Brooklyn Dark Matter - Brooklyn Brewery

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Pours dark brown win a somewhat thin tan head. Nose brings a good amount of depth with bourbon, roast, vanilla, and chocolate. He taste features bourbon and some oak along with roasted mmalt and chocolate. Hints of vanilla and booze. Good body with a nice boozy touch. Drinks quite well; really executed this concept quite nicely.

Serving type: growler

10-19-2010 12:25:36 | More by Thorpe429

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thrilled to be able to get a little mini growler of this one. I had wanted to try it but it tapped out up in Asheville before I could get around to it. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 05/02/2010.

Nice pour, deep hazelnut in color with a small off white head that capped off the top quite nicely. Faded down leaving just a touch of lacing along the sides but kept up a minimal amount along the top. Aroma is deep vanilla and caramel straight away. Warming brings out some decent touches of oak, hints of bready malts, touches of butterscotch and a rich note of brown sugar. Each sip seemed to bring more and more of the barrel up front as the richness of it really was coming along quite nicely. Rich touches of vanilla and butterscotch dominate the flavor with a smooth, herbal, meadow like hop presence that backs in after a good while. Well hidden abv offers up a nice warming without being too over the top and made it much easier to drink then I normally would have thought. A hint of light tobacco back in now as well as the flavor really starts to spread its wings. Very nicely done I have to admit.

Overall I really was quite impressed with this one. Fantastic brown ale that was aged nearly perfectly. Rich and sweet, delicate and yet still a full bodied ale. I would be thrilled to try this one again any day.

Serving type: growler

05-03-2010 22:43:18 | More by mikesgroove

Mora2000

Texas

4.22/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to ericandersnavy for sharing this handbottle.

The beer pours a medium brownish-red color with a tan head. The aroma is very sweet with some chocolate, brown sugar and oak. The flavor is caramel and chocolate along with dark fruit, alcohol, bourbon, brown sugar and oak. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: growler

04-27-2010 00:33:02 | More by Mora2000

scootny

New York

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A dark brown and cloudy brew. Decent head and lace. Smell has a bit of the floor malt from the Backbreaker with an earthy hoppiness. Light notes of bourbon, chocolate, and vanilla. A molasses tinged fruitiness. Taste is very British for an American brown. Much like the nose with a dry long finish. Bourbon is bigger with sharp sourness in the back. A bit of cookie dough as well. Feel is medium with a dry crispness. Goes down easy and quick. A very good one for cool spring nights.

Serving type: growler

04-26-2010 03:24:45 | More by scootny

ejrobert99

Florida

3.45/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

The color is lighter then I expected for a brown ale. I have seen darker brown ales. On the nose I am getting light notes of vanilla, alcohol, and brown sugar. On the palate I also get vanilla & light sweet bourbon notes. No detectable hop presence. This is a very approachable beer. This would be a good introduction to bourbon barrel aged beers or for someone looking for a sweeter beer. It leaves a light lacing on the glass. I think this would pair nice with a New York style cheesecake or try making homemade ice cream with it. I believe I set my expectations too high for this beer. I expected a bolder, more flavorful beer. I had a similar experience with Black OPS so I shouldn't be all that surprised. The folks at Brooklyn do a great job writing up releases such as this on their website. Too good if you ask me.

Serving type: growler

04-19-2010 00:19:24 | More by ejrobert99

HopHead84

California

3.45/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

4/17/2010

Growler shared by Nate (d0ggnate) at the Veritas 007 release. Thanks!

The beer is transparent dark brown with a small light brown head.

The aroma is awesome. Understated bourbon and vanilla with a bit of toffee, as well as burnt sugar and caramel. In many ways this reminds me of an English Barleywine.

The flavor is somewhat muted compared to the aroma, bordering on insipid. The barrel presence is stronger than in the nose, with vanilla, bourbon, and oak. There's some obscured toffee and a bit of burnt sugar. The taste is okay, but the aroma lead me to expect greater things from the flavor.

This was nice to try, and certainly worth trying, but I'm glad I didn't trade for it.

Serving type: growler

04-18-2010 05:34:02 | More by HopHead84

cosmicevan

New York

4.58/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Picked up a 1/2 growler (with the flip top seal) of this at the downtown whole foods earlier in the week.

A - Poured a rich caramel brown. Not overly carbonated and not much of a head.

S - Vanilla, nuts, roasted malts, a hint of a bourbon-ish sweet alcohol. Resembles cherries quite a bit.

T - Ginger, cinnamon, candy, caramel, vanilla, mostly malts. Really nice brown ale.

M - A bit watery, almost juice like. Very cooling. Quenching. So smooth, I'm wondering if some of the carbonation got away from this since I picked it up. I bought the 1/2 growler on Monday or Tuesday...now Saturday, but it was a flip top growler sealed to the top and made quite a pop when I opened it. Either way, it is a very enjoyable beer.

D - Really easy drinker. Almost too much so. The flavor is smooth and enjoyable and there is an ever so slight touch of bourbon booziness, but it is hardly noticeable and not in your face at all. Just a hint. Mixed with a wonderful brown ale.

Serving type: growler

04-10-2010 20:06:22 | More by cosmicevan

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

64oz growler from decicco's in new york. I sipped on this throughout the day at the compound.

Going into the glass, dark matter is not the darkest thing around, it looks like a regular brown ale, no more, no less. A cinnamon colored head, an inch in height, bubbly and soapy looking. Not getting more than stragely spots from this. A healthy looking brown ale.

I like the nose on this. Dark matter is not boozy smelling like a lot of barrel aged beers. From the two barrels used I get more of the bourbon than the rye in smell. Under that some malt, extra sugar and a bit of roast.

This came out better than expected, a bit more to this than bourbon over a brown. While I get more of the bourbon in the nose, the rittenhouse rye barrels come out more in taste. Some vanilla and cream and a raw nuttiness.with a bunch of warming, some cola like flavors arise.

Goes down real smooth like, dm has a medium build and a malty coating effect. This comes off a bit to sweet and could stand to have a bit of heat,the vanilla is a bit much reminding me of atwater vanilla java after warming which is not a good thing. this is almost to easy to drink though.

Dark matter is a good stab at some blended barrel aged beers into one. It,s real light in alcohol and body for the style so it's quite approachable, and drinkable. Paired up nicely with some pork tenderlions.

Serving type: growler

04-07-2010 03:31:47 | More by onix1agr

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler poured into a pint glass thanks to onixlagr for the chance.

A- a finger of tan head from a hard pour settles quickly to a simple ring. Deep brown in color that glows a beautiful ruby red.

S- mellow nose on this. Sweet and malty with some dark fruits. Mild bourbon touch as it warms. Nice and simple.

T- rye bread, brown sugar, and caramel. Malty for sure with some underlying dark fruits. Hints of the bourbon barrel with spots of wood and whiskey goodness in the finish but its very mild. A bit heat as well.

M- a good amount of carb coming from a growlerd barrel aged beer. Medium to full bodied and slightly syrupy. A nice linger for a bit after you down it.

D- solid stuff here I'm going to do my share on this growler and happily.

Serving type: growler

04-06-2010 19:14:53 | More by oglmcdgl

aerozeppl

New York

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Growler from DeCiccos. I was actually lucky enough to have a bottle of this a year ago. That was in the unlabeled Brooklyn caged and corked 750.

A: Super deep brown color that almost had a chocolate tone to it. Even an aggressive pour would not yield more than just a thin cover of bone colored head. No lacing at all.

S: Really nice. Big bourbon nose up front. Little bit of toffee, chocolate, just a touch of roast. Really nice smell but it is totally dominated by the bourbon.

T: The bourbon is fairly big up front. I liked how it worked with the little bit of chocolate and caramel though. I think brown ales and bourbon go fairly well together. Just a little bit of oak with a hint of vanilla in the back. Really nice tons of flavor.

M: Very well carbonated which was unusual because the beer had poor head retention. Medium bodied a little bit on the heavy side.

D: I had a snifter and a half and that was enough for a sitting. Still have the rest of the growler left in the fridge. Will happily have this beer again. They should make this year round. Excellent.

Serving type: growler

04-06-2010 17:39:54 | More by aerozeppl

Gmann

New York

3.73/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep chestnut brown color with a short creamy tan head that settles into a sparse cap. The aroma is not very distinct but does have a booze soaked dark fruit scent and some vanilla. The brew has solid bourbon flavor that hits right away. There is some nice oak and vanilla flavors. Not much from the malt which is a tad disappointing, perhaps some tea like characteristics. The feel is quite light with softer carbonation, finishes sweet from the bourbon flavors. I don't know what to think about this brew. It has nice whiskey flavor that is in great balance for the body but there is not much else flavorwise to this brew.

Serving type: growler

04-04-2010 05:11:07 | More by Gmann

Ineedabeerhere

Connecticut

3.65/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Growler from DeCiccos, had this tonight.

Pours near black with a little chestnut brown at the edge. A light beige foam fades to a ring for the duration, spot of lace here and there.

Aroma is just a really vibrant barrel impact. Rich bourbon flavor, some charred wood, vanilla bean and caramel candies. Very bourbon forward, but some chocolate peeks through as it warms. The taste is much of the same with bourbony vanilla impact, burnt brown sugar, some of the brown ale characteristics mid palate leading to a roasted nutty finish and aftertaste. The barrel impact really is the center stage here. It dominates and is high quality, vibrant bourbon impact but it gets to be a bit much after a while. The 16oz growler was a good amount to sip on for about an hour. It's not boozy, per se, but the bourbon intensity makes it seem a little stronger than it really is I guess? If you don't like BA beers, I would steer clear of this one. I kind of like it, but the ideal serving for my tastes would be ~5 ounces. I would revisit it again, and from what I gather, this is going to be popping up more often from now on....

Serving type: growler

04-04-2010 04:00:54 | More by Ineedabeerhere

mobyfann

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Paid $8.99 for a growler at Party Town in Florence, KY.

Pours a chocolate colored base with a decent sized head, and minimal lacing. The aroma mixes chocolates with malt and a touch of vanilla.

The taste started off with a mild roasted malt, followed with a minor touch of vanilla and a nice finale of bourbon at the end, very unique. Low carbonation and medium-bodied keep it reasonably smooth in the mouth; and very drinkable and a great session beer.

Final Thought: One of a kind; there aren't many out there that have such a nice combination of ingredients.

Serving type: growler

04-03-2010 23:45:59 | More by mobyfann

Popkas

Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a dark brown with hints of red tint around the edges. The head is thin but well retained.

S: Sweet malt, hints of chocolate, dark fruit, oak and booze. Very nice.

T: Oak, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate all melded together very well. Relly good.

M: Medium bodied, but a little thinner than I expected.

D: Very good beer and thrilled to have tried it!

Serving type: growler

03-29-2010 01:05:19 | More by Popkas

koopa

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Multiple growlers had over this weekend including a 32oz that kplynch brought to the Rosso e Marrone Batch 2 release at Captain Lawrennce yesterday and a couple of 64oz growlers that I picked up at DeCicco's in Ardsley after the event.

Appearance: Pours an attractive vibrant brown with the slightest chestnut to red folds. The crown in off white, 2 fingers, shows moderate retention and decent lace.

Smell: Wow what a nice mixture of medium roasted malt, whisky barrel, bourbon barrel, vanilla, and oak. I'm really impressed by how well integrated the whisky and bourbon characteristics are.

Taste: Just like the smell but with a touch less depth and pungency.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with good carbonation.

Drinkability: Really sessionable despite the 7.50% abv.

Fantastic barrel aged brown that I'm extremely pleased to here is going to be a part of the brewmasters reserve series.

Serving type: growler

03-28-2010 18:14:02 | More by koopa

Errto

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a growler, purchased same day. Served in a large snifter glass.

Pours a medium brown. Not amber brown or reddish brown or dark brown, just brown. Fairly modest head, but it sticks around and leaves some lacing.

Smell is almost like a dubbel, in fact that was the style that most immediately came to mind without having tasted it first. A little sweet, fruity, some alcohol noticeable.

Taste is much drier than the smell suggested, more like a traditional brown ale. You get that same chocolate malt flavor, a touch of hop bitterness though not too much, just nice.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly light for 7.5%, no resiny tongue-coating effect to speak of. Plenty of carbonation. Drinkability is good overall.

Edit: letting it warm a little and letting it sort of sink in, the bourbon begins to come through quite a bit more along with ... something, I can't promise it's the flavor of the Black Ops barrel but it could be. Nice, whatever it is.

Serving type: growler

03-28-2010 01:14:39 | More by Errto

m1ked

California

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pleasantly surprised this was available for a growler fill at WF Bowery beer room... not your everyday find.

A- pours an opaque dark brown, when held up to the light looks like a garnet, dark cherry colored beam shining through. Has a sustained tan nitro looking creamy head, about 1/2" thick. No streamers noted. After closer inspection, looks a little cloudy too.

S- I get a rich sweet brown sugar, dried plums (sounds better than prunes right?) maybe its the power of suggestion, but I get some cherry coke too. Not too unlike a quad here. Subtle bourbon boozy notes.

T- Man I get that rich cherry vanilla coke flavor (do they still make that stuff, I used to love that stuff), like a flashback from the Manhattan Project. Sweet , but subtle brown sugar, boozy notes. Roasted grains, dark bread.

M- More light bodied than I had expected surprisingly, low, but prickly carb, sweet but not cloying, and a little hot.

D- A bourbon barreled brown, hmmmm.... I have never had one before...Brooklyn Brewery, like their stuff. A very tasty brew, interesting flavors, while a little hot, not overly bourboned either. Not my every day choice, but a good outside-the-box-beer. I will thoroughly enjoy this growler. I can't help but think of the similarities between this beer and the Manhattan Project.

***edit***
found this on beernews.org
Brooklyn Dark Matter is a robust brown ale aged for four months in bourbon and rye whiskey barrels. Some barrels previously held Black Ops, some hosted The Manhattan Project, others came straight from the distilleries as soon as the whiskey was decanted. We've blended these barrels to create a beer full of caramel and chocolate flavors heightened by vanilla-like oak notes and hints of the barrels' previous tenants.

Serving type: growler

03-27-2010 03:45:10 | More by m1ked

ommegangpbr

New York

4.08/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Filled from the Whole Foods on Houston.
Holy bourbon, batman! The bourbon barrel scent hits you right off the bat. The flavor of the bourbon turns out to be not overpowering and well used in this brown ale. Cream soda and root beer come to mind. Very smooth drinking and not terribly carbonated, creamy on the palate. The alcohol content is not listed and I imagine it isn't very strong at all. Maybe their normal brown ale strength? The combination of the compelling bourbon flavors with the lower alcohol content make this something that one can drink for a decent length of time. Not the sort of thing that I would normally choose when in a mind for beer, but this definitely fills a niche.
I'd be happy to see this again.. maybe even at a higher alcohol volume? Maybe? Garrett, are you reading?

Serving type: growler

03-25-2010 05:53:36 | More by ommegangpbr

fragilemacabre

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Knowing nothing of bourbon (I'm a clear-liquor kind of gal) and not liking this style, I'm finding this eminently drinkable.

It appears to be opaque, but there's some good illumination coming through on the bottom of my pint glass. The head was thick but disappeared quickly.

I've been told it smells like bourbon a good deal, but I'm mostly getting burnt sugar and possibly root beer from it. It tastes a little boring; it's almost a synesthesia-type "this tastes like brown." It has a lovely cream-soda mouthfeel without a lot of carbonation, which is a huge plus in my beer book. I can't think of a time where I would actively seek this out, but I'm not upset that I'm sharing a growler of it.

Serving type: growler

03-25-2010 04:59:06 | More by fragilemacabre

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one on tap and the Amsterdam Alehouse in NYC. The beer they had on the menu was no longer on tap so I took one of these instead. This beer was a deep brown colored ale with a fizzy tan head on top. There wasn't much lacing really. The smell of the beer was sweet and malty, a little roasted also. The taste of it had a lot of sweet brown sugar flavors mixed with some roasted malt and what I think tasted like un-smoked cigar flavors. Very interesting brew here. The mouthfeel was nicely carbonated but had a subtle smoothness to it also. Overall I liked this beer, it bums me out a little that it's been retired. Glad I got to try it!

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2011 18:30:34 | More by Knapp85

megahurts4

Louisiana

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Brooklyn Dark Matter

Appearance: dark brown, medium-small head, and good lacing.

Smell: grainy malt, slight hops, and banana.

Taste: banana, slight dark fruit, and grainy malts.

Mouthfeel: medium.

Overall:
This is a good brew. The bananas can be tasted first followed by dark fruit. While not incredibly complex, this brew is well balanced and aged nicely. I waited almost a year before opening, yet I'm unsure how old it originally was.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 02:02:45 | More by megahurts4

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle from an event at Blind Tiger in '08. Considered batch 1 I assume.

Off white head with tightly compacted bubbles. Slightly transparent dark brown. Big whiskey booze in the nose. A lot more than the tap versions I've had. It might be offensive to some. Vanilla, coconut, and toasted oak. Interesting how the barrel takes over the whole aroma because of how the small the brown ale is. Smooth cocoa, oak, and vanilla flavor. As you get into it more the taste reminds me of whiskey barrel aged chocolate milk. The brown ale was given a great depth of flavor from its time in the barrel. No real alcohol burn to speak of because of the lower than usual abv for -bal aged beers. Thin mouthfeel and moderate carbonation. This is an experiment I'd like to see more.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2010 18:22:15 | More by BearsOnAcid

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Dilly Deli earlier this year.

Appearance - opaque, pale mocha head. No light getting through at any angle, though the lights at the DD aren't the brightest.

Aroma - yum. 120 mph winds sucked up a crate of Mounds bars and jammed them into a vibrant, healthy oak tree, that's what happened. The coconut and wood own the day here. Smells amazing. Chocolate and some buttery, boozy notes emerge with warming.

Taste - Unfortunately the flavor fell a little short for me. The malts are toasty and tasty but seem diluted. It improves beyond that though with good flavors of coconut and bourbon. The bourbon is trying to push out the beer flavor but stays mild enough to enjoy.

Mouthfeel - moderate carbonation, sort of watrery but not bad for the style.

Drinkability - Woodford is a rather popular (dare I say common) barrel choice but there is no getting around its distinctiveness and tastiness. Its familiarity is easy to get used to.

Serving type: on-tap

09-07-2010 20:22:50 | More by brewdlyhooked13

beer2day

North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Busy Bee in Raleigh.

A very dark brown pour into a snifter glass. Very close to black.

Strong sweet bourbon nose. Chocolate malt and light anise round out the aroma.

Surprisingly sweet brown ale taste. Really does taste like cookies. Strong bourbon overtones. Finish is even more surprisingly dry, considering the sweet start.

Medium body, a bit light for what was experienced taste-wise.

Easy sipper.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2010 15:51:13 | More by beer2day

Axic10

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap in a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Dark brown with no head.

Smell: Bourbon, roasted malts, vanilla and brown sugar.

Taste: Bourbon-booziness, vanilla, brown sugar, hints of chocolate and coffee.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied and creamy.

Drinkability: A definite sipper for sure. I don't know if I could put back more than 2 in a sitting, but this was damn good. I'm really digging these Brewer Reserves from Brooklyn.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2010 14:40:03 | More by Axic10