Dark O' The Moon - Elysian Brewing Company

Neorebel

New Jersey

3.79/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - Opaque and practically black in color, with very minimal carbonation. The tan head recedes to a thin sliver immediately after a strong poor. A small bit of lacing is left on the glass.

Smell - Very organic pumpkin pie flavors are the most noticeable in the aroma - Sweetened pumpkin, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Roasted malts are secondary but present.

Taste - The pumpkin elements don't overpower as the aroma suggests - the toasted malts and dark chocolate aspects are quite strong. This is pretty balanced. One can even pick up some citrus hop flavors, and also some sort of herbal taste... perhaps fennel?

The mouth feel is light to medium. Finish is very crisp, and somewhat dry.

Overall, this is only the second pumpkin stout I have ever had, and the experience has been quite pleasing. I prefer this to the Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout. I am excited to try other Elysian pumpkin ales as well, because they seem to fall nicely in between brewers who may be too extreme with the pumpkin aspect, and those who barely make it detectable in the beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 13:39:42 | More by Neorebel

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.73/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Uber late-season keg tapped at Bittercreek, Boise ID...

A: Nearly opaque black with a pretty good tan head and some lacing.

S: Fairly balanced nose of pumpkin and roasted chocolate malt...pumpkin isn't overwhelming which is nice. Background spices of cinnamon and maybe nutmeg or ginger as well? Only the cinnamon is clear but its in the background and that is a good thing.

T: Follows the nose; roasted malt is moderate, spices and pumpkin are in balance and not overwhelming. The pumpkin character is not vegetable-like either...also a BIG plus. Would like more chocolate and roast IMO.

MF: Thinner medium feel, this is no imperial stout. Fairly quaffable at this abv...dry, spicy-ish finish.

O: Decent pumpkin stout but not in the same class as Pumpkinator or TREAT.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2013 22:07:00 | More by Scotchboy

n2185

North Carolina

3.44/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: pours black with a finger of tan head that fades into a frothy ring with little lacing.

S: roasted malts with semi-sweet chocolate. Some notes of pumpkin spices, but they're subtle.

T: roasted malts and cocoa here as well. Notes of pumpkin and spice as well.

M: medium-thick body with lowish carbonation, this beer is just short of watery.

O: a decent beer overall. A bit simplistic, but enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 02:47:00 | More by n2185

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Nearly pitch black with dark brown hues. Head peaked at about 3/4". Looks like a decent stout and a unique pumpkin ale.

Roasted malts, cocoa, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, toffee, nutmeg, and dried fruits and nuts. Interesting composition. I really like these aromas and how they interplay.

A very roasty pumpkin ale with notes of both the seeds and the flesh. The spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger) don't get a chance to overpower because of the rich American Stout malts and hops used. Hops have pine flavors, but remain shadowed. Pumpkin, more than spices, come through in the middle and finish. Perfect sugar levels, established by the necessary units of bitterness.

Robust in feel with active carbonation and a thicker body. Even though it's not particularly potent, one might choose to savor this one.

Nice pumpkin ale. Sure did roll through the Elysian pumpkin lineup this year. This one was good.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 01:58:22 | More by thecheapies

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap @ the Fridge served in a Nonic
A-black opaque -thick medium brown cap with tight bead

S-cocoa and vanilla w/ light cinnamon nose and mild pepper w/ gentle roasted coffee

M-thick creamy yet medium bodied feel w/ light spice and alcohol w/ moderate sweetness and carbonation level w/ slight bitterness and semi dry finish

Taste is herbal hops mixed w/ mild spice taste and light cocoa which is bittersweet and gentle creaminess of vanilla on the palate w/ hints of cinnamon's earthy flavor

Overall a great stout w/ nice spice additions that don't go overboard and yet still add to the finished product

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2013 11:19:51 | More by Slatetank

DNICE555

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bottle from my favorite NY connect.

A: Very dark brown.

S: Chocolate Cinnamon Nutmeg Pumpkin... Smells very tasty can't wait.

T: Chocolate, Roasted Malts, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Pumpkin, Vanilla, Ginger... Damn this is amazing.

M: Medium body, Medium carbonation, Best Pumpkin stout I've had.

O: What a great pumpkin beer. I think pumpkin along with all it's associated spices add a lot to ale. Feelin it.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 22:04:11 | More by DNICE555

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured into a tulip with a nice solid mocha colored head. Very sticky at the edges. Nice solid head and bubbles that lasted for a while.

S: Aroma of roasted malts, bitter pumpkin and spices. Hints of clove and cinnamon

T: Bitter and robust pumpkin spiced stout. Too much earth for my liking off the first sip. Extremely bitter and tannice with ginger flavors mixing with cinnamon. Some bakers chocolate and ashy black patent flavors at the end.

M: Medium to thick body, I was slightly surprised this is only a 6.5% abv beer with the body as is. Highly / over carbonated.

O: Overall this is a good pumpkin stout. I enjoyed it however I prefer TREAT over this by a high degree. Worth a try

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 21:29:02 | More by alpinebryant

CHADMC3

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque black body beneath the thick, mocha head which is very patient to dissolve, leaving a thick, sticky lacing throughout the duration of the beer.

An interesting aroma features pumpkin and fall spices, yet roasted malt with hints of what I assume to be woody hops resembling pumpkin stem.

Very nice flavors, similar to the aroma, yet more pronounced including the roasted pumpkin, woody hops or stem notes, roasted barley, and just a hint of sweet chocolate if I am not mistaken. Seems like an odd mix, but it really does quite well together.

Medium to fuller in body with generous carbonation and a somewhat biting, bitter finish.

Certainly a unique twist on the style, but fairly well done. Generous flavor and aroma character that really blends well.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 02:17:54 | More by CHADMC3

Kendo

New York

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from the bomber into a pint glass. Body is black, with a small tannish/grey head on top.

S: Roasted barley malt and pumpkin pie spices. Pleasant.

T: Chocolate malt up front, followed by a nice and roasty malt. Pumpkin spice (nutmeg & cinnamon) shows up towards the finish, but it finishes with a drying, almost porter-like roast bitterness.

M: Medium in heft, carbonation is modest.

O: Surprisingly good stuff. My expectations were low, but this one surprised me - it drinks more like a pumpkin porter than a stout, I think, but it's good. The spices don't overwhelm the beer here at all, but provide some nice additional flavor. Not sure if I could drink a lot of this (I split the bomber with a friend), but I could have easily drank the bomber and enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 22:32:17 | More by Kendo

spoony

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From notes dated 11/22/2012.

From a 22 oz into a mug.

A-The beer poured dark, dark brown...not quite black. There was just a faint cap of dark brown head, but that quickly receded. Not much lacing.

S-I picked up smells of roasted, dark malts with coffee and dark chocolate also present. There was a light spiciness, but very little pumpkin.

T-Taste follows the smell with light spiciness and just-barely-perceptable-pumpkin mostly hidden beneath chocolatey roasted malt flavors.

M-The feel is medium to heavy and pretty dry for a pumpkin stout. Not much in the way of carbonation, but not completely flat or syrupy.

O-This was a decent tasting stout, but I was a little let down by the absence of pumpkin. I have been sitting on this for about 2 months, so freshness might be an issue, but I still expected more pumpkin. Nevertheless, this was pleasantly flavored and drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 20:36:33 | More by spoony

Gobzilla

California

4.43/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: poured a very dark brown in color almost black with a thin brown head that left very little lacing sticking to the glass.

S: lots of chocolate goodness upfront coming out of the aroma that reminded me a little of chocolate powder and not in a bad way. plenty of cinnamon to compliment, a little nutmeg and roastiness but with a little pumpkin character/

T: the chocolate flavor with was more potent and rich on the palate alongside more noticeable roastiness, cinnamon accents, hints of nutmeg, pumpkin spice with graham cracker ginger bread notes but also a touch of vanilla to round out this elixir.

M; the brew was medium in body with a moderate amount of carbonation which had a sweet, spice, chocolatey, slightly roasty and rich finish.

O: I definitely like the combination between the pumpkin beer character and the chocolate. I have to say this is my favorite out of the pumpkin beer series.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 18:35:14 | More by Gobzilla

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours jet black with a brown head. In the aroma, roasty, earthy, and some spices in there. In the taste, roasty, coffee, earth, and a small mixed bag of spices. A smooth and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry roast and earthy coffee in the aftertaste. Earthy, roasty, and a small spice. Interesting flavors and style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2012 17:37:46 | More by OWSLEY069

Phelps

Arizona

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle into a tulip. This one is a stout brewed with pumpkin, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon.

One inch of brown sugar-colored head, dense and sticky, grabs the glass in thin yet full walls. The liquid below is a deep, matte black.

Very pumpkin pie-y nose. Cinnamon, toasted graham crackers and pumpkin seeds, with sweet roasted pumpkin. Wow.

Good stuff in the flavor as well. Pumpkin mash, a bit of alcohol, a touch of dark chocolate and majorly torched malt. A little cinnamon, a touch of nutmeg.

Medium-light body, soft and silky. Mild, silky fizz. Some tongue-numbing booze.

One of the best pumpkin beers, and definitely the best one incorporating roasted malt. I like it even more than the Great Pumpkin.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 04:00:34 | More by Phelps

socon67

New York

3.65/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Black pour with a creamy brown foam on top. The nitro gives htis more air and and a better foam head, probably at the xpense of only slight lacing.

S - I got much more of a chocolae smell than pumpkin. The dark malts were pretty forward on this. There is a scent of pumpkin flesh and some cinnamon and nutmeg.

T - The drak roasted malt really overshadows the pumkin and spcie notes. While the flavors are rich and very enjoyable tastes or chocolate and and vanilla, the pumpkin flavors only were felt in the finish.

M - Actually felt heavier than it was. Not sure f the nitro dd that, or if the malty notes just felt heavier on my palate. But this is not a sessionable ale.

O - Could have passed for a porter actually. A fun example of the more extremem ends of the style but unfortunately the subtle flavors were washed out. Still enjoyable to try.

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-14-2012 18:32:45 | More by socon67

flagmantho

Washington

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bomber into a tulip.

Appearance: completely, entirely black with a thick finger of frothy dark tan foam. Head has a decent retention and leaves a nice lace on the glass. Good.

Smell: roasty malt aroma with a moderate chocolate character and a little bit of burnt malt (a good thing, in my opinion). On top of that is a nutmeg, cinnamon and general pumpkin-pie-spice aroma. The spicing is restrained, which I appreciate. I rather like the overall effect.

Taste: flavor is a little bit fruitier, with a bit of actual pumpkin flavor in the mix (as opposed to the aroma, which sticks to the pie spice palate). Nutmeg and a little bit of clove, I think, are the prime spices here. The rich roast comes through at the end to round everything out. Quite good.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a decent level of carbonation and creaminess. Not bad.

Overall: pumpkin beers aren't for everyone, but this beer shows admirable restraint and balance. I think the base of a dark stout does a good job in holding up to the spicing and pumpkin. I'll have this again, next year at least!

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 01:29:33 | More by flagmantho

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Went to Whole Foods and found this bomber for 10 bucks. Since everyone else around here has it for 12 I pulled the trigger on it. Poured into a pub glass.

A - Carbonation seems fair enough giving me a 1/4 inch of deep mocha head that turns to a light lace ring. Color of the beer is also pitch black (spot on for the name)

S - Smell is rather timid light cocoa notes and a bit of vegital pumpkin. If any spices in the smell I would guess nutmeg but not much cinnamon in the nose at all.

T - Very smooth chocolate notes on this with a twang of bittering hops or roast. Not I can feel the spices flowing mid palate like a cinnamon/nutmeg herbal spice and the finish is fairly clean with sweet malts. I want to say most of the bittering is the pumpkin seems to be odd, vegital and out of place in a smooth drinking stout.

M - Medium bitter chewy. Not really loving this.

Overall I really enjoyed the pumpkin ale so I guess that put my expectations too high in them using the same practice for a stout. Nothing worth dropping a 10 spot on, pity since a six pack of pumpkin would have only ran me a few dollars more...

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 21:49:41 | More by DrDemento456

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Dark. Black with some dark brown tinged with orange. Head is small, creamy, and thin. Lacing is decent and leaves some notches.

Smell: Roasty chocolate. Sweet.milk.chocolate, cocoa. Some bitter baker's chocolate. Big hit of pumpkin flesh. Squishy and.vegetal. Cinnamon spiciness has depth. Full. Sweet and some alcohol on the back. Roast pumpkin chocolate.

Taste: Some burnt edges. Cinnamon, bitter chocolate, cocoa and nice mellow pumpkin flesh. Big roasty malts. Some wood notes and hints of old coffee. Pumpkin seeds and some toasted malts. Slightly burnt pumpkin bread. Some kind of liquid baked good.

Mouthfeel: Medium.body with a moderate carbonation. Dry.

Overall: This is a fall dessert beer.

A solid take on the style. A bit over on the bitter chocolate, but a nice blend overall.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 03:48:51 | More by Goblinmunkey7

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cheers to Goblinmunkey7 for sharing this beer

Consumed 11/10/12

Appearance: Dark, dark brown - light brown head, quickly fades to a wispy light tan head, leaves some nice streaks of lacing

Smell: Roasty, with chocolate and pumpkin - chocolate malts, dark chocolate - pumpkin flesh and pumpkin seeds - pumpkin pie spices, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and some clove - lightly sweet

Taste: Chocolate and pumpkin, as the smell implies - roasty, chocolate malts, dark chocolate, baker's chocolate - fleshy pumpkin and pumpkin seeds - some spices, mostly cinnamon and ginger - lightly tart

Mouthfeel: Medium body, nicely carbonated, very smooth

Overall: Cheers to Elysian

In the last few weeks, I've had a number of pumpkin beers from Elysian. They have all been good. Dark O' The Moon is no exception. It's a tasty, balanced pumpkin stout. It's not really exciting, but I would be happy to drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 03:37:47 | More by angrybabboon

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Always Rons the other day.

The beer pours a blackish brown color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is attractive as well, as I pick up considerable pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, dark chocolate and an underlying roasty quality. The flavor profile replicates the nose, except there's a noticeable hoppy component as well, that gives the beer something of a licorice and burnt toast flavor at the end. It also dries out the modest sweetness I get in this beer initially. Mouthfeel is a bit thin, but the beer otherwise delivers plenty of flavor, and drinkability in this releatively low alcohol beer is pretty good. There's not even a hint of alcohol on thie finish, which is always a plus in my book.

While I'm not a huge fan of pumpking beers, this wasn't bad. I might even order it again, under the right circumstances.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2012 14:37:46 | More by johnmichaelsen

birchstick

Missouri

3.4/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with a chocolaty espresso head on it. Burnt chocolate malts with a touch of pumpkin hit the nose from the glass. The taste is on par with the aromas: chocolate malts open this up. These take on a more roasted/coffee character and don't deviate from these two flavors. The spices it was claimed to be brewed with never show up on the palate. The body is medium and smooth. Overall, this is a straight up stout. I gave it marks for being a delicious stout, but it missed the whole pumpkin experience it was trying to deliver.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 14:17:15 | More by birchstick

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

4.73/5  rDev +21%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Elysian's "Dark O'The Moon" Pumpkin Stout @ 5.6% , from a 650 ml bottle , that took a long time to arrive here in BC
A-pours a very dark brown with a small tan head which quickly dissapates leaving minimal lace ring along my stein
S-lots of pumpkin pie spices (cinnammon , nutmeg , allspice) some coffee and chocolate
T-has a sweet cinammon start and a slight bitter chocolate finish
MF-medium/full body , medium carbonation , so smooth and tasty
Ov-my new favourite for 2012 Pumpkin beers/ale , if you like Pumpkin Beers like me it's worth the $10.99 price for a bomber , just wish it was as available as "Night Owl"

Cheers LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 02:37:48 | More by LampertLand

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown to black with a cream coloredhead that froths nicely and lingers reasonably well. Good webbing on the glass walls. Smell is high on malts and some faint spice. Taste reveals a nice balance with pumpkin spices like cinnamon and nutmeg but not over powering. I appreciate the different spin on a traditional pumpkin beer but delivered with a solid stout.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 01:00:49 | More by Oakenator

Cookeeman

4.08/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I really enjoyed this beer, but not for the reasons that I thought I would. Yes, it was a thick stout, with a creamy chocolate flavour and smooth malty finish. But what really jumped out at me was the pumpkin flavour: this wasn't some tame or demure pumpkin pie overtone, this was a smash of fresh pumpkin with a sprinkling of vibrant cinnamon! I'm rarely impressed by pumpkin flavour, I tend to judge the pumpkin beers more harshly than others. I'm pretty picky when it comes down to the balance of spices, and the texture of the pumpkin. The reason this one stood out to me was the freshness; the flavour seemed to jump out of the glass, as if it had just been brewed this morning. And I don't mean it was raw or harsh, it was still smooth and creamy but with a liveliness that was new to me. I will definitely be going back for another bottle of this for Halloween night.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 04:33:45 | More by Cookeeman

merc7186

New York

3.95/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Growler into a glass tumbler.

A: Dark Opaque Hue, Off White Head, Passes No Light, Some Lacing

S: Dark Roasted Malts, Coffee, Cinnamon

T: Coffee, Dark Roasted Malts, Cinnamon, Mild Pumpkin

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium to Full Bodied, Semi Drying, Mildly Bitter

Overall, a pretty powerful stout with very minimal pupmkin taste to it at all.

Serving type: growler

10-27-2012 00:17:55 | More by merc7186

Gavage

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: pours a black color with a short 1/2" head that falls to a spotty surface foam. Light lace sticks to the glass.

Smell: chocolate and cinnamon are easy to detect, and some roasted tones are a bit softer.

Taste: roasted malt, chocolate, cinnamon, prunes, and a hint of earthy spiciness. Pumpkin is not really detectable here as with some other pumpkin beers.

Mouthfeel: medium-heavy in body. Lightly crisp to start, smooth and a bit dry late.

Overall: this is a nice stout that is very easy to drink, and the additional spiced components keep it interesting through the bomber bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 16:33:13 | More by Gavage