Dark Seas - Mission Brewery

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured out a beautiful black color, nice oily looking body with a dark brown colored head on top. The retention was very impressive on this beer. The lacing was good too. The smell of the beer is heavily roasted and almost has a burnt chocolate note to it. The hops slide in there a little bit as well. The taste of the beer is rich, roasted, chocolaty, some coffee in there too the bitterness of some intense hops sting the tongue in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is nice and thick, good carbonation to it also. Overall this is a pretty damn good RIS. I would drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 02:05:17 | More by Knapp85

thagr81us

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from tap into a flared pilsner. Poured pitch black with a one finger brown head that subsided to a half finger slowly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of roasted malt, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and sweet alcohol. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and sweet alcohol. It had a heavy feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a good brew. The roastiness and sweetness on this one really helped to balance it out and make it quite easy to drink despite the alcohol content. While the alcohol flavor was present it definitely wasn't the dominate component by any means and rather added a nice level of flavor to an already solid backbone. Really glad I got the chance to try this one and I suggest you do the same given the chance.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2012 18:31:40 | More by thagr81us

Krakistophales

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours jet black with a nice but rather small chocolate head that quickly disappears but leaves nice lacing

S: The usual bitter chocolate, roast, malt, slight smoke, caramel sweetness and hints of anise

T: Rather sweet and kinda fruity up front, almost full of dark berries mixed with really dark chocolate, but eventually giving way to hoppy bitterness, chocolate richness, and espresso-esque dryness.

O: This one is interesting. Kinda sweeter up front than most RISs, and seems to have more fizz than most as well. A nice offering.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 01:34:28 | More by Krakistophales

AgentMunky

Alabama

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a St. Bernardus goblet. If this was actually only brewed once, then it's from January 2012. My bottle reads 9.8%.

A: A very dark brown, creamy, mocha head. A sinfully black body; utterly opaque. Heavy lacing.

S: Mmm. Chocolate, berries, dry-sweet malt, chocolate, distant roast, a touch of hops...pretty much everything I want in an imperial stout. However this nose comes only sometimes and every other sniff -- especially after my first sip -- comes boring, dry, and sterile.

T: Damn good. A deep milk chocolate base has just enough coffee bitterness to avoid sweetness and skip straight to roasted pleasantness. Gentle, soft, and alluring, it draws you in before treating you nice.

O: Delicious imperial stout. Must try. Will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 06:59:19 | More by AgentMunky

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.58/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Excellent big chewy stout, dark as night pours with a chocolate tinted tan head...spent oil all the way. Big chugging bubbled carbonation, with chunky spanning lacing. Aroma has deep chocolate notes, dark bitter roasted malts, expressive with a bit of coffee like tones and ample hops in the back end mild citrus/herbs. Flavor is big upfront a bit of booze whacks you right in the kisser, but the chocolate creaminess/creamed coffee combo soothes the palate and it becomes a big dessert beer with bitterness from the herbal hops and dark roasted malts. Carbonation is ample pushes this big bruiser of a beer across the palate well no off flavors or lingering harshness, very drinkable big imperial stout. Overall I loved it up there with the best of the best in the imperial stouts, I like this and Black Out from Great Lakes just about equally.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 22:30:40 | More by WVbeergeek

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.55/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Mission Dark Seas, 32-oz growler filled at Whole Foods Bowery for $7.99+tax. I first had this beer on tap at Pony Bar, NYC.

Appearance: Served in my Lost Abbey chalice/snifter, the Dark Seas pours thick and rich and black, with a by-the-book perfect one-finger head and good retention and lacing. Great-looking Imperial Stout, no doubt!

Smell: Damn, this is a good sniff! Roasty and bitter, a good hop base and great coffee around the nose. Sugar, some vanilla.

Taste: More coffee, dairy. Mostly sweet, thick chocolate and cookies. Sugar, some smoke and tobacco.

Mouthfeel: Truly exceptional indeed!! This is all I want in an Imperial Stout. Rich, silky-milky, creamy, sweet-and-bitter... full flavor and body, great carbonation. Smooth, never burns despite the hefty ABV.

Overall: I love Imperial Stouts but I'm picky about them... they have to be "just right". Some of the more famous ones, like Stone IRS, don't always cut it for me. Mission Dark Seas strikes me as very close to perfect. Great looks, body, smell, taste and drinkability. A winner!

Serving type: growler

05-30-2012 03:27:04 | More by DoubleSimcoe

leantom

Virginia

5/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer simply blew my mind. I'll most certainly be getting it again (and again).

A: Very dark. This is to be expected, given that the opaqueness of RIS's is greater than any other beer style. The beer also had a very thick, dark head that accompanied the body.

S: Incredible. Smells very chocolatey, and I don't mean the dark, bitter, roasted malt kind of chocolatey. No, the beer smelled very sweet and creamy, which is different from many other RIS's I've had (see "Old Rasputin" and "Storm King" by North Coast and Victory, respectively).

T: Like the smell, the beer tasted excellent. Usually, beers of this style taste somewhat bitter and coffee-ish given the presence of dark, roasted malt. While this beer retained some of the coffe-ish taste found in other RIS's, it was not overwhelming, the predominate flavor being milk chocolate and cream. Very drinkable.

M: Very thick and creamy. The beer was rich in dark malt.

O: This is not a beer to be missed. Imperial Stout lovers, rejoice!

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 09:13:46 | More by leantom

rudolphjacksonm

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Opaque black stout with coffee colored head and heavy lacing. Head dissolves suuuuper slowly and is delicious. This beer looks amazing for a stout! 5.0

S - Smokey malt and a hint of firewood and/or peat moss. Hint of sweetness, caramelized sugar maybe? Either way it's a pleasant smell with a tinge of ethanol. 4.0

T - Slightly sweet smokey malt flavors on the tip of the tongue, followed by a subtle burn of the 10.5% abv on the middle and back of the tongue with molasses and hop bitterness. Very nice coffee aftertaste. Very smooth considering the high alcohol content! 4.5

M - Thick and creamy, very stouty. Definitely what a stout should aim for. 4.5

O - A very, VERY solid stout. Possibly one of my new favorites. I'd recommend this to anyone who is a fan of a bran muffin in a glass. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 00:22:50 | More by rudolphjacksonm

kojevergas

California

3.23/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Guinness goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are average. 9.8%.

Served slightly warmer than refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a rich vibrant tan colour two finger head of excellent cream, great thickness, and great retention for the high ABV. Colour is a predictable nontransparent solid black. Opaque. Very appealing.

Sm: Chocolate, cream, roasted barley, and hints of a fruit ester (looking at the label, I assume it's plum). A mild strength aroma.

T: Cream, light roasted barley, vague chocolate, and out of place plum. Alcohol comes through. An imbalanced flavour profile. The cream is nice. It's built decently, but feels like a missed opportunity. After the appearance and aroma, I expected more. Not horribly complex or subtle. Pleasant to drink.

Mf: Smooth and wet. A touch too thick. Adequately carbonated. Complements the flavours decently. Should be coarser and more dry. Far too smooth and slick.

Dr: Drinkable for the style, but the alcohol does come through. It's a decent imperial stout, but will get lost alongside the many better beers in the style. Nice try, Mission, but you gotta do better to run with the big dogs.

Good call on the small bottle size.

C+

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 04:14:59 | More by kojevergas

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Stagnant light brown foam cap on a heavy black body. 4.5

Smells like a strong latte. Roasted malts, whiff of smoke, cut of charred meat. Sweet licorice, maybe ginger, extra dose of booze. 4.0, 4.0

Medium-thick and a little sticky. Carb is just right. 4.0

A decadent and mysterious Imperial. A fine drink on a cold, rainy April evening. 4.0

Serving type: on-tap

04-22-2012 04:10:36 | More by thecheapies

Murrhey

Montana

4.18/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- A quarter inch chocolate head. Dense with nice lacing. Jet-black in color. No light comes through.

S- Rich roast coffee and barley smells. Chocolate and toffee with a hint of vanilla as well. Dark and intimidating.

T- Layered malts and big boozy hit. First comes the heavy flavors, chocolate, coffee, roast barley, vanilla, tobacco, toffee. Packs a wallop.

M- THICK. Almost had to chew it.

O- Solid, not great. Tough ride but a tasty and roasty one.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2012 05:30:44 | More by Murrhey

Cylinsier

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz.

Pours jet black with a tan head about half an inch, dissipates quickly to a ring.

Smells of dark chocolate and smokey woody notes.

Tastes smokey and of roasted coffee and dark chocolate with some hop bitterness and a bit of brown sugar sweetness.

Full viscous body with tingles of carbonation and a slight alcohol warmth.

An excellent RIS, definitely worth trying for fans of the style or newcomers too. Not the best heavy dark stout, but certainly could compete for the upper echelons. Would have again.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 22:10:57 | More by Cylinsier

UCLABrewN84

California

4.33/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

9.8% ABV per the label.

Pours a super thick and opaque black with a foamy 2 inch amazingly dark khaki head that settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. Thin foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa powder, and some coffee bean aromas. There is a slight cinnamon aroma that comes out as the beer warms. Taste is of dark roasted malt, dark cocoa powder, coffee beans, and some subtle port wine flavors. There is nice roasty bitterness and alcohol warming in the back of the throat with each sip. This beer has a really thick and creamy mouthfeel with a low level of carbonation. Overall, this is a very good RIS that took me by surprise.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 02:22:51 | More by UCLABrewN84

wowbagger

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Dark oak-brown head, beer is deep black.

Smell is earthy with some yeastiness.

Taste is very wooden and dry with a hint of chocolate and grass or dirt. There is some sweetness on the tip of the tongue and the overall feel is very nice as it goes down. It left my mouth feeling a tad dry.

Overall, very good stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 23:40:48 | More by wowbagger

RandomBattle

New York

3.98/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz. Poured into a Karl Strauss snifter....yay San Diego breweries!

Appearance - Midnight black with and about one fingers worth of fluffy khaki head. Fantastic lacing.

Smell - Dark fruits, roast, cocoa, and light coffee. Very typical RIS aromas.

Taste - Sweet roast and chocolate flavors with some soft coffee notes in the finish. Very tasty.

Mouthfeel - Creamy, very creamy. Probably my favorite aspect of this beer. It is soft, velvety, and creamy, no trace of the alcohol whatsoever. An excellent and unoffending sipper.

Overall - Very much enjoyed this beer. While not a shining and bold example of the style, it is done very well and is definitely worth seeking out. Will be sure to get more of this.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 00:34:48 | More by RandomBattle

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A 12 oz bottle from Tim Johnson, Growlin' at the Moon for March 2012.

A: Oily, a viscous mess (in the best possible use of the word) that can't escape its blackness. A bete noire in my glass.

S: Alcohol, roasted malt, chocolate, and coffee. Quite a bit packed into one 12 oz bottle. A pleasant hoppiness, not overpowering, hovers around. This is, though, a murky RIS through and through.

T: Dark fruits, almost vinous, drive the taste, transitioning to the dark malts. Those malts are roasted, burnt, with chocolate and coffee in the mix. The booziness, another ~10% beer, is heavy but doesn't distract.

M: The richness of the stout doesn't get lost in translation, plenty of bold flavors with a requisite amount of booze.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 02:09:55 | More by akorsak

srandycarter

California

4.35/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle is a little under 10%

A - Pretty darned close to black. No light gets through. Big tan head slow to leave. Lots of spotty cling lace.

S - Chalky cocoa, soy, sweet toasty malt, some booze.

T - Big chunk of dark chocolate, bittery cocoa. Anise in the taste was not found in smell.

M - Heavy body, nice carbonation and balance.

D - A keeper. I will buy more. I love this stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 06:24:21 | More by srandycarter

Hex92

Virginia

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-black decent lacing.
S- smells good to me. Roasted malt and chocolate. No odd smells in my bottle.
T- real nice flavor. Malts are toasty, but not burned. Think I like it better than the old rasputin. Can't taste the alcohol, very smooth.
M- maybe a bit thin for the style. Would lie it to coat the mouth a bit more.
O- this is a very good RIS. I will definitely pick this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 03:41:35 | More by Hex92

jayhawk73

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours black, with a one finger chocolate head. Good, although thin lacing on the side of my snifter glass. Lots of bigger bubbles in the head. The nose is chocolate, oak, hops, and some coffee. I'd like the smell to be just a little stronger. The taste is really well done. Complex, and the coffee isn't burnt. None of the 9.8% abv is present. Not overwhelming with heaviness, just right. Feel is very smooth and full bodied, with just a touch of bitterness... Just the right amount. Overall, a good RIS. I'd definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 17:26:11 | More by jayhawk73

Jesstyr

Virginia

3.7/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Found at Rustico in Arlington, VA.

Pours pitch black, but not as oil-like as a TenFIDY. Sizeable light tan head that remains throughout. A good looking stout. Nose is overbalanced with woody smoke, not really enticing, and I like a smoky beer.

Taste is woody and chocolate. Smoke is strong, but it just lacks a certain balance that would make it an even better beer. Body is a little light for what it could be. Overall a good beer, just not a great one.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2012 17:03:58 | More by Jesstyr

ronniebruner

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer is black! Black as a beer can possibly be, and if you're like me, that's a good thing. The beer has a chocolate and charred wood aroma, and the taste too of both charted wood and chocolate. Pretty smooth beer, especially since the aroma is not exactly the most desiresble. Leaves a nice wooden taste on your palette and is definitely worthy of trying if you can stomach the odd smell.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2012 21:44:49 | More by ronniebruner

mactrail

California

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Black color in the glass. Rich and malty with a big hop finish. Very boozy with some vanilla. I notice some Jack Daniels barrels around the brewery, for what that's worth. Nice aroma of malt with a hint of licorice. Black roasted flavors, but more of a sweet finish than the Black Patent charcoal. Winey and mellow taste, but hot with alcohol. Dries out a little as you sip.

Very decent Imperial Stout. My favorite of their beers. Listed at 75 IBU. On tap at the brewery bar.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2012 05:30:39 | More by mactrail

Drinkerofales

California

4.13/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black, with hints of red and brown on the edges. A large dark mocha head forms and leaves some lacing. Just about right.

Smell is nice, complex, sweet roasted malt, coffe, dark fruit. A full smell that also has hints of booze and chocolate.

Taste is roasted malt, coffee and chocolate, as it should be, and in spades, but nothing special.

Feel is nice, not thin with plenty of carbonation that makes it fee lighter than it is.

I truly enjoyed this beer, Mission hasn't let me down yet. It is reminiscent of Old Raspy, yet it's own beer. I will be recommending this in years to come.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 04:15:46 | More by Drinkerofales

spartanfan

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at UJ's

A: pours an opaque black with a tiny head that quickly dissipates into a ring around the edge.

S: smells of dark chocolate and roasted malts. As the beer warms a floral hop aroma shows itself.

T: roasted malts and chocolate dominate the flavor. bitter earthy aftertaste.

M: creamy mouthfeel. Slight alcohol warmth.

O: a solid RIS, good complexity, but nothing to blow your socks off.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2012 17:36:47 | More by spartanfan

tanarm

California

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Awesome thick tan colored head persists. Black and opaque like it should be.

Aromas of almost burnt toffee, roasted coffee. Some toast. Dark chocolate. Light floral/herbal hop note finds its way in there.

Milk chocolate and sweet caramel leads to some roasted malt undertones. Light roasted coffee. Floral hops come in to battle sweetness to balance. Alcohol warmth is pleasing.

Thick, viscous, full body. Some creaminess for sure. Low carbonation is pleasing. Just enough. Some alcohol warmth.

There's definitely some booze in there, but it's masked well with some really complex flavors. Surprised by the sweetness since the aroma was so roasty and hoppy. Could mellow out even more with age, but its nice with those fresh hops in there - those won't last long. Its still a little too sweet in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 07:28:26 | More by tanarm