Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Ale - Dark Horse Brewing Company

wedge

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours thick and black beneath a small, creamy dark tan head. Highly malty aroma...dark chocolate roast, espresso, molasses, slight nuttiness, some creamy fruit. Big malt, char, heavy roast, and a dark, fruity tartness. Some sweetness, but it works well with the big roasty quality and smooths everything out nicely into the finish. The roasted malt is big at first, but I would say it's more like a quality, lighter roast coffee with it's fruity overtones...not like a dark espresso or french roast at all. The warmer this gets, the better. Medium body and smooth. Really nice all around! I've been wanting to try this for years and I'm glad it's finally available to me now. Somewhere kinda sorta between a porter, a stout, and an ice coffee...or something.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 01:19:27 | More by wedge

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured with the guys and people at Sams. Black body, with a strong smell of coffee, dark chocolate and roasted malt. I cant relly get much but a roasty thick porter. Light Single stout if you wanna swing that way. The taste is just the same. Lots of a bitter coffee and severly bitter chocolate. Light body and the booze is hidden.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 02:55:54 | More by VncentLIFE

rarbring

Sweden

4.15/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer is nearly black, has a small brown head that leaves no lacing but has big curtains.

Smelling chocolate, dates, a whiff of smoked bread and soy sauce.

Tasting of dark brown bread crust, dried dates and figs, dark roasted coffee and chocolate.

Little carbonation, soft and oily, a big body and a dry finish.

A nice balanced rich and complex beer (more RIS than strong ale to me).

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 19:28:14 | More by rarbring

MadScientist

New York

3.75/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This pour an intense jet black with thick brown head.

Rich malt aroma and american hops with some carmel and coffee aromas. There is a light alcohol hint in there but overall the aroma is subtle.

The flavor has a one two punch of strong hops bitternes and medium dark grain bitterness. There is a little bit of malt sweetness for support and moderate citrus hops flavor in the middle before a dry finish with a long hop flavor and bitterness in the aftertaste.

medium heavy body with low carbonation and a very slight astringency that seems grain derived. A slight alcohol warming.

A big, bitter and malty brew with juicy citrus hops flavor.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 00:25:31 | More by MadScientist

martyl1000

Wisconsin

4.48/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Without a doubt, this is the blackest beer I've ever seen. Nice dark brown head, though it's gone before you know it.

The burnt coffee flavor is awesome, brought down only by the metallic tartness of the [yeast?], which neutralizes and brings low the more giant-like flavors into the realm of a great porter and makes it an eminently drinkable brew, even in summer.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 05:38:21 | More by martyl1000

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

pours a deep, opaque mahogany tone - borderline black - yielding a lasting 1" tan / mocha colored head. tons of lacing. the nose here is subdued. slight notes of coffee and roasted malt and maybe a touch of chocolate are present, but i'm not getting a whole lot more. not bad, just a little 'meh'.

taste is a modest improvement on the aroma. roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee headline this beer with secondary notes of dark fruits and molasses. not a knock your socks off delicious beer by any means, but reasonably tasty and enjoyable. well-hidden 7.5% ABV. decent mouthfeel, medium bodied with average carbonation.

overall, as mentioned this is a solid beer if far from trascendent. curious as to why it falls into the american strong ale category - to me this is much more porter / stout territory. at any rate it's worth a try, just keep your expectations in check.

(originally reviewed: 05-26-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2012 21:08:27 | More by BostonHops

elNopalero

Texas

4.73/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This certainly lives up to its name, pouring the color of used motor oil topped by a foamy layer of cocoa-colored clouds. Looks wonderful, in other words.

I get a rich aroma of dark roasted coffee beans, as well as some terrific espresso and bitter dark chocolates. There’s a faint worn leather hint to it and an almost earthy touch of mushrooms.
The flavor comes off with that heavy and intense roast profile, followed by a sharply pronounced bitterness upfront. It’s a strong beer with a great body and a wonderful finish. I could easily imagine this bourbon barrel aged… (mmm… I’m drooling here.) Sip it and enjoy. I loved it!

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 18:43:51 | More by elNopalero

RuckusDu

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured maybe a finger and a half of light brown head which fell to a trace. body is dark black and needs maybe 4mm to see light through it. Decent lacing.

S - There are dark fruits, bitter chocolate, and stoutness.

T - Dark and mysterious. I would not classify this as a strong ale, more like a stout. Strong bitter hops to go with some chocolate and coffee. Not bad, but nothing special.

M - Solid carbonation and great body.

O - A good beer but pretty standard. Could get this quality stout just about anywhere.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 23:43:20 | More by RuckusDu

sendsilk

Florida

4.35/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle received in a trade within the past 12 months. The only bottle that i have so thank you whomever sent it!

Pours a terrifically dark black and smells pretty good, not as good as it looks.

This is a great beer. Dark and roasty with a perfect mouthfeel. I would almost call it a stout. A lot of dark malt backbone and seriously roasted char. A wonderful beer that I would be glad to have again.

Glad to have had this and would love to have another. Dark Horse has yet to disappoint me on any dark beers. Double Crooked Tree was not too good IMO but everything else has been solid.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 03:41:56 | More by sendsilk

Dope

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle is approximately 1-1.5 years old.

A: Inky pitch-black pour with a big, dense dark brown head. Fades slowly, leaving considerable lacing behind.

S: Lots of roasted malt. Dark, bitter chocolate with some coffee beans. Lots of dark fruit too, prunes, raisin and cherry.

T: A creamy, slick roasted malt character. Lots of chocolate too. Dark fruits kick in the middle with prunes and some raisin. Maybe cherry too as in the nose. Strong bitter coffee and char in the finish. A bit smoky throughout.

M: Thick and smooth. Low carbonation. Feels bigger than it actually is I think. A bit drying.

O: An interesting beer for sure. It's just an inch away from a stout but it's fruitier and smokier than most stouts I've ever had. A smooth and fairly complex beer. Doesn't stand out as amazing but it's solid.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 03:26:18 | More by Dope

siege06nd

Virginia

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

Thanks to IrishColonial for this one.

A. Pours brown-brown black, extremely dark. About a half finger of brown head rises and just as quickly settles to a quarter finger. Excellent lacing.

S. Coffee, brownie batter, and a little bit of vanilla back there. A very fudgy quality to this one. Sweet molasses but then a nice blast of coffee roast finishes with an almost woodsy scent.

T. Sweet malt, roasted coffee beans, some light milk chocolate. Bready malt profile is perhaps most pronounced here. Very different from the nose. Grainy sweetness but finish is a nice bitter coffee.

M. Moderate bodied, not a bruiser by any means. Fairly crisp and refreshing, actually, for the style.

O. A very good little beer here, kinda drinks like a lighter Founders Breakfast Stout. More emphasis on malt than on coffee, yet chocolate and coffee roast flavors each get their emphasis. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 21:53:50 | More by siege06nd

drewone

California

3.9/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

In my bruery tulip.

Some foam as pouring but head quickly dissipates to nothing, very minimal lacing. Deep dark brown (almost black).

Smells roasty. No hops.

Roasted, coffee with a minimal amount of tobacco. Leaves a pleasant bitter aftertaste - almost astringent. After taste reminds me of eating a roasted whole coffee bean.

Full mouthfeel - not to thick nor to thin - appropriate considering it's ABV.

Interesting - American strong ale (other than a catch all) is a bit of a misnomer - the Dark Horse Website states "has a hard time being called a stout or porter but it fits nicely into the category of a delicious strong black ale".

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 03:52:58 | More by drewone

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint.

A: Pours a deep shade of black. Beige head sticks around for a very long time. Broad rings of lacing coat the glass in a fine blanket.

S: Soft and chocolatey on the nose. Cocoa and dry chocolate cake. Nutty tastes in the background with hints of charcoal. Hazelnut. Earthy. Hops contribute a pine needle scent. Very subtle hints of berry and darkfruit in the background. A good but slightly understated nose.

T: Woody and chocolatey. Bakers chocolate, cocoa, hazelnut, charcoal and smoke. Plum and cherry fruit tastes come forward briefly in the mid-palate, but fade into the background shortly. Very faint touch of pine needle barely registers. The finish is dry but long, with lingering tastes of baker's chocolate and cocoa, a touch of bitter dark chocolate, and a slight woody flavor.

M: Thick and creamy, velvety and very smooth. Low carbonation.

O: Nothing revolutionary here, but I enjoyed it very much. Nice roasty tastes, well-rounded body. The brewers are hesitant to call this a stout or porter, but it's close enough that fans of those styles will find a lot of common ground. A solid buy, and it drinks very easily for a beer that is pushing 8% abv.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 03:19:24 | More by ryan1788a5

oline73

Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours black as night with a finger of tan head that fades to a ring around the edge of the glass and doesn't leave any real lacing.

Smell: Slightly sweet from the malt with roast and a ton of smoke. There are some mild dark fruit notes as well.

Taste: This beer is really bitter and smokey. The smoke combines with the malt sweetness, and I enjoy it enough, but the finish is quite bitter and that it rough to get over for me. Not a terrible beer, just not my thing.

Mouthfeel: The body is on the thick side with smooth carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This is an intense beer. Lots of flavor, but it didn't all work for me. Tone down the bitterness or the smoke and we'd be talking.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 00:53:45 | More by oline73

sraimondi

Connecticut

4.23/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one at The Lord Hobo in Cambridge last night (my first visit). Great stuff from a very good brewery. I really enjoyed this one. It's a very good representation of a Black Beer, not as sweet as many of the others I have made in the USA.

Steve

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2012 23:26:21 | More by sraimondi

secondtooth

Indiana

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep black, with a big tan head. The single-finger lace isn't beautiful, but it is thick and solid, for what it's worth.

Nose is very heavily malted -- I get cocoa, peat, and some alcohol vapors.

Taste is, up front, bittersweet chocolate, with a hint of roasted (almost burnt) coffee. Again, very malty. Surprisingly so.

This is a rich and flavorful brew, and not at all what I'd expected from the bottle and name.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 20:36:51 | More by secondtooth

Infamous7100

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: black and thick..thin tan head. Looks delicious.
S: coffee and lots of it. Roasted malt and some bittersweet chocolate. Not shabby.
T: top notch. The coffee and roasted malt mix really well and bittersweet chocolate notes do well to quell the sweetness. A generous amount of bitter hops play well at the back. Great.
M: thick and full bodied. Coats the tongue and leaves a pleasant after taste that combines notes of chocolate, hops and roasted coffee notes.
O: an outstanding offering here. The flavor profile of a stout, but the body and drinkability of a black ale. At 7%my you would think more booze would be on the agenda, but its hidden well and easy to put a few back.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 22:12:04 | More by Infamous7100

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours very thick and midnight black in color. This one looks like a stout. Head is almost nonexistent. Barely a ring of bubbles around the beer's outer edge.

S-Smells like a stout too. Coffee and chocolate. Burnt and smokey too. Quite a rich nose. Lightly bready and plenty of rich generic sweetness.

T-Rich molasses before anything. Coffee is strong as is the chocolate. Bitter mixture of hops and dark chocolate. Very full flavored. Booze masked quite well. Chocolate syrup and caramel with some vanilla too. A bit smokey and burnt.

F-Full bodied. Creamy and thick. Mild carbonation. Stout-like.

O/D-Not a bad brew. Unique enough to set itself a part from most. Maybe a bit too richly sweet for me. I did enjoy this but wouldn't but a whole 6-pack of it.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 04:22:21 | More by VelvetExtract

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at TJ's, Paoli, PA

Poured pitch black with a small creamy tan head that receded to a thin patchy layer. Aroma heavy with dark roasted malts and espresso; if this hadn't been listed as a strong ale, I would've assumed it was a stout from the smell of it. More roastiness in the taste, dark malts, ash, coffee, a touch of cocoa. Pretty one-dimensional, but still pretty good. The thinner body is the only indication really that this isn't a stout. Fairly smooth with a drying bitterness in the finish, pretty easily drinkable overall.

Serving type: on-tap

03-15-2012 11:39:33 | More by Rifugium

ChugginOil

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fresh bottle with new labeling. Thanks again to raymo55 for the extra!

I have had this awhile back on tap and now its time to try it out from the bottle.

Chug-a-lugs out of the bottle into a pitch black abyss that boasts a pillow of 3inches of light hazelnut colored head. There is some sticky tan lacing.

The nose has a decent amount of cocoa, tobacco, ash, roasted malt, and molasses. Pretty inviting but could use a little "boost".

The taste has some dark bitter chocolate with some leather, tobacco and bakers chocolate. The malts really go to work here but there is also a small amount of hops to add a nice bitterness to the brew.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a suiting amount of carbonation. Smooth and pretty damn drinkable.

Overall, this is a great brew that is put into a misleading category. This is labeled on the bottle as a black ale, on BA as an American Strong Ale, but it really tastes like an American stout! Tasty stuff. Once again, bravo Dark Horse.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 06:04:20 | More by ChugginOil

EnJeiBee

Wisconsin

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - It pours a thick, syrupy black with a thin tan head

S - The nose fits the profile of your typical stout. Dark roasted malt and burnt chocolate

T - The flavor profile starts off like a stout, filled with dark roasted malt, but finishes with a fairly hoppy bite. Overall, it reads more like a Black IPAs than the stout that it appears it to be.

M - Much lighter on the palate than I would've assumed it would be when I poured it.

O - This is an interesting brew that I fill fits the bill of what we're calling Black IPAs better than an American Strong Ale. The hoppy finish catches you off guard, but overall, the flavor profile is somewhat basic. I wish there were some more subtle flavors in there.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 23:56:03 | More by EnJeiBee

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into an RR -tion glass. This one has been sitting a while, but I don't know how long. At least a year.

Appearance - Pours a nearly black body with a small mocha head. The head fades quickly, but some of it clings to the glass. It's not as black as it looks in the glass, as some light penetrates at the edges.

Smell - Smells like a stout, really. Roasted malts in the form of coffee mostly. But there's also a very nice fruit quality to it. Raisins and plums and all the other cliched fruits that we smell in beers. Nice complex aroma.

Taste - Taste is a bit more of a departure from the stout category, though. Starts off quite hoppy with an ample dose of the roasted malts. Coffee flavors, as well. The middle is where the stout drops off, though, and it becomes more of a Cascadian (or whatever you want to call it). The hop flavor becomes significantly more prominent and gives it a hefty bite in the finish.

Mouthfeel - A little on the thin side for what it is. It almost feels boozy as a result, even though I don't think it is. The lack of a body makes it drinkable, but it doesn't retain the malt flavors as well. Medium high carbonation.

Overall - A pleasant beer, for sure. I'm enjoying it as it keeps me guessing as to what I'm supposed to be tasting.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 20:56:18 | More by Alieniloquium

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into a snifter. The brew appears black in color with a quick dissolving thin tan cap. In no time at all, there is just a pen-line of bubbles around the rim of the glass. When held to the light, it shows some clarity around the edges with some lighter brown coloration. A few spots of lace cling to the glass.

The smell has a hint of dark fruity sweetness coupled with anise. A bit of roasty grain imparts a bit of chocolate feel to the aroma. There is some citrus aspects present along with a touch of alcohol which brings the focus back in line with the fruity quality somewhat like raisins and plums. A light amount of cardboard/oxidation is present as it warms up.

The taste is dry and roasty with almost a charcoal feel and semi-sweet chocolate. That dryness quickly blends into a black licorice flavor coupled with some raisins and dark fruity alcohol. A bit of citrus hops and then a blend of roasty grain and fruity esters collide into the finish. The aftertaste has an earthy feel about it that flirts with almost tasting mineral-filled.

This is a medium bodied brew with a very light level of carbonation. It is a decent arrangement of flavors but all together I just scratch my head and dont quite know what to make of it. To me, it sort of comes across like the makings of a black lager but without the crispness and it carries a bit more bold character across the board. It isn't bad, but then again it isn't something I would be terribly excited to have again either.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 03:09:27 | More by stakem

JayQue

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a stout...maybe and Imperial Stout...but a stout all the same. Pours a jet black color with absolutely no light getting through. A small dark tan head that fades to a ring around the glass.

Good smell of roasted malts. More complex taste. Roasted malts, chocolate, a little vinuous thing going on and a touch of coffee...all stout-like characteristics.

Mouthfeel is a little light (for an Imperial Stout) but not in the least watery or weak. Goes down smooth, no hint of high alcohol.

Overall a solid, very drinkable beer with a higher alcohol content but not an alcohol taste. American Strong Ale? Probably not.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 00:53:49 | More by JayQue

cosmicevan

New York

3.73/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

thanks to cam for hooking up a box of dark horse for me a while back. poured into my ccb snifter.

a - brew poured a deep black with a thin dark brown head. if i couldn't smell the dark fruits during the pour, i'd guess this was a stout. head doesn't last long but is easily rebuilt. lacing is slippery.

s - dark fruit...grapes, figs, raisins, etc and booze. smells great. i'm a big fan of this style and they can vary greatly...i dig the ones that are more on the grape side of the flavor spectrum, like this one.

t - the flavor is big and roasty unlike the nose. finishes a bit bitter. some nutmeg and fig like dark fruits, but mostly roasted malts. has a black ipa thing to it. not bad, but not my ideal.

m - full and rich. good carbonation. bitter dry finish. boozy tingle.

o - overall, kind of like an imperial black ipa or something like that. the smell was what i was hoping for in the taste. it was still good, just surprisingly roasty. i was hoping for something more like a batch 9000.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 21:32:06 | More by cosmicevan