeling. Very little carbonation makes it very easy.
D:Great rIS. Very smooth and complex. It seems like the taste comes in layers adding to the complexity. I could easily drink multiple(unfrotunately and fortunately franksandbeans has my other bottle)

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2008 01:01:44 | More by Scoobydank

Flyer

Wisconsin

4.28/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to Lisalucy for the Chirstmas gift, for which she waited in line for five hours. Ah, I've raised her well. A delicious and decadent imperial stout, and yet surprisingly un-complex for the style. Malty, with molasses and chocolate notes. It was utterly lacking in that soy sauce-like quality that can detract from even the best imperial stouts, which made it smooth and drinkable and yet would have to be regarded as a by-product of that lack of complexity. Not the cascade of intensity I associate with the style, but a great beer nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2008 03:28:41 | More by Flyer

SPLITGRIN

Kentucky

4.53/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle #194. Thanks to hero27 for the trade.

A monsterous three inch head jumps to the top of the glass with its soft carmel colored thick bubbles. Fades very slowly leaving considerable lace behind. Body is the standard jet black beauty. Nose is shockingly hoppy up front for a big stout with hints of spicey soft malt in the backround. Enters the mouth thick and almost syrupy with a powdery coco feel. A nice balance of grassy mineral based hops quickly kicks in to even out and almost take over the flavor profile. This creates a thick milk chocolate like feel that sits on the back of the tongue followed by a long even bitter hop feel. Although this is more hoppy than what I would usually like in a stout, it is unique and very welcome. Very nicely drinkable. Alchol is well hidden. A great and worthy stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2008 20:37:18 | More by SPLITGRIN

BeerBelcher

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to Lisalucy and Flyer for obtaining and sharing this bottle with me. This is an impressive beer.

It pours a black color with reddish and purple elements and a thinner-than-expected beige head.

Aroma is malty and surprisingly hoppy with a dominant smoky-molasses aroma. There is also a minimal chocolate smell; like hot chocolate powder. Flavor is a full roasty smokiness on the tip of the tongue and somewhat chocolatey across the top of my tongue. Mouthfeel is thick and smooth; and it feels like it would coat the back of a spoon.

This beer was much more drinkable than I expected and other comparable beers like Dark Lord. In all honesty, it tasted to me a lot like a less roasty and more approachable Leinenkugel Big Eddy RIS. Quite good, but I can't say I would stand in line 5 hours for it.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 01:45:55 | More by BeerBelcher

LittleBreeze

New York

4.03/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1/26/08

Thanks for sharing this one, drseamus.

I'm not sure this one "poured". It more like gulped from the bottle. Tan head.

The hops surprised me. I don't recall ever smelling a RIS that hoppy. Other tasters commented that it was a Surly smell. But it smells like a Double IPA

A nice malt bitterness sets up the caramel and chocolate. Nice bitter bite.

Dandy mouthfeel. A little dance on the tongue but not too much carbonation.

This is a very nice RIS. It didn't "win the night" when lined up against a few other beers in this category. I'll admit to expecting...more.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2008 21:08:57 | More by LittleBreeze

drseamus

New York

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

A: Jet black body with a dark mocha head. Standard RIS appearance.

S: Very citrusy hop aroma is the most prominent aroma. Some roasted malt in the background but not really any chocolate or coffee.

T: Strong roasted bitterness is right up front followed by a quick burst of sweetness, possibly caramel. It fades into a decent chocolate and then bitter aftertaste. Hop presence isn't as strong as it was in the aroma.

M: Thick and heavy. Perfect for a RIS.

D: The hop aroma is out of style for this beer, but is interesting none the less. A bit more chocolate would have been nice but I'll see what happens with age.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2008 23:10:54 | More by drseamus

aerozeppl

New York

4.38/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to drseamus for letting me sample this beer.

A: Pours black with no light getting through. Dark tan head with some lacing.

S: The first thing that strikes you is how hoppy this smells for an IRS. Citrus is very present. After than you get some of the roasted elements.

T:Bitter from the roasted malt at first. There is something at the middle we could not figure out. It lasts about half a second and it is wonderful. We classified it as burnt sugar (Caramel) but I do not know if that accurately depicts what is going on there. There is also a slight alcohol taste but within tolerances for the ABV.

M: Thick body that is slightly syrupy with a good amount of carbonation.

D: Very drinkable for the ABV. This beer was sampled VS some other RIS including Stone, Avery Czar, and Siberian Night and while it is a great beer I do not know if it is worth all of the hype. People at the tasting favored the Stone RIS with a year on it and I favored another with a few more years on it. The super limited availability I am sure has something to do with this. Great beer no doubt just don't mortgage your house to get it. That being said if you can get it reasonably definitely do so.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2008 04:48:34 | More by aerozeppl

gonzogambler

Minnesota

4.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My 2nd bottle from Darkness Day at the Surly brewery, #207.

This pours black as the ace of spades with a nice tan head. It couldn't be any more tempting. Nice lacing on the glass when drinking too.

Smells like dark chocolate and coffee with a slight whiff of hops.

The darkness is all I could want in an imperial stout. The taste is thick with chocolate, rising with a slight bite of hops, and then finishing with a subtle hint of bitter coffee. Mouth feel very well mixed between the smoothness of a stout and the bite of a hoppy beer.

The last bottle was consumed in an imperial stout tasting with some friends; that included: Darkness, Abyss, Speedway Stout, Poseidon, Sam Smith, Rogue, Yeti, Bourbon County, and Old Rasputin. The darkness was my favorite with the Abyss a close second. What really sets the Darkness apart is its unique hop flavors (like other surly beers) and how smoothly integrated all the flavors are making an outstanding beer.

I can't wait for next year! (not to mention all the other great beers from Surly in between)

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2008 22:17:17 | More by gonzogambler

Floydster

California

4.85/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

750 ml bottle with both red and black wax covering the cap, acquired in a trade with LeonTrotsky, one of the lucky people in Minnesota to get some of these, thanks a lot for giving me the chance to try this brew, review #475, 2007 vintage

Bottle #35, ironically drank while watching a pretty bad movie called "Darkness," took me about two hours to get through this bottle by myself, but I gave my roommate and girlfriend each about two ounces, took me a while as this is the first beer I have drank in a few weeks and I did not want it to hit me too hard, rather enjoy its distinct taste, less than six hundred were made in this first batch of bottling

Poured into my Dofish Head snifter with a pure black color and a very impressive 3/4 inch foamy mocha head that stuck around for four to five minutes, was not as thick as I would have liked but still not a thin or weak stout by any means, good retention and left sticky light brown lacing along my entire glass, appearance was nice because of the super dark color and creamy texture

Smell was pretty much perfect, dark chocolate, milk, floral hoppiness, several different varieties of fruit including citrus and berries, coffee, sweet cream, oak, wide variety of malty aromas, and a small amount of oatmeal and grains

Taste was great, the first instant of the first sip seemed like it was an india pale ale, it was such a hop bomb right off the bat that I could not believe it was a Russian imperial stout, it reminded more of Stone's 11th Anniversary with its color and taste, this was probably because I was drinking it too cold at first, the dryness of this beer was astonishing though nevertheless, once the hoppy character wore off after a few seconds, I got a lot of burned chocolate and espresso tastes, as it warmed more sweetness came to the surface that consisted of caramel, creaminess, milk chocolate, and some dark fruit, the hoppiness stayed there the whole time though, nice spiciness throughout and crazily smooth, strong oak tastes throughout to go along with the burnt tastes caused by the hoppiness and dark chocolate malt, this beer was very complex and had a lot of different things going on as it continued to get warmer and warmer, by the end it was so easy to drink, and the hops and malt were balanced out so well, very enjoyable overall

Body was thick but I expected it to be even more so, not comparable to Dark Lord in this sense, but that is not a bad thing, great mouthfeel with a perfect amount of carbonation, leaves a nice sensation on the tongue, taste lasted several minutes

Could have drank three bottles of this if I had all day to sit, and drink expensive and rare beer, very very drinkable, alcohol is hidden well and could definitely sneak up on you if you are not careful, over ten percent alcohol is strong stuff regardless, not too filling on the stomach because it is not overly sweet or strong tasting, goes down very easily because of its unparalleled smoothness

Very different from other highly rated imperial stouts I have tasted from this site, where Dark Lord is super thick and syrupy, and Kate the Great is sweet and warming, Darkness is soothing and surprisingly dry, making all of these beers very different overall, one thing they all have in common is that they are sippers or dessert beers that take a good amount of time to get through, and that they pack a serious punch as far as ABV goes, I cannot say any of these three are better than one another because they differ so much

This deserves all the hype that it has gotten and I feel honored to try a beer like this, especially after seeing how much it has sold in online auctions recently, I never would have been able to afford if it was not for this generous trader, awesome RIS that is very unique because of its in your face hoppiness, glad Surly bottled this masterpiece, I have not tasted a bad beer from them yet, Darkness was amazing and I hope to get some of next year's batch if it is available in bottles again, highly recommended if anybody wants to give up a bottle, fantastic drinking experience

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2008 01:32:54 | More by Floydster

LeonTrotsky

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 3

Bottle #27 consumed from my Darkness tulip.

A: Delicious. It pours jet black with a creamy brown head, exactly the way a stout should look
S: Sweet dark chocolate and fruity hops with a hint of coffee. It actually smells kind of like dark chocolate covered raspberries.
T: The taste is like the smell, but the hops are much more intense. It has a sort of harsh bitterness to it.
M: Scrumtrulecent. Thick but not cloying. Like the appearance, it is how a stout should feel in ones own mouth.
D: It took me quite a while to finish the glass and I didn't want another one. Good thing I was sharing the bottle; I wouldn't have enjoyed finishing it myself

I had Darkness on tap several times this year and enjoyed it much more. Maybe it was just my imagination but the hop bitterness from the bottle was much harsher (not in an enjoyable way) than on tap. The friend I shared it with has a bottle she is aging for at least a year and I think that bottle will be much tastier. It could use a good year in the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2008 20:30:20 | More by LeonTrotsky

zealot

New York

4.97/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I had this on tap several times while it was available, but I opened bottle #107 to ring in the New Year.

Pour was very black, and it may have been the wax or some other influence, but I think there was just a hint of a reddish hue on the edges of the brew. Rich, tiny, mocha bubbles covered the surface and stuck around for a while. Beautiful.

The smell is incredible. Sweet, hoppy, chocolate. Maybe a hint of citrus - not centennials or cascades I'm sure, but some pine and another exceptional aroma that I can't quite place, but DAMN!.

The taste is really where I am really blown away every time. Hops, chocolate, marshmallowy creaminess. It's like this beer has some sort of beer MSG in it making it tastier than anything ever made. The bottle version, I noticed, had a little more of an alcohol accent to it, but that might also be because I served it at the appropriate temperature, whereas the bar served it freezing cold. On-tap I was totally unable to detect any alcohol presence whatsoever. I had this next to a Flying Dog Imperial Porter one night, and the hop difference was astounding.

I'm serious about the marshmallowy creaminess. It coats your mouth, and the hops add just enough chewiness to it that it lingers both in the lining of your mouth and the glass. My glass was brown for twenty minutes after I had finished my glass.

In an effort to expose my family to good beer, I opened this for them, and was hoping that they would hate it. Totally selfish, I wanted the whole bottle. I could drink the entire thing easily. Get it. Drink it.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2008 22:06:09 | More by zealot

hero27

Iowa

4.78/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Blood red & black wax drapes the neck of the 750ml.
Bottle # 185.

Consumed out of the "official" 12oz Darkness glass...

Pours a dark, burnt chestnut...nearly black. Tannish brown head sits atop the dark liquid.
Aroma of dark chocolate, fig, and heavily roasted malts..molasses, caramel, and brown sugar flavors take control with the first sip...it's worth noting that there's a suprisingly strong resiny hop profile, since it's not something most people pay attention to in an imperial stout.
Expectantly huge body...coating, velvety smooth mouthfeel. Each sip I take seems to be more satisfying than the last..it's really hard to find any faults in this beer.
Somehow..(for a Russian Imperial Stout from a brewery only a couple years old) Darkness seems refined..almost like it has been perfected over decades. An absolute delicacy in the world of craft beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2007 06:21:34 | More by hero27

Erdinger2003

Iowa

4.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Bottle 237

Poured into Darkness glasses bought at Darkness Day. Pours a great brown/tan head with a great lacing and great retention. Black in color letting no light in whatsoever. Smell is hoppy with a good coffee background. The first smell when putting glass to nose was chocolate, then the hoppy/roasty flavor balanced out. The mouthfeel was unbelievably smooth and full bodied. Overall, I loved it. Was a great experience from sitting in the cold to drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2007 05:58:00 | More by Erdinger2003

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

marcobrau

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Simply the most viscous and flavorful RIS I've ever had.
A wonderful piney hop blast in the aroma and great looks; deep black with a tan head that leaves a thick ring of lace with each sip. A whiff of fudge complicates the aroma and is a precursor of the decadent fudge-like instensity of chocolate flavors to come. Hops and instense chocolate flavors mix exceptionally well as they mingle with subtle bits of anise and a streak of blackstrap molasses.
I love how thick this stout is up front and then how it finishes somewhat dry. The viscosity, bold flavors and alcoholic kick affects the drinkability of this stout, but it is a drink to be savored and served as my dessert at Cafe Twenty-Eight.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2006 02:50:02 | More by marcobrau

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