Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout - Dark Horse Brewing Company

SportsandJorts

Michigan

3.3/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Type: 12 oz bottle
Glass: Pint
From: Tippins in Ann Arbor
Price: $2.25 for 1

Appearance: Dark black opaque beer. A little bit viscous. Tannish head that almost looks a little blue. Really good looking beer

Smell: Sweet blueberries, taken over by the roasted malts.

Taste: roasted malts, bitter dark chocolate, and finally a hint of sweet blueberries. The taste falls way short for me, the blueberries are just a hint and the beer comes out much to bitter, when I was wanting a sweet stout

Mouthfeel: pretty thick. ends quite bitter. bittersweet blueberries linger

Overall: I was expecting a lot out of this one but it underwhelmed and am i glad i bought a single rather than a four pack, or even two for that matter.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 00:01:04 | More by SportsandJorts

sleuthdog

Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into GI pint

Pour: Dark black like you'd expect a stout to be. Had a big three finger brown head with large bubbles creating a rocky appearance. Head stayed for a short time and settled to a brown film.

Smell: Malty chocolate at first quickly followed by sweet ripe blueberries. Actually does smell like a chocolate dipped blueberry or a chocolate chip blueberry muffin. I can almost see the crunchy sugar pieces on top of a blueberry muffin as I smell a sugar sweetness, too. It also reminds me of a blueberry pie because I'm getting a graham cracker smell reminding me of pie crust. Outstanding and unique smelling beer!

Taste: Roasted malts and bitter chocolate dominate with some char and coffee. Actually quite bitter and not what I was expecting from the smell. The blueberries hit mid palate but not in a sweet sense but an astringent way. This beer is complex and changes each time I take a sip. It seems to become a bit more blueberry forward as it warms.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and a very drinkable stout. Not too heavy and smooth and creamy feel.

Overall: I love blueberries so I had to give this one a shot. What I can say about this is that it is very interesting. A great beer? No. A solid, not typical offering? Yes.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 01:36:21 | More by sleuthdog

Efay

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Was craving a new stout, when this specimen came into my local beer shop. I absolutely love blueberries so I had to get a 4 pack.

A- Pours jet black, nothing more. There is about 2 fingers worth of frothy, brown foam. Awesome retention rate of foam and beautiful lacing.

S- You get a whiff of ripe, sugar sweet blueberries and dark roasted malted goodness. Not too complex, but it smells good.

T- Its very bittersweet. Sweet blueberries clash with dark malt that has a coffee taste. Theres also some bitter dark chocolate that compliments the sweetness. Ends with a bitter hop-like taste.

M- This is where I was pleasantly surprise. It was extremely drinkable. Not much carbonation on the tongue and light for a stout.

O- This is an excellent stout. Has the usual characteristics an average stout but the blueberries and hoppy finish just make this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 01:04:39 | More by Efay

Star80

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle with a thick layer of sticky sludge at the bottom. What is this? Yeast? Leftover blueberries?

A - It pours out a very dark black, with a brown head.

S - Smells wonderful, lots of blueberries, some chocolaty smells and dark roasty smells.

T - Taste is where I get a little mixed up. Big dark chocolate followed by some blueberry sweetness, followed by a lot of chalky, bittersweet flavors. Actually the finish has a really dry, annoying aspirin-like bitterness. Not at all what I was expecting.

M - Mouthfeel is still quite smooth.

O - Overall I bought this due to all the fans and heard it was one of the best of the series. Not sure if the bottle sludge matters or not but possibly it does, who knows. Interesting but flawed.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2013 23:39:37 | More by Star80

wedge

North Carolina

3.94/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque black color with a moderate tan head that recedes to a creamy topping. Blueberry is definitely apparent in the aroma, blending with some roasted malt and dark chocolate. Berries take it down a notch in the mouth as the flavor opens with more of a dark, charred maltiness, bittersweet chocolate, and a hint of roasted coffee - almost like a dry stout - before the blueberry enters and permeates all the nooks and crannies with lightly tart juicy sweetness. Medium bodied with some texture and a slightly dry finish. Perhaps not quite as impressive as the first two "holiday stout" series beers for me, but still a satisfying and intriguing brew that I'm sure I'll try again.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 01:51:30 | More by wedge

TCMike

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a glass, it produced a big, 3 finger, beige head. Not much for lacing . Poor slowly, as it produced more head than I would typically expect from a stout.

The aroma is of roasted malt, caramel, and blueberry.

The taste has a hint of added dark chocolate, and a barely noticeable hop bitterness. The blueberry taste is just right for the beer. It has a low-medium carbonation, and leans toward the high side of medium mouth-feel.

Very good stout. Would definitely recommend.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 23:12:36 | More by TCMike

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Dark black tan with a great 1 inch creamy head and tons of lacing.

Smell - Nice sweet aroma of blueberry soon as bottle is opened. Roasted malts, coffee, some chocolate, brown sugar and molassess.

Taste - Starts off with a killer mix of blueberry, chocolate, coffee and roasted malts. Blueberry is bold and smooth, not sicky sweet and acidic. Added sugars work well with the blueberry, give it a little sweentess and a honey like flavor. Mild hop note near the finish, adds a little piney bite.

Mouthfeel - Malts and blueberry coat tounge, sugars add some sweetness. Palate gets more blueberry, chocolate and malts, alogn with some hops. Aftertaste is blueberry, malty and a little tart.

Overall - Nice beer, balanced well, and fun to drink. Blueberry works well , not overly sweet or overpowering. Has the right amount of tart, sour and sweetness to enjoy. A nice winter offereing and a great addition of the blueberry to a american stout. Will enjoy annually.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 21:17:25 | More by wvsabbath

brock146

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark stout color with a chocolatey brown, fizzy, thin head

S - Coffee and blueberry muffins

T - Roasted chocolate blueberries. Delicious

M - Creamy, carbonation characteristic of a good stout.

O - Excellent beer from Dark Horse. Delicious stout with just enough blueberry to really push it over the edge.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 01:42:59 | More by brock146

Doppelbockulus

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This pours a very dark brown with a quarter inch head. Holding it to the light only allows light through the edges of the beer.

The smell was the first thing I keyed in to upon opening the bottle. Blueberries are a strong undertone behind the smell of fresh potting soil. There is also a floral, chocolaty characteristic. All together, these aroma components work very well together.

Taste is mellow earthy malt, creamy dark chocolate, dark blueberry muffin, and a mild tartness. It would be better if the tartness were gone, but that would probably mean the elimination of the blueberry, and I like the blueberry. Taste is good, but not as good as the smell.

Feels about as normal as many beers I have had. The beer initiates a small tingle, and aesily flows about the mouth with low viscosity. There is a very mild astringency or tannis feel.

Overall, it is pleasing, but not perfect. It certainly is an upper tier blueberry stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 23:04:15 | More by Doppelbockulus

BEERchitect

Kentucky

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

Dark Horse continues to explore the deeper side of beer with the third installment of stout: Tres Blueberry Stout. Its ingenious infusion of the roasty ale with supple background notes of Blueberry hits home with simplicity and respect.

But as any stout would, Tres opens with the deepest shade of brown without going black. With no hint of clarity, the beer is opaque and is solidly statured. Beautiful in its darkest weight, the beer builds a sturdy, slightly tanned head that caps the beer throughout and trails with pocketed lace.

At first, blueberry rises to the nose with the fundamental stout-like roast coming a split second later- concerning because of the shift of focus that goes from beer to fruit would upset the balance. However a minute of patience and a swirl of the glass allows the roasty elements of coffee, cocoa, walnut, and slight campfire to gain prominence. Thereafter, the mellow notes of blueberry resonate in true fruit form.

And that's where the taste picks up... the taste of roasted malt takes command with pleasantly scorched toffee, French pressed coffee, bittersweet chocolate, and mild smoke with nutty underpinnings all inform the taste buds about the base stout flavor. Blueberry additions recede in taste more so than they do in aroma. They peak through the malts but never rival for balance. Instead they simply decorate the roast elements with harmony and ballet. Woodish hops add a bitter finish that is easily mistaken for coffee and cocoa bitterness in its place.

Full bodied, the beer's robust textures are mainly attributed to the starch of barley along with creamy carbonation. But as the beer slowly sheds its marshmallowy texture, the dry roast mouthfeel rises and commands the textures heading into finish. Semi-dry and with light roast and ash, the beer is warm and smooth in its closure, and without a hint of berry-like astringency.

An indefinite linger of roast and fruit extend well into the next sip, but resists the malty textures that would accompany it. Tres is a fantastic stout that's been dress rehearsed in blueberry dress clothes.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 08:09:30 | More by BEERchitect

Docrock

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle was a gift from my brother, poured into a pint glass

A - dark brown with a 1" head the color of chocolate. Head disapates quickly, lacing was moderate. No light is penetrating this one.

S - mostly dark/bitter chocolate with a hint of blueberry and coffee.

T - one of the few beers I have had that tastes exactly like it smells. The lingering aftertaste is of the dark roasted malt and bitter chocolate.

M - smooth and creamy with little to moderate carbonation.

O - I expected more blueberry but I think my brother had aged this a bit. Would like to try a fresh one, might try at Brewpub to see if the aging diminished the fruit.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 02:50:35 | More by Docrock

eatatstokes

3.25/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I expected more from my initial impressions, but this one didn't stick to my tongue long enough to taste all that delicious blueberry I was smelling. A little coffee on the back. This might be a better stout for a warm day. It didn't hit the spot tonight.

Serving type: growler

11-22-2012 07:31:13 | More by eatatstokes

mountdew1

New Hampshire

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

Poured into an imperial pint glass. Color was a very dark opaque brown, that seemed to have a very slight bluish purple tinge to it. Had a 1 finger mocha brown head that was all little bubbles. over time it flattened out, and became a bit creamer with just a bit of hold on the sides of the glass. Aroma had an initial hint of blueberry, but shifted to a more of a roasted dark chocolate smell. A bit of fruity reminded hiding in the back. Flavor was more a mild chocolate that shifted to a definite blueberry pie filling. A bit of blueberry lingered afterwards. Coated nicely in mouth, a bit of cling to the sides, with a nice chew. Overall exactly as it should be. Well balanced stout, with a flavor profile that hit the name dead on.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 00:22:27 | More by mountdew1

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for this series, Yeahnatenelson!

Appearance. Pours black with a thin, dark tan head.

Smell. Blueberry pie, chocolate and coffee. Some dark roasty malts. Nice.

Taste. Blueberry pie filling, dark coffee, a little dark chocolate ans some slight floral perfume. A little sweet and slightly tangy from the berries. Doesn't go together very well for me.

Mouthfeel. Below medium body, medium carbonation.

Overall. I didn't like the blueberry and floral tastes I was getting in this one. Didn't go very well with the base beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 18:05:21 | More by Rutager

Flounder57

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle was poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: The beer poured a one finger mocha head that has reduced to a thin layer. It is pitch black with no clarity or vision of carbonation bubbles.

Smell: roasted and chocolate malts, freshly picked, sweet, and scrumptious blueberries. Can't really figure out other flavors in there with the blueberries being so strong.

Taste: roasted and chocolate malts, bread notes, smoky flavors, ash. The fruitiness in this beer does not overbeer the normal characteristics of an american stout. The subtle notes adds a nice touch to the beer.

Mouthfeel: smooth, medium bodied, high carbonation, a little dry and tingly, and easy to enjoy.

Overall: A nice addition to the numerical order of Dark Horse stouts. Got to go find me some Fore next. Such an enjoyable stout and the blueberry really didn't kill the beer and let all the other characteristics stand out.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 05:09:44 | More by Flounder57

psuKinger

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Big bounce-back win for the Bucco's today, so as such, bottle poured into my Pittsburgh Pirates pint glass.

A: Pours a surprisingly dark, motor-oil black, with a moderately thick tan head on top that dissipated relatively quickly but a thin ring is sticking around over the surface of the glass.

S: Wow, lot's of blueberries here. Roasted malts and hints of chocolate intertwine nicely from the background.

T: Taste follows the nose. Chocolate-dipped blueberry-beer. Definitely unique and flavorful. First impression, though, is that the Blueberry is a touch over-exaggerated for my liking.

Thick and creamy, mildly-sweet malted flavors at the start. Blueberry rushes in on a wave, driving a sourness to the back of my tongue with authority. Lots of chocolate malts underneath. There's a lot to like here, I just wish the Blueberry wasn't quite so pronounced.

M: Light, creamy, and luscious, with a nice dry acidic finish.

D/O: An enjoyable, unique, *niche* beer, but the Blueberry is out of balance and makes this not terribly drinkable for me. Fun on an occassion, but not something I'd want by the keg.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 22:36:46 | More by psuKinger

joefuzz

New York

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a used motor oil black with a tiny khaki head. Smells of roasted malts with a hint of blueberry. Tastes like blueberry pancakes with maple syrup and coffee. Mouthfeel is pretty thick and chewy for a low abv stout and carbonation is on the low side as it should be. Overall I was very surprised by this brew, didn't think I would like it much but it turned out to be awesome

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 01:06:20 | More by joefuzz

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is totally out of my comfort zone, since I am not a fruity guy, I prefer AIPAs to stouts and I usually defer to CANs vice bottles, but I was goaded into the purchase by one of the co-owners of The Fridge.

My pour resulted in two-plus fingers of thick deep-brown head with good retention. Color was a stygian, dense dark brown that allowed for ZERO light penetration. Nose was, indeed, tres blueberry! Redolent with blueberries, in fact. How can you go wrong with blueberries? They are full of antioxidants and I like to pop a handful in my mouth and bite down for an explosion of blueberries. That is what this tasted like, along with a slight coffee-like bitterness. Wow! Mouthfeel was medium and if it could have been just a little creamier, I would have been heaven-sent. Finish lingered with the taste of blueberry and I was thankful that I followed someone else's suggestion.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 23:54:36 | More by woodychandler

SouljaSaia17

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Saw this beer in the way back of the mix a six cooler and was the only stout there was, so I went for it!

A: This beer pours a dark roast color, no see through at all, with a solid 1/2 in mocha cream colored head that leaves some nice lacing.

S: Roasted malts with blueberry and a slight hint of dark chocolate.

T: Taste consists of roasted malts and a chocolate /blueberry blend with maybe some dark red fruit. I cant really get past the flavor much more than that. The chocolate/ blueberry is so dominant in the flavor.

M: Mouth feel is very sweet and creamy, no noticeable carbonation.

O: This is a very unique beer for me. I never had a blueberry stout, much less heard of one. It matches all the characteristics of a stout with blueberry added. Some will like it, some wont. For me, it gets a solid thumb up for innovation and quality!

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 04:53:06 | More by SouljaSaia17

sinstaineddemon

Connecticut

4.58/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - motor oil thick blackness, with a half finger of dark tan head that thins slowly

S - super blueberry, like fresh blueberry cobbler with mocha and coffee and unsweetened baker's chocolate. Magnificent!

T - at first it's like biting into a big thick juicy blueberry, then it quickly melts into rich roasted chocolate malts. Big smoky, charred malts with some meaty bacon-like characteristics.

M&D - smooth for its flavor punch, yet with chewy elements, and surprisingly drinklable. This amazing beer has quite a layered flavor that demands some attention. If you're not paying attention while you sip this brew, you will after that first sip.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 23:10:39 | More by sinstaineddemon

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Al's of Hampden.

The beer pours a blackish brown color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is pretty impressive in this beer, as I pick up considerable vanilla, coffee grounds, dark chocolate and blueberry. The flavor profile generally replicates the nose, but is dominated by blueberry, vanilla and coffee. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, with a fairly long finish.

Nothing really extraordinary here (though the blueberry component is a nice touch), but for a relatively low alcohol stout, this beer is pretty nice.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2012 15:08:43 | More by johnmichaelsen

brstls4drmrs

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks tsauce2 for this bonus.

A-pours a thick black liquid with a flakey tan, caramel head. Head disipitates quickly like a good stout should. Good lacing occurs along with a purple haze on the rim o fate glass. Evident from the blueberry for sure.

S-dark chocolate with some roasted malts hit first. Faint blueberry and fig are also present.

T-the fruit hits first with hints of blueberry and then raisin. The malts come next with some dark chocolate tones present as well.

M-started out a bit thin and then goes down slightly bitter and crisp.

O- a nice combination. Paired it with a Ben and Jerry's yogurt too. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 03:50:38 | More by brstls4drmrs

ehammond1

California

3.6/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle

Acquired via trade
Thanks, joshrosborne!

Black throughout and a small dark brown head that eventually leaves no lacing down the glass, surprisingly. The beer looks thick and appropriate.

The aroma does get better and better as it comes to room temperature. When cooler, it had quite a bit of mineral and artificial fruit flavor. As it nears room temperature, a nice chocolate covered blueberry and roast aroma appears.

The flavor is nice, with more and more blueberry presenting next to the chocolate and roast flavors as the beer comes to temperature.

Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

A nice specialty stout, and fairly well done, but I see no need to revisit a blueberry stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 03:53:26 | More by ehammond1

Naugros

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I've heard mixed reviews on this one. "Odd", "interesting", "special", "screwy mess" and others that I forget. I was excited to see it on a shelf at the Grain and Vine in Hyannis, MA while on vacation so I could see for myself.

The only thing about the appearance that stood out was the fact that the 1/2" head never went away. Other than that, a very standard looking stout.

But the smell is something else entirely. Freshly mashed blueberries come to your nose immediately and then burnt aromas follow, as if someone cooked a blueberry pie too long and the crust burned. That burnt aspect of this beer dominates the flavor and makes it hard for the blueberries to shine. I have to give them credit for actually having the blueberries present in the taste since so many blueberry beers fail to deliver in that regard, but beyond that it's like eating the little burnt bits in the bottom of a toaster.

It does deliver on body, starting off creamy, but then ash pervades in the aftertaste.

An interesting beer to be sure and I now know why the reviews are so mixed. You either like a strong roast presence or you don't. I usually do, but the interpretation of burnt toast doesn't really do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 18:39:50 | More by Naugros

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First off, thanks to Dr. K for the beer. Poured this from a 12 oz bottle into a CBS snifter.

A) Black, looked thick on the pour, nearly two fingers of head, which was a dark tan. The retention was fantastic. This had some traction too.

S) Good roast aroma, reminded me of a coffee blend I've enjoyed with my wife called blueberry muffin. The blueberry is definitely present on the nose, but not overpowering. There was also some spice that was familiar to my sense of smell, but I just couldn't place it.

T) Nice coffee, fairly dark roast, but doesn't enter burnt territory on the flavor. Light hops. This has an earthy quality to it. The blueberry is present, but stays subdued enough to keep this in solid stout territory. No alcohol noted.

M) Medium body with a pretty creamy feel. A little more carbonation than I expected, but the zip is right. This one coats the mouth and leaves a trail mix aftertaste.

O) I wasn't sure what to expect with the blueberry factor, but this was really very good. I would gladly recommend this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2012 03:42:35 | More by RoamingGnome