Art Of Darkness - Brewery Ommegang

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BA SCORE
89
good
-
375 Ratings

rAvg: 3.96
pDev: 11.36%
Reviews: 102
Hads: 273

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
Brewery Ommegang

New York, United States

Style | ABV
Belgian Strong Dark Ale | 8.90% ABV

Availability: Limited (brewed once). bottle (74), on-tap (27), growler (1).

Notes:
No notes at this time.

View: Beers (32) | Reviews (15) | Events (1)

Reviews

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Reviews by teromous:

teromous

Virginia

3.4/5 rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pitch black with a very thin off-white head on it that disappears into a small ring around the rim of the glass and small islands of bubbles. Small droplets of lacing.

S: Cocoa comes to me immediately. Then alcohol comes through, along with some light candy scents. The candy scent is similar to one of those old fashion root beer barrels...not the root beer scent but that sweet smell that accompanies it. It smells pretty good but I think it could possibly use some aging to get rid of the alcohol scent.

T: I'm approached with a combination of banana and fig flavors. Immediately following is a coffee flavor. I get a slightly iron taste to the beer as well. Some of the alcohol comes through, but there is a burnt character that masks it.

M: The mouthfeel is relatively bright with carbonation. Despite the limited head, there is a fizzy quality to the beer. I'm not overly fond of the carbonation level. It has a full mouthfeel, and has a welcome dryness.

O: I felt that the beer was a little too roasty for a Belgian Strong, and that it was a bit overcarbonated. I wanted more phenolic character, but it was masked behind the roasted flavors. Much of its Belgian yeast character was not brought to the forefront. It's not a bad beer at all. I felt that despite everything, it was a relatively average beer. I will enjoy my beer, but won't be looking for this beer anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 01:03:52 | More by teromous

More User Reviews:

smartassboiler

Illinois

4/5 rDev +1%

05-26-2013 02:20:48 | More by smartassboiler

ramblinwreck101

Georgia

3.75/5 rDev -5.3%

05-25-2013 03:02:44 | More by ramblinwreck101

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