Art Of Darkness - Brewery Ommegang

Ryan011235

Ohio

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into an Orval chalice on 11/19/12

Medium, ruddy sort of brown that settles much darker. The head is fizzy, reaching 1/3rd of an inch before settling down to a fraction of that. Some lace.

The aroma has an interesting culmination of goings-on: rum soaked raisins, figs, black licorice, clove, toasted grain and overtones of Dr. Pepper and RC Cola.

The flavor has a lot of dark fruit - raisins, plum, maybe even some prune. Dark grains and spice, too. It has a slight cola bent, as suggested by the nose. Yeast tones throughout. The finish is dry and quite bitter with notes of earthy hops, unsweetened cocoa and perhaps a touch of coffee.

Art of Darkness has a smooth, rolling medium body with granular undercurrents. Carbonation tapers off over time, leaving a pillowy, plush feel. Very nice.

I worked on Art of Darkness for over two hours and I enjoyed it more with each sip. One to let warm. An easy recommendation.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 04:44:30 | More by Ryan011235

reitzbrewing

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

05-21-2013 00:56:27 | More by reitzbrewing

CDCNAM

Louisiana

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

05-20-2013 16:18:17 | More by CDCNAM

ElizabethEleanor

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

05-17-2013 03:14:16 | More by ElizabethEleanor

RickS95

Indiana

4.39/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750 mL bottle

The color is really dark. Mostly black with some lighter brown shades mixed in. The head is a finger thick of offwhite bubbles that eventually forms a light brown film around the perimeter of the beer. A gentle swirl shows spotty lacing.

The bottle mentions flaked oats and it comes across as an oatmeal stout in the nose. Caramel malts are the only thing that comes to mind. If you really stick your nose in there, notes of alcohol come wafting up.

The taste is impressive, borderline spectacular. They've nailed the Belgian style, doing it better than a lot of brewers from across the pond. The caramel malts combine with the house yeast for a toffee taste with a backdrop of cola. It's really impressive.

The mouthfeel is pretty spot on as well. With the carbonation, it gives off a peppery feel. There is alcohol that provides a bit of bite as well. A subtle sweetness starts the sip and the alcohol and carbonation provide a bit of heat in the swallow. It's full bodied, but has a crisp, tangy finish that really coats the tongue.

If I didn't know better, I'd guess this to be a Trappist beer. It's really that good and the taste and feel are world class. Despite the high alcohol, it's an easy beer to drink. It's so good it begs you to take another swig. Really happy with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 01:45:26 | More by RickS95

Zimm

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1%

05-15-2013 18:28:45 | More by Zimm

spencek91

New York

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

05-14-2013 23:12:17 | More by spencek91

amcaleh

Indiana

4/5  rDev +1%

05-12-2013 16:26:05 | More by amcaleh

zillo043068

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1%

05-10-2013 19:06:22 | More by zillo043068

kingmaker

Louisiana

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

05-10-2013 03:49:27 | More by kingmaker

jmerloni

Massachusetts

4.39/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A - Dark brown body with medium tan head. Velvety looking.

S - Dark fruits: plum, grapes, cherries, dates. Mild oakiness.

T - Dark fruits predominate, followed by a dry, oaky and earthy finish. Very well crafted flavor.

M - Moderately carbonated, medium-bodied.

D - A very solid beer. As usual from Ommegang. I don't think they're capable of putting out anything sub-birdie.

Serving type: bottle

05-10-2013 03:23:09 | More by jmerloni

BigLittleHokis

California

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

05-09-2013 06:10:42 | More by BigLittleHokis

defach

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

05-08-2013 23:00:02 | More by defach

SuyoonShin

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%

05-06-2013 02:45:21 | More by SuyoonShin

oakaged88

New York

4.25/5  rDev +7.3%

05-05-2013 23:37:11 | More by oakaged88

dar482

New York

4.04/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer comes in a very dark brown color.

The aroma has a bit of Belgian yeast, but more the dark fruits like raisins and plums.

The taste follows. It has a decent amount of the same. To me, it's a bit middle of the road. I generally want this style with bigger fruit flavors. However, it still a really wonderful full maltiness without it being too heavy. There is a bit of an aftertaste that I couldn't pin that. It's a big off, like maybe watered down chalkiness.

Still a wonderful brew. Maybe not worth the price though. There are better options.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 06:38:45 | More by dar482

capnamerica

Arkansas

4/5  rDev +1%

05-05-2013 01:46:32 | More by capnamerica

mmilyko

Nevada

4/5  rDev +1%

05-05-2013 00:55:00 | More by mmilyko

Jiatlas

Indiana

4/5  rDev +1%

04-29-2013 20:32:45 | More by Jiatlas

casapy

Idaho

3.75/5  rDev -5.3%

04-29-2013 01:23:24 | More by casapy

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1%

04-26-2013 15:18:18 | More by Jason1337

Kelp

New Hampshire

3.5/5  rDev -11.6%

04-26-2013 07:04:47 | More by Kelp

Rand_ale_Thor

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +1%

04-23-2013 23:47:03 | More by Rand_ale_Thor

Cark

New York

4.5/5  rDev +13.6%

04-23-2013 02:40:48 | More by Cark

merc7186

New York

3.99/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Mr Goodbar in Buffalo NY, poured into a goblet.

A: Dark Opaque Hue, Passes No Light, Brown Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Bananas, Apples, Plums

T: Strong Bananas, Plums, Sweet Bread

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Semi Sweet

Overall, a very fruity belgian dark, doesnt have that typical ommegang yeast flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2013 03:00:28 | More by merc7186