Muskoka Dark Ale - Muskoka Brewery

CanuckRover

Ontario (Canada)

3.54/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark reddish-brown. Tan head has great staying power. Lacings are good and sticky. Lively carbonation is a bit of a turn-off.

Mostly just nondescript chocolate on the nose, not particularly complex, but by no means off-putting.

Chocolate comes through first. Carbonation kicks up some light fruit flavours. Roasty earthiness picks up in the finish and leaves a lasting bitterness.

Just a touch less carbonation would be nice.

Not a bad beer. Good flavour packed in there and it all slots together pretty well.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 20:40:15 | More by CanuckRover

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.74/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep brown, some ruby lights here, one finger of tan head, good retention and lace. Smell is full of chocolate and roast, caramel, coffee with a bit of spicy earthy hops. Taste is also quite roasted, chcoolate, fairly upfront bitterness, earthy hop flavours and finishes with more coffee and roasted malt. Med-high carbonation, med body and a bit prickly. Really quite a nice brown ale that I could have multiples of in one sitting, a bit of an underated and quite drinkable brew.

Serving type: can

01-13-2013 00:29:18 | More by peensteen

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

355ml bottle poured into pint glass 20/9/12

A dark cola with a reddish glow in the light with enough clarity to see that the liquids full of bubbles, light mocha heads a solid thumbs width and has decent retention and leaves some random lace

S chocolate milk and a little nutty toffee and some smoked meat, smells OK but a little faint

T some fruity notes on top of what I smell, I can't quite pick it out though, much like the nose the flavors decent but a little faint

M a little thin but the bubbles give it some life, I think there might be more flavor on the finish then while drinking it

O nothing wrong with this one but no reason to remember it either, just a little faint but what it has is decent

I wouldn't go looking for this but I'm not upset there's two more in my mixed pack

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 16:58:31 | More by wordemupg

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - nearly pitch black, thumb of head dissipated to a thin covering with decent lacing
S - big roasty notes, mild chocolate, nutty and light grain
T - roasty malt and cola flavours up front, light nutty, a touch of grassy hops, and some light chocolate
M - too much on the light side for the style, fairly big carbonation, thin through the finish
O - a decent brown ale, good flavour mix but just lacking just a little something, but as part of a Muskoka 12 mixer not a bad option

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 03:53:21 | More by joemcgrath27

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance- Pours a dark cola brown with a finger width of bubbly mocha white head.

Smell- Roasted malts, coffee bean, dark chocolate syrup, vanilla.

Taste- The roasted malts, and coffee upfront followed by cocoa and dark chocolate.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with light to medium carbonation.

Overall- A tasty English Brown by Muskoka. There are lots of robust roasted flavours from different sources that would make for an excellent autumn warmer.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 03:02:18 | More by leaddog

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

2.73/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

473ml can poured into a pint glass. ABV 5%.

A - Poured a dark brown with a 1 cm light beige head. Head quickly vanished. No lacing.

S - Coffee, toasted bread. Light aroma overall.

T - Light toasted bread, some coffee, burnt notes in the aftertaste. As it warms there's some tartness in the finish.

M - Low carbonation, medium-light body, thin, dry finish.

O - Pretty plain for the style.

Serving type: can

07-27-2012 03:05:47 | More by decimator

slitherySOB

Ontario (Canada)

2.78/5  rDev -19%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

One thing I gotta mention about Muskoka brewery. They don't put their abv on the can. This beer pours a dark brown colour with a thick, two finger head. Smells of coffee, cherry, cocoa and brown toast. Tastes very malty, with a burnt coffee aftertaste. Mouthfeel is light, smooth and creamy. Overall, their are better beers for your money, but it's a decent session ale.

Serving type: can

07-12-2012 00:40:40 | More by slitherySOB

Yeoman9459

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance - dark brown, tan bubbly head that went away very quickly.

Smell - bit of coffee, bit of cherry, not too much going on.

Taste - isn't very much to speak of, tastes kind of ashy. Bit of coffee. Leaves a little coffee bitterness.

Mouthfeel - light bodied, fairly carbonated.

Overall - not my favorite from the brewery, but not a terrible beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 05:09:32 | More by Yeoman9459

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.08/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Regular-sized bottle from the LCBO; no production code given. Last reviewed December 2009 from a can - I have decided to go back and re-review a number of my very early submissions to this site, mostly to see if my original assessments are still relevant.

Pours an opaque, deep brown colour with copper highlights, topped with a little less than two fingers of puffy tan head. Decent retention, with a few rings of lacing around the edge of the glass as the volume drops with each sip. The aroma is enticing enough I guess but not particularly imaginative for the style - roasted malt sweetness, caramel with hints of baker's chocolate.

Approachable taste, but once again there is little nuance and nothing particularly creative about this brew's flavour. It is, however, nicely balanced between sweet and dry. Roasted malts and caramel/toffee sweetness are dominant early on in the sip, with a hint of dark chocolate and bitter coffee grounds toward the finish. Dryness and malty cocoa notes linger in the aftertaste. Light-bodied and rather watery for the style, but it is quite smooth and drinkable. Soft carbonation provides some slight prickliness on the tongue.

Final (adjusted) Grade: 3.08, somewhere between a C and a C+. This didn't blow me away when I was new to craft beer, so I'm not exactly surprised that I'm even less impressed with it now. Not a bad brew by any means, but a polite, underwhelming one that possesses no superlative traits with which to impress the average BA.

I sincerely doubt I'll get this again; twice is enough for me. There are many Ontario-made brown ales and dark beers I would recommend long before this one. Muskoka can (and has) done much better than this.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 00:54:44 | More by thehyperduck

rarbring

Sweden

2.88/5  rDev -16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

The brew is dark brown, very dark, a quickly settling light tan head, leaving good lacing, some curtains.

The taste is ashes, burnt bread, coffee and soy sauce. A bit thin.

Starting with sweet brown bread crust, some soy sauce, a small coffee hint, some dark fruits.

Little carbonation, soft but watery, a small body, a dry finish.

This did not turn me on, a bit too simplistic.

Serving type: can

05-17-2012 16:56:49 | More by rarbring

heebes

Ontario (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

473 ml can.

Pours dark brown almost black with large frothy tan head. Nose is brown roasted malts, brown sugar, yeast. Taste is dark roasted malt bill, mild English style brown ale, light roast coffee. Drying mouthfeel, some bitterness medium bodied.
Overall a mild easy drinking brown that doesn't push boundaries. Decent try.

Serving type: can

03-02-2012 00:03:41 | More by heebes

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Can to pint glass.

A - Dark brown, almost black with 3 fingers of bubbly, light brown head.

S - Dark roasted malts, a touch of cocoa and a slight bitterness.

T - Light roasted malt flavours, some dark caramel and a touch of coffee. Slight bitterness present throughout that is more present than the sweetness. The aftertaste is somewhat off-putting.

M - Light body, slightly creamy. Moderate carbonation.

Serving type: can

02-21-2012 01:03:45 | More by TheSevenDuffs

BGDrock

Ontario (Canada)

2.58/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Cracked this one open on a Friday night, finally relaxing...

Appearance: dark brown with a mocha head which fades very fast (poof!)

Aroma: big chocolate, light caramel, some cherries

Taste & Mouthfeel: sweet, lacking body (feels thin) with minimal carbonation; getting more of a fruity malt character than chocolate indicated by scent; there is a bit of chocolate, but it turns bitter and somewhat tart

Overall: expected much better; doesn't really fit the dictated style , and the flavour get tired pretty fast

Serving type: can

02-18-2012 01:21:18 | More by BGDrock

karait95

Mexico

3.1/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: the best characteristic of this beer, it is a dark brown beer with reddish hues, almost not translucent and with medium carbonation, head is big and dissipates not fast leaving some traces behind on the glass.

S: very faint toasted malts aroma nothing to remember .

T: almost the same as the smell, faint toasted malts flavor not much else.

M: sensations are little more intense, last ending with some bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 04:20:44 | More by karait95

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Black with a ruby hue. Creamy and bubbly foam head that quickly recedes to a ring around the glass.

S: Roasted malt (primarily dark chocolate with some dark coffee), caramel, licorice, and almonds.

T: Similar to aroma with roasted flavours coming through in the form of dark roasted coffee and a bit of dark chocolate. Nuts, caramel, and a healthy amount of tangy bitter floral-like hops.

M: Medium body with a moderate carbonation. Pleasingly creamy and dry.

D: Quite a tasty brown ale that I would gladly drink again. Hats off to Muskoka Brewery for continuing to produce some quality products.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 02:42:12 | More by Digimaika2

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A very pleasant sweet, dark, British-styled ale.

Almost black in colour, it pours a very dark brown with beautiful red highlights. Pleasant level of carbonation results in a decent mouthfeel.

Aroma of both roasted and toasted dark malts is followed by a suitably complex but well-balanced malt-forward taste. Defined nut presence is understated, but there.

An excellent example of the style!

Serving type: can

12-25-2011 23:07:32 | More by hopsolutely

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours black with ruby edges. Two fingers of deliciously creamy beige head. Good rings of lace and a half finger of retention.

S - Quite roasty with semi-sweet chocolate and a tad bit of coffee.

T - Roasty, dark malts, some cola.

M - Well carbonated, medium body with some creaminess and a sweet finish.

O/D - Pretty solid. Something I'd bring to a party and slug down, but nothing I'd admire for it's quality. Good.

Serving type: can

12-13-2011 00:35:55 | More by tbeckett

MattyV

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pour a cola colour with ruby highlights, small light khaki head recedes to a thin cap.
Aroma's dominated by dark caramel malt producing aromas of toffee, nuts and coffee. Not overly complex but enjoyable.
Chocolate comes through in the taste, pairing with lightly roasted malt and coffee, leading to a lightly bitter finish.
Moderate body, feels slightly over-carbonated.
Decent English brown, not bad but will probably not revisit.

Serving type: can

11-24-2011 05:17:21 | More by MattyV

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Can from the LCBO, 473ml can with the new branding. Best before Feb 3, 2012 - although I don't believe black ink on a black can is the best idea. Into a pint glass.

Pours a dark brown, clear with some burgundy and mahogany highlights. Capped by a nice tan head, modest retention and a bit of lacing. Nose has some light caramel, nuts, a hint of chocolate and a bit of roast as well. Simple and effective for a brown. Taste has some roast, chocolate, subtler caramel sweetness. A bit metallic, a bit earthy and a touch harsh in the finish. Roast in the finish. Lighter medium body and easy drinkability, although not the most flavourful - a touch lackluster.

Serving type: can

11-02-2011 23:59:25 | More by liamt07

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

473 ml can, no freshness date. Aroma is slightly nutty with a touch of caramel and mild malt sweetness, slight roast. Taste has a bit of a yoo-hoo quality to it (in a really good way, I love yoo-hoo). Slight chocolate, light roasted character, mild sweetness from malt. Actually a very easy to drink and flavorful brown. Nicely done.

Serving type: can

09-20-2011 07:04:22 | More by KickbacksSteve

fostachild

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

pours a fairly pitch dark colour. probably just the way the server poured it but there wasn't much head.

smell was nice, mostly a coffee aroma with a bit of chocolate.

taste was similar - chocolate, and coffee/roasted beans. malt was also noticeable which was nice. .

overall pretty enjoyable brown ale, good carbonation and drinkability - really liked it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2011 04:24:52 | More by fostachild

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: It has a nice dark colour to it. It has a nice beige head that dies down moderatly and has some lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of roasted malts, chocolate, caramel and coffee.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a roasty/chocolaty feel to it with some coffee notes and a bit of caramel.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a nice sweetness to it.

Drinkability: It's a smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavours and aromas.

Serving type: can

08-12-2011 01:36:17 | More by SebD

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - poured a half finger head - big bubbles - impenetrable black coffee colour

S - chocolatey, malt, hint of vanilla

T - some light chocolate and molasses notes - a little biscuity, coffee in the end, wisp of vanilla

M - light body with high carbonation - a little creamy and slightly bitter on the middle of the tongue

O - very drinkable - not the head of the class but not half bad either - it has the makings of a top notch beer with some tweaking (i.e. bolder smell and taste - it is a little subdued)

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2011 10:12:08 | More by Stocean1

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

473ml Can

Appearance - Dark brown colour with an average size fizzy beige coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is some fair lacing. The head lasted for around 3 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, breads/grains, chocolate, coffee

Taste & Mouth - There is an above average amount of carbonation and the most noticeable flavours are malts, chocolate, and coffee. There is also a fair amount of grain taste mixed with a bit of a smokiness. The beer finishes with a roasted malt and chocolate aftertaste.

Overall – Not sure I’d buy it again but it was pretty drinkable. With a little work this could be a really good beer. It’s a decent effort.

Serving type: can

05-02-2011 19:49:14 | More by spinrsx

KingHefey

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a can at a local restaurant. A pleasant surprise opposed to the usual in house beers.

A: dark walnut appearance with one finger of head from the can. Great lace on the Muskoka pint glass as it went down the hatch.

S: chocolate and hazelnut with hint of vanilla at first and then the coffee fills your nose.

T: Malty dark chocolate with a nice hazelnut presence. Very biscuity. Then the subtle fruitiness kicked in with mostly raisins. Meanwhile, the coffee has never subdued.

M: Creamy mouthfeel with the slight carbonation and presence of hops that can be felt on the back of your tongue.

D: Bring it on! A very satisfying glass of beer. I always seem to walk right by the Muskoka line of beers, but not any more.

Serving type: can

02-14-2011 22:00:09 | More by KingHefey