Dark Seas - Mission Brewery

BuxMontBeerLover

Pennsylvania

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

Bottle was purchased at The Vintage Cellar in Blacksburg, VA on a recent visit to southern Virginia.

Poured and sampled from a DFH Signature Glass

A - Beer pours a totally opaque, midnight black color. A nice, foamy, beige colored one finger head on the initial pour. Lots of sticky lacing left after drinking.

S - A roasted malt, coffee-like aroma. Smells really good.

T - A very tasty stout that has a ton of flavor. The beer is a mixture of heavily roasted malts, coffee, and a sweet chocolate taste that ends with a mild bitterness. A very smooth, creamy brew. The ABV is lurking there in the background but it never overpowers the taste or enjoyment of the beer.

M - A thicker consistency. Low to medium carbonation.

O - This is my first beer from Mission Brewery and I was impressed. It is a top-notch stout that hits all the right notes. I'd gladly have this again. Recommended.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 21:24:54 | More by BuxMontBeerLover

Bung

North Carolina

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

12oz. A nice thick looking black pour, half finger of light brown head.

Aroma, very chocolatey, some road malt. Lighter caramel and anise.

Taste, Roast malt up front, some anise. Heavy chocolates throughout the middle. Cocoa, coffee and some piney hops and anise again in the finish.

About full body, the carbonation is just a little too high to pass for creamy. Very nicely coating, just a little warming. Rock solid. Would definetely get again.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2013 02:13:52 | More by Bung

Greywulfken

New York

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

A: center-pour into a large snifter barely raised a head; oily black beer left a spattering of tiny motes as it went down

S: roasted dark chocolatey malts; espresso beans

T: bittersweet dark malt, hinting at cocoa, espresso; alcoholic undertones

M: fairly light for a stout, crisp on the tongue at first, then coating; drying, chalky

O: a good stout, but not one that distinguishes itself from the crowd

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 21:04:00 | More by Greywulfken

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

3.99/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Very dark brown (mighty nigh unto black), with only the faintest hint of mahogany where light penetrates at the fringes. Even the head was a medium brown, like toasted wheat bread, albeit rather thin and short-lived; lacing was minimal.

S: The smell is not strong (perhaps due to lack of bubbles launching the aromas into the air?) It's mostly sweet smelling, with some bready malt, raisin, and perhaps bourbon (identifying the components was difficult, as they were all subdued).

T: Sweet, toasty malts are strong up front. Then comes an interesting mix of buttery dacetyl and mild, creamy orange. There's definitely some coffee in the mix, but pretty far in the background. Bitterness from hops was late and mild, just enough to balance the fading sweetness. It became more tart overall as it warmed up.

M: Smooth, thick/chewy, but not well carbonated; the finish was just a touch dry. I did notice a hint of booze when I took my first sip, but this became very pronounced and distracting as the beer warmed up.

O: A lot of good, but some low points as well. Head and carbonation weren't very good, and aromas were quite subdued, but the flavors were nice. I found it was much better when it was still fairly cold -- the negatives in terms of flavor and mouthfeel really became pronounced as it warmed up (and this is a sipping beer, so it will warm up unless you're drinking it it a very cold place...) Indeed, although I enjoyed the first half quite a lot, it got hard to drink the final few ounces, and I ended up pouring out the last couple. This may be a good one to split with a friend in the future to avoid those problems.

A note to Mission Brewery: boosting the carbonation just a tad would go a long way to improve the head/aroma and the mouthfeel (IMO).

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 11:32:55 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- pours jet black with two fingers of espresso creama colored head. Very good head retention with lacing to boot.

S- big iced coffee and oily coffee bean on the front end. The middle has a touch of smoke with a soft roasted malt. Finishes with a plum dark fruit note.

T- soft roasted malt and iced coffee flavors on the front end. A touch sweetness comes in the middle with some dark fruit notes. Nice alcohol warmth and a hint of licorice on the finish. Lingering coffee in the aftertaste.

MF- pure velvet mouthfeel with a viscous full body and light soft carbonation.

D- nice and drinkable. A very solid RIS.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 04:55:31 | More by Viciousknishs

RandomBattle

New York

3.98/5  rDev -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

mntlover

Tennessee

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a black no real light getting through small coco head falls pretty quick to ring with some spotty lace.

Aroma is sweet chocolate malts with lots of fruits figs plums good dose of cherries. . Light roast and coffee notes underneath the nice sweet fruity notes.

Taste is big like smell nice sweet big malts, chocolate good fruit notes blend great with the sweetness. Some nice roast, good smoke notes lots of alcohol noted but blends so well that it is not a distraction. Finish is nice bitter hops, some licorice hints and lingering smoke.

Mouthfeel is nice not overly heavy for an Ipmy Stout but full enough with decent smooth carbonation.

Overall pretty nice brew not world class but enjoyable. Might just be in mode for a big beer but finding this one enjoyable tonight.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 02:34:27 | More by mntlover

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Pours a deep brown, not quite black, with 2 fingers of rich dark mocha (almost milk chocolate looking) head. This retains with a ½ finger of creamy froth, which throws up a rich cascade of lacing that quickly slides down the sides of the glass but doesn’t stick a whole lot. The aroma smells of smoky roast, green citrus, dark fruit, chocolate, a touch of molasses. That roasted coffee character and dark fruit really start to emerge as this warms.

The taste is similar, with a strong roasted and bitter hop profile up front, with sweeter notes of chocolate and toffee coming in off the sides, before this finishes with a zippy espresso finish. Dark fruit is fairly hidden at first but much like the nose, starts to emerge in a bit way as this warms. The mouthfeel is fuller bodied and really opens up as this warms, with some sharpness on the tongue and then more of a chewy creaminess the rest of the way. The alcohol is handled pretty well here, mostly coming out as some underlying spicy warmth that adds a bit of an extra aggressiveness to this.

At first, this just seemed like a big American Stout, with a prominent roast and hop profile but then more dark fruit and even a touch of anise came out to play (after this really warmed up) to allow to this to come off as more of an Imperial Stout. This definitely could have used a bit more finesse but it overall wasn’t bad at all for the style at all. It just takes a little while to really get going.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 17:48:57 | More by Kegatron

kaseydad

California

3.96/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked this up as a single....not sure of the scurvy within a sixer.

Pours a black ale with a nice sized beige foamy head. Very light lacing.

I am getting huge green olives in the aroma. No clue why. Some minor roastiness but again...green and now black olives. Dark chocolate. Dark fruits as it warms.

The taste makes up for the aroma. Roasted malt is big. Smokey and dark chocolate is present. Actually pretty darn good. Very flavorful. Long bitter aftertaste. Definitely a RIS on the bitter side so if you are looking for sweetness...this ain't it.

Mouthfeel is pretty full and silky.

Overall I was impressed with this offering. I think this is one of the better Mission Brews out there. The aroma threw me for a loop, but the taste is what we are all after anyways. Roasty and full bodied. And 10.5%. Couldn't ask for much more. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 23:57:46 | More by kaseydad

jayhawk73

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
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

Dijeriduster

California

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Shared with friends.

A - Dark, hazy black beer with coffee brown head. Not as black as some RIS but clearly full of roasted grains.

S - Wonderful roasted coffee, dark chocolate nose. Even non beer drinkers love the smell.

T - Surprisingly smooth and chocolaty. Roasted flavors come thru large but not in charge - the acrid taste of some big stouts isn't present here as they've done a careful job to make this a highly quaffable RIS.

M - As close to a nitro pour as I've ever had from a beer. Its creamy and lusious.

O - A great RIS that is easy to find on store shelves throughout San Diego. A big beer but not one that leaves you fatigued like many big RIS. Finally Mission has a beer that is well balanced and quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 17:08:01 | More by Dijeriduster

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle, no date. Label says 9.8% abv

appears jet black in the glass, very dark brown head that fades to just a thin ring. great rich aroma of booze, chocolate, figs. Taste is similar, with bold flavors of dark chocolate, smoke, plum, raisin. body is thick, coats the mouth. low carbonation. could maybe be smoother.

overall - well executed RIS. Seems they maybe have used some Special B malt with the prominent dark fruit notes.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 02:55:14 | More by jmdrpi

Proteus93

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: This beer is black. Stouts are black. There are only so many ways in which I can describe the way they look, and words like inky and obsidian are feeling overused... as are phrases such as "pitch-black," "black as night," and so forth. It does, however, have a nice, dark brown head that leaves a creamy and rather thick lacing on the glass. That wins it an extra notch on the appearance scale!

S: The aroma is a nice toffee and chocolate blend... more of a creamy milk chocolate, almost reminiscent of being in a candy store rather than that somewhat intense scent of bittersweet chocolate. There's almost a scent of smokiness in it... not like the rauch aroma, but a bit of a charred wood note. Quite nice.

T: A hop presence comes out a little more on the palate--one that I didn't pick up on (at least as much) in the aroma. This could be explained away in it being a bittering hop, rather than one of the more aromatic varietals, and it could also mean that I'm blowing sunshine out my ass. Along with it are some nice, traditional chocolate and coffee notes. While the coffee is perhaps a little more modest, the bitterness almost works with it to create a bit of a balance. Strangely, there's a sweet note that works in there as well, giving it a little bit of a milk stout quality, though there's not lactose thrown in here. This is a theme that I've now found with two Mission beers... a bit of sketchiness in balance. That said, I do still enjoy this one... just not beyond a 4 kind of like.

M + D: The body is pretty much appropriate to the style... I might have personally preferred it a little more chewy, but it works fairly well with the flavour profile. I'd say medium, verging on a heavy body, somewhat 'creamy.' This is a pretty pleasant stout, though I think the brewery might do well with a couple of tweaks to their hop selections.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 02:07:19 | More by Proteus93

mactrail

California

3.93/5  rDev -3.2%
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

DarkerTheBetter

Pennsylvania

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

With a hard pour from the growler into a tulip, a pale brown head rises and slowly sinks down to almost nothing leaving behind a few wisps of lace. The beer itself is an astonishingly dark brown. Little or no light sneaks through this one whatsoever.

Smells of crisp roasted grains, espresso and sour, overripe dark fruit. Very discouraging.

With a sip, this starts out surprisingly flavorless with just a distant ambiguous fruity sweetness, but after a moment a husky roastiness fades into view. The change up here is intriguing. I must say, this is about at the top of my tolerance for charred flavors. I'm still on the fence as to whether or not this is too much or just enough. I think this beer's saving grace is that the dry notes don't linger, tricking my palate into thinking I've just sipped a porter.

Feels really great with a delightful balance of viscosity and a trapped carbonation that artfully delivers and then retreats with the smokey notes rather than just exploding into a carbonated, charred fizz. The way this accentuates the flavor really carries a lot of weight. To top it off, it finishes smokey and clean. Kudos, Mission!

A bit startling in the nose at first, but the dynamism of the flavor, pushing the boundary of roasted barley without being a charred mess and an engaging mouthfeel make this a fine beer.

Serving type: growler

01-13-2012 22:10:39 | More by DarkerTheBetter

ronniebruner

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev -3.9%
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

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.84/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

maybe the best of the mission beers so far. this pours as its name implies, dark and stormy, with a big frothy head and no light at all getting in. there is a funny gray shade though, like not brown but an ashy color, not sure where it comes from, not super nice, and ive never seen it before. the nose is a little sweet, boozy, and complex on the grains, with varying levels of roast throughout. tastes like there is some oatmeal in here, with a little extra sugar and a nice smooth full body. I get a little tobacco and a touch of vanilla, but this isn't as intricate as some others in the genre. an odd bitterness creeps in in the finish, not from hops or burnt grains, but sort of unidentifiable. its not an off flavor, but I can place its origin. kind of a difficult beer to drink, full body and overly alcoholic. my bottle says 9.8% abv, rather than the 10.5% listed here, but it might as well be the higher number. overall mission beers havnt impressed me much at all so far. they all seems to be slight tweaks on the standard lineups breweries are expected to have these days without much different to set them apart. this one is a little better than the others, but still on the generic side, insofar as a Russian imperial stout can be generic...

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 17:16:09 | More by StonedTrippin

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of chocolate, some coffee. Taste is good, chocolate, roasted malts, some coffee, a touch of hops and alcohol. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a good quality beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 18:23:37 | More by tone77

Enish266

California

3.8/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Phileas Foggs, $3.50 for 10 oz during happy hour.

A - Black with mahogany colored head. 1/3 inch head with minimal lacing.

S - Toffee, roasted malts, and a hint of chocolate. Exactly what you would expect for a big imperial stout.

T - First taste is of bittersweet chocolate turning into a dry coffee bitterness on the mid-palate. Alcohol is not present at all and finish is smooth but not lingering.

M - Low carbonation that barely coats the mouth.

O - A tasty beer that would benefit from a touch more body. This is a one of the better beers I've had from Mission and I think it could be a good candidate for some type of barrel treatment.

Serving type: on-tap

01-11-2012 03:59:00 | More by Enish266

denver10

Colorado

3.79/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Pours black with a nice mocha head. A nice rich, roasty aroma with roasted barley and dark choclate. and a hint of some pitted fruit and some booze. Flavor followed suit with huge roastiness and dark chocolate, a kiss of some vanilla and a earthy bitterness in the finish. Some alcohol shows but not offensive. A fuller, mouthfeel. Overall, a nice solid RIS. Would happily drink again, glad to see 4 packs of this on the local shelves.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 22:47:34 | More by denver10

wowbagger

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -8.1%
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

SHODriver

California

3.73/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: poured into a snifter thick as used motor oil and pure black topped with a dark tan head that is small but quick recede to a small collar around the glass
S: smells of roasted barley and chocolate with a little bit of fruit and charred wood
T: roasted barley and bitter dark chocolate some of that fruit and a bit of smoky wood flavor. aftertaste is a bit of dark roast malt and more chocolate
M: smooth and velvety with soft carbonation that builds nicely on the palate. mouthfeel is full but on the lighter side of it
O: not bad at all, kinda simple and low on complexity but a solid beer and good for the price.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 04:56:35 | More by SHODriver

charlzm

California

3.73/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Consumed January 4th, 2013 at 1739 Public House in Los Angeles, CA. Reviewed from notes.

Beer is an extremely dark brown, allowing only a tiny amount of light to shine through. Presented to me with only a thin skin of foam for a head.

Very strong mocha and chocolate aroma. Bitter, roasted malt also present in aroma.

Flavor is much like the nose except for a slight tartness. Also smoky. Sort of a charred aftertaste with some notable bitterness. Enjoyable despite that odd tart thing. Maybe the lines at the bar weren't as clean as they should have been.

Slightly thick mouthfeel, but sadly lacking in the hoped-for velvety smoothness.

Not the best RIS out of San Diego, but certainly worth drinking if seen in the wild.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2013 17:09:03 | More by charlzm

spartanfan

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -8.9%
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

Jesstyr

Virginia

3.7/5  rDev -8.9%
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