-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Damien
Surly Brewing Company
- From:
- Surly Brewing Company
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- Black IPA
Ranked #61 - ABV:
- 6.5%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #12,042 - Avg:
- 3.97 | pDev: 9.57%
- Reviews:
- 82
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 22, 2022
- Added:
- Oct 22, 2011
- Wants:
- 22
- Gots:
- 46
From the blackest depths of the brewhouse comes Damien, Child of Darkness. Spawned from the usually discarded remnants of Darkness, Damien is a dry-hopped black ale with flavors of roasted malt and dark brown sugar. Tangerine and pine aromatics only add to its insidious appeal.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Florida9:
Reviewed by Florida9 from Illinois
4/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: dark brown. Forms a thin but very stable ligh tan head. Some light lacing.
S: roasty malts and citrus hops
T: thinner than expected. Roasted malta, coffee, grapefruit. Coffee acidity.
M: on thinner side of medium. Mild bitterness. Appropriate carbonation.
O: a very nice, very drinkable small beer.
Nov 12, 2011S: roasty malts and citrus hops
T: thinner than expected. Roasted malta, coffee, grapefruit. Coffee acidity.
M: on thinner side of medium. Mild bitterness. Appropriate carbonation.
O: a very nice, very drinkable small beer.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by RonaldTheriot from Louisiana
4.81/5 rDev +21.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.81/5 rDev +21.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Damien Child of Darkness has a very thick, creamy, beige head and an extremely dark brown appearance, with heavy lacing. The aroma is of dark brown bread crust. The flavor is the same, with low bitterness and minimal sweetness, but lots of breadiness. Damien has a low-medium body and a dry finish.
RJT
Oct 22, 2022RJT
Reviewed by argock from Virginia
3.97/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
3.97/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Strong roast and pine in the aroma and heavy roast and dark chocolate and dark roasted coffee in the flavor with pine and light orange hopping. Medium body with dry finish. Interesting second runnings beer with excellent Cascadian dark ale character.
Mar 12, 2022Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania
3.53/5 rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A thanks to the creator of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured from a 16 oz.can. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of roasted malts, citrus. Taste is roasted malts, smoke, hints of citrus. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer.
Mar 03, 2022Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina
4.01/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.01/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Look: It pours very dark brown with a brown head. Head retention is good and there is quite a bit of lacing on the sides.
Smell: It has aromas of roast and a bit of sweetness in the nose as well. It has citrus and pine in the background.
Taste: There are a lot of roast flavors with a touch of sweetness in the initial taste. It has pine and citrus with a touch of chocolate.
Feel: It has a medium body with a bitter finish and a touch of sweetness with the background in the finish.
Overall, a very good black ale, but I would have loved it if the roast were just a bit less forward.
Dec 22, 2021Smell: It has aromas of roast and a bit of sweetness in the nose as well. It has citrus and pine in the background.
Taste: There are a lot of roast flavors with a touch of sweetness in the initial taste. It has pine and citrus with a touch of chocolate.
Feel: It has a medium body with a bitter finish and a touch of sweetness with the background in the finish.
Overall, a very good black ale, but I would have loved it if the roast were just a bit less forward.
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota
4.02/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
16oz can. Can bottom is stamped 'CANNED ON 08/25/21'.
Deep brown colored body, with some red mahogany in the lower sections of the glass. Multi finger light tan head settles back to a thick cap. Heavy spotting of lacing.
Aroma of rich roasted malts, with some pine and citrus.
Taste is dominated by the roasted and caramel malts, but there is also distinct pine and citrus hops in the mix. The aftertaste allows more hop expression of bitter pine and some sweeter citrus.
First expression is thinner than medium mouth feel, but the beer does fill the mouth with flavors with each sip. Very good carbonation.
The change in flavors during the tasting profile is what really makes this an attention grabbing beer. To go from a roasty and caramel malt to the bitter pine and sweeter citrus is quite the reward. Alcohol is well hidden. The body is a little thin, but this is in comparison to today's recipes of pastry IPAs and stouts. To acknowledge the dominance of roasted malts at the beginning is also to admit to the emergence of pine and citrus at the end. Very good but not outstanding.
Sep 28, 2021Deep brown colored body, with some red mahogany in the lower sections of the glass. Multi finger light tan head settles back to a thick cap. Heavy spotting of lacing.
Aroma of rich roasted malts, with some pine and citrus.
Taste is dominated by the roasted and caramel malts, but there is also distinct pine and citrus hops in the mix. The aftertaste allows more hop expression of bitter pine and some sweeter citrus.
First expression is thinner than medium mouth feel, but the beer does fill the mouth with flavors with each sip. Very good carbonation.
The change in flavors during the tasting profile is what really makes this an attention grabbing beer. To go from a roasty and caramel malt to the bitter pine and sweeter citrus is quite the reward. Alcohol is well hidden. The body is a little thin, but this is in comparison to today's recipes of pastry IPAs and stouts. To acknowledge the dominance of roasted malts at the beginning is also to admit to the emergence of pine and citrus at the end. Very good but not outstanding.
Reviewed by davisdahlberg6 from Tennessee
4.12/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.12/5 rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Canned on date 8/25/21 and enjoyed in a 16oz Founders snifter on 9/17/21.
Appearance: Pours a dark brown, but when in the glass it looks near black. 3 fingers of light brown sandy colored foam with nice retention and lacing.
Smell: A bit underwhelming but definite notes of dark fruit and coffee. Roasty and toasty notes with a bit of sourdough bread notes as well.
Taste: Wow, considering the nose I was not expecting the beer to be so hop heavy, but I’m not complaining, and they complement each other well although it’s a bit abrasive if I may use the term. Starts bitter and malty with notes of coffee, dark fruit, and roasted and toasted almost smoky malt flavors. Dark fruit blends with tangerine and apricot notes and ends with resiny, piney, and dank hops on the front end along with tangerine and apricot just as described on the can.
Feel: Medium carbonation and fairly light bodied considering how dark the beer is. The 6.5% is less than I would expect but fairly well hidden but has a bit of alcohol warmness.
Overall: Very unique, but the flavor is a bit much if you are planning on drinking all 16oz by yourself. Lovely blend of dark malt with pleasant bold hoppy flavors! For this beer I think once is enough considering it was decently expensive for a single can, but if half a can was offered to me I wouldn’t say no.
Sep 18, 2021Appearance: Pours a dark brown, but when in the glass it looks near black. 3 fingers of light brown sandy colored foam with nice retention and lacing.
Smell: A bit underwhelming but definite notes of dark fruit and coffee. Roasty and toasty notes with a bit of sourdough bread notes as well.
Taste: Wow, considering the nose I was not expecting the beer to be so hop heavy, but I’m not complaining, and they complement each other well although it’s a bit abrasive if I may use the term. Starts bitter and malty with notes of coffee, dark fruit, and roasted and toasted almost smoky malt flavors. Dark fruit blends with tangerine and apricot notes and ends with resiny, piney, and dank hops on the front end along with tangerine and apricot just as described on the can.
Feel: Medium carbonation and fairly light bodied considering how dark the beer is. The 6.5% is less than I would expect but fairly well hidden but has a bit of alcohol warmness.
Overall: Very unique, but the flavor is a bit much if you are planning on drinking all 16oz by yourself. Lovely blend of dark malt with pleasant bold hoppy flavors! For this beer I think once is enough considering it was decently expensive for a single can, but if half a can was offered to me I wouldn’t say no.
Reviewed by CarolinaCardinals from North Carolina
3.95/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Picked up a 16 oz single from the Kings Beer & Wine cooler 10-7-20 for $3.49. Canned 8-20-20; consumed 1-8-20. Cold stored since purchase.
Beer poured black with a very nice tan head that has some great hang time.
Nose has hints of roasted and citrus hops.
Taste is really well balanced with the medium roast malt baseline balanced perfectly by grapefruit hops; 5/10 on my bitterness scale.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and fairly smooth.
Overall a pretty good black ale which are far and few between these days!
Jan 08, 2021Beer poured black with a very nice tan head that has some great hang time.
Nose has hints of roasted and citrus hops.
Taste is really well balanced with the medium roast malt baseline balanced perfectly by grapefruit hops; 5/10 on my bitterness scale.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied and fairly smooth.
Overall a pretty good black ale which are far and few between these days!
Rated by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania
3.79/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A-
S -
T -
M -
O -
Nov 28, 2020S -
T -
M -
O -
Damien from Surly Brewing Company
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
445 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!