Dark Element - Element Brewing Company

Dark ElementDark Element

Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.
BA SCORE
91
exceptional
-
113 Ratings
THE BROS
90
exceptional
-
read more »
rAvg: 4.08
pDev: 11.76%
Reviews: 75
Hads: 38

Ratings Help


Brewed by:
Element Brewing Company visit their website
Massachusetts, United States

Style | ABV
American Black Ale |  8.00% ABV

Availability: Year-round. bottle (63), on-tap (8), cask (2), growler (2)

Notes:
Previously named "Dark Matter."

DARK ELEMENT
This New American Black Ale, our strongest signature beer, has the malt profile of an Imperial Schwartz Beer and the floral characteristics of an American IPA. Saturated in hops, this intrepid style offers smooth dark toffee and chocolate flavors without the roasted bitterness found in many "dark" beers.

65.5 IBU
View:  Beers  (11) |  Events  (0)

Reviews

Sort by:  Latest | High | Low | Top Reviewers | Read the Alström Bros Beer Reviews and Beer Ratings of Dark Element Alström Bros  | Show Hads:
« first ‹ prev | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75  | next › last »
Reviews by TheLostGringo:
Photo of TheLostGringo
TheLostGringo

Connecticut

3.03/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Seen some of these Element Brewing Co. Beers on the shelf for the last year and have for some reason yet to have one, so tonight is the night.

Poured into a wide-mouth tulip glass and served at basement temperature. Feb 09, 2012 bottle date.

A: looks fairly dark at first glance but held up to light reveals more of a mahogany color. A nice couple of inches of head that slowly disepates into the beverage.

S: Getting mostly toffee and Pumpernickel perhaps a hint of hops, but not a lot.

T: Overly sweet, very malt forward, perhaps some bitterness in the finish from the hops but not sure if I am imagining it because it is suppose to be there.

O: Drinkable I guess, tastes more like a strong-ale then a combination of a Schwartz/IPA. Not something I would seek out again but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 02:07:07 | More by TheLostGringo
More User Reviews:
Photo of boonejag75
boonejag75

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%

05-18-2013 21:34:25 | More by boonejag75
Photo of jayhunter357
jayhunter357

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%

05-17-2013 23:00:03 | More by jayhunter357
Photo of In_Control_Mike
In_Control_Mike

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%

05-17-2013 22:59:33 | More by In_Control_Mike
Photo of gdub
gdub

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%

05-16-2013 14:25:08 | More by gdub
Photo of Kelp
Kelp

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%

04-29-2013 06:23:43 | More by Kelp
Photo of northyorksammy
northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.56/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Really A shwartz beer, a black beer and not a black IPA, freshly acquired by Peter FM. Roasty but not a black IPA, some hops but also some sourness in the finish. Lagerish in texture. Lacy on dark body.OK drinkability. Roast over hops is the smell.A little disappointing for the marketing, with a nicely wrapped bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 12:19:02 | More by northyorksammy
Photo of sirjobin
sirjobin

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%

03-23-2013 01:18:34 | More by sirjobin
Photo of Teddy-Pickles
Teddy-Pickles

Connecticut

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%

03-22-2013 23:06:07 | More by Teddy-Pickles
Photo of muskiesman
muskiesman

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -2%

03-02-2013 02:06:00 | More by muskiesman
Photo of dphillips
dphillips

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -2%

02-16-2013 01:56:05 | More by dphillips
Photo of dtx00
dtx00

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2%

01-12-2013 22:52:34 | More by dtx00
Photo of innuendobrewskiman63
innuendobrewskiman63

New York

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%

12-10-2012 11:45:31 | More by innuendobrewskiman63
Photo of brentk56
brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: The fudge brown pour is capped by a rocky tan head; very nice persistance and some webs of lace linger on the pint glass

Smell: Black bread and chocolate in the forefront, with some piney hops in the back

Taste: Black bread and chocolate, building with caramel flavors; the hops arrive in the middle and, after the swallow, balancing out the sweeter aspect, though the beer ultimately tilts malt forward

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: This bottle had been in the back of the fridge for a while so I guess a fresher bottle would be hoppier; still, an impressive beer

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 21:25:40 | More by brentk56
Photo of kjfinnerty
kjfinnerty

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%

11-19-2012 22:54:35 | More by kjfinnerty
Photo of cciquera01
cciquera01

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%

11-18-2012 14:30:29 | More by cciquera01
Photo of shigg85
shigg85

Japan

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%

11-16-2012 22:07:20 | More by shigg85
Photo of duceswild
duceswild

Maryland

2.5/5  rDev -38.7%

10-30-2012 04:58:34 | More by duceswild
Photo of mendvicdog
mendvicdog

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -14.2%

10-19-2012 19:26:29 | More by mendvicdog
Photo of smakawhat
smakawhat

Maryland

3.2/5  rDev -21.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a snifter glass at DC bottle share at Smoke & Barrel. Bottle dating April 20 - 2012.

A light tan head and somewhat creamy looking, with a kind of light red amberish brown body tinge. Somewhat clear also, quite nice.

Nose is strangely wood splintery oak. I am getting a weird sense of beechwood almost rauchbier going on. Not particularly hop forward either.

Palate is just a mish mash of things and all over the place. Hop front and mild resin, mixing with a good amount of pine, a soft clean and very crisp malt, with some off roast sense. Somewhat wet body seems to come through slightly, and doesn't highlight any of these flavors nicely.

I am not getting this brews angle here, this feels and tastes like a mess of things that just don't jive nicely with each other. Every flavor seems to be fighting for attention. It's not awful by any means just not digging it.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 23:15:35 | More by smakawhat
Photo of jacewg
jacewg

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev -14.2%

10-16-2012 17:45:45 | More by jacewg
Photo of Greywulfken
Greywulfken

New York

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Dark Element, April 2012 bottling...

I can't resist the allure of an unusual beer, so seeing this beer wrapped in paper was too much for me to resist - thankfully!

A: black-brown body, slightly translucent around the edges, fat pale foam head; lid of foam persisted; no lacing

S: hoppy toffee and mild roasted malt

T: delicious: toffee, caramel, slight mellow roastedness, some espresso, perfectly bitter and sweet at the same time

M: excellent drinkability, wonderful aftertaste, no astringency; smooth and easy drinking

O: this might've just jumped to the top of my black ales - easily on-par with Stone's Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale and Uinta's Dubhe (my current favorite black ales) - this beer demonstrates great craftsmanship and has a unique flavor that may veer slightly from the typical flavor profile of an American black ale, but I loved it.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 22:44:16 | More by Greywulfken
Photo of Gregwa
Gregwa

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2%

09-24-2012 03:25:48 | More by Gregwa
Photo of ADZA
ADZA

Australia

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another new brew for me and pours a kola hue with ruby highlights which leaves a three finger khaki creamy head and clingy lacing everywhere,the smell is dark cherries,chillis,piney hops,booze,milky coffee and grapefruit,the mouthfeel is medium bodied and lightly carbonated with tastes of brandied plums,grapefruit,milky chocolate,mocha and finshed just like a bittersweet cappicino and overall i love the balance perfect balance of malts and hops and a nice benchmark for American Black Ales would drink again cheers.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 09:13:16 | More by ADZA
Photo of mctizzz
mctizzz

New York

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%

09-13-2012 14:14:10 | More by mctizzz
« first ‹ prev | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75  | next › last »
Dark Element from Element Brewing Company
91 out of 100 based on 113 user ratings.