Dark O' The Moon - Elysian Brewing Company

ROBORB

North Carolina

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

Bomber courtesy of 5000, thanks Andre!

Poured a deep black with a small, short lived tan head. The aroma was overwhelming chocolate and heavy malts. The taste is pretty good. The initial taste is sweet and consists of cinammon. This changes to a deep chocolate and heavy malt taste. Carbonation was medium and the beer laced the entire glass. A very good adaptation to the pumpkin beers that I am used to.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2009 17:13:05 | More by ROBORB

Overlord

California

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

Thanks to a generous reviewer who I owe an extra, too.

Pours a dark brown with light brown edges. Some tan bubbling that settles into a filmy crust with gobs ont he edges.

Smells like .. roasted malt, chocolate, and a bit of coffee. Where's da pumpkin? Since I'm not a big pumpkin fan, I guess that's a good thing.

Taste introduces some big pumpkin, roast coffee/malt/caramel/chocolate/roast/roast/roast. A bit acrid and pungent. A decent enough stout, the spices are thankfully a bit muted. Maybe some allspice and cinnamon.

A bit thin, but a decent stout. Thanks.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2009 07:08:51 | More by Overlord

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a black color with good carbonation and a brown head. Nose is faint chocolate, roasted malt, espresso but really no pumpkin, cinnamon or spice. Taste is creamy, bitter chocolate, coffee, some cinnamon and very faint pumpkin. Mouthfeel is nice with bitter chcolate and creamy. While I love Elysian, I was looking for more pumpkin in this pumpkin stout.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2009 04:18:28 | More by barleywinefiend

ScreamForMe

Washington

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've had this on tap and 22oz bomber:

A nice head on this one. Decent smells of chocolate, vanilla, and pumpkin way in the back.

I have mixed feelings about this brew. It's a medium bodied creamy stout. But, if you're looking for more of an up front pumpkin beer, this isn't it.

If you're looking for more subtle flavors, then this one could work for you.

As a stout, quite nice. As a pumpkin beer, so so.

Next!

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2009 04:06:35 | More by ScreamForMe

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.15/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I got this brew from eallured, Thanks Ethan!

22oz bottle served in a glass beer mug.

Black brew with a tan head that thinned to a layer but still left bits of lacing.
Roasted coffee, malt, molases, light spices.
Good tasting stout, the pumpkin spice is light and blends in well enough with a good stout.
Medium bodied, smooth and creamy feel.
Goes down smooth and easy.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2009 23:51:32 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

Part of the Elysian Halloween spectacular. Split all three of these with multiple members of my family over the house on Halloween. Served cold and poured into a pint glass, this one was consumed on 10/31/2009.
 
A pumpkin stout is a novel invention I must say. This one was actually opened up last just to let the flavor really soak in. Poured a very nice black color with a small tan head over the top, nothing really crazy or different about it, but very nice looking none the less. Settled down quickly and left behind a decent amount of side lacing around the bottom and the sides as well with a light touch of brown peeking through on the bottom. Aroma started out with touches of chocolate, hints of light spice, cinnamon, and touches of brown sugar mixing in nicely. As it warmed though I found it to take on more of the character of a normal stout, roasted malts, hints of cocoa and a nice mellow presence. Light touch of pumpkin still floating around in there as well when you really got down to it, but overall it was pretty mellow. Smooth, even carbonation and a nice medium to full body left me looking for a little bit more when all was said and done and a nice even finish.
 
Overall this was different and definitely unique. I would have no trouble going there again and think they have done a really nice thing with this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2009 22:03:00 | More by mikesgroove

ccrida

Oregon

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

Bomber poured into an imperial pint, Dark O' The Moon is black with a dark tan head that leaves foamy lace.

Smell is pretty average pumpkin beer, sweet malt and pie spices. There is a definite 'gourd' aroma though that I like, so that it's not just pure spices, which nicely differentiates it from the average pumpkin ale.

Taste is pretty good, spices are there but tempered by the chocolate and roasted malts, which add a welcome extra dimension from your usual amberish pumpkin ale.

Mouthfeel is pretty creamy, medium-heavy bodied and satisfyingly thick.

Drinkability is pretty good, if you're in the mood for going festive, but don't like the usually insipid, thin spice bombs that call themselves 'pumkin' ales, then this is a decent choice.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2009 04:15:07 | More by ccrida

HopHead84

California

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

Bottle received in a trade with pranaferox. Thanks David. Elysian makes my favorite pumpkin beer, so when I heard about this Pumpkin Stout I knew I had to have it. Consumed on 10/25/2009 after a celebratory weekend and poured into a snifter. A vigorous pour yields a 1.5 inch light brown head that exhibits good retention and leaves some scattered lacing behind as it recedes. The beer appears black, just as you'd expect.

The nose is sweet bready malt with a good deal of chocolate. The beer isn't super spicy like a lot of pumpkin beers I've had recently. There's a touch of cinnamon to accompany the rich chocolate and subtle pumpkin notes, but not a dollop of all spice and nutmeg. Coffee is at such a low level it's almost nonexistent, but it's present nonetheless. There's a slight roast to the nose, but I wouldn't call it a roasted stout, rather a chocolate stout with notes of authentic pumpkin. Pumpkin character increases with warming. No alcohol is noticeable.

The flavor also has a substantial amount of chocolate to it, and the pumpkin is again subtle. A little cinnamon is evident and I detect some spicy character on my tongue, but I can't pinpoint what that is. A touch of coffee is noticeable but it's pretty negligible. The finish is rich chocolate with moderate pumpkin notes and a subtle roast. I like Elysian's approach to a pumpkin beer with Dark 'O The Moon. The beer isn't flashy, overly flavored (like a lot of pumpkin beers), or -bal aged, but I think it's well crafted. The combination of chocolate and pumpkin is thoroughly enjoyable. The beer is light full bodied with moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2009 19:31:41 | More by HopHead84

Nezzy

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Had this on tap at the SPTR Pumpkin Fest.

Appearance: very dark colors with slight orange coming through but you need to look closely to see it. Gorgeous pour and a good amount of head that was a toffee color.

Smell: Absolutely no smell of pumpkin, instead you get traditional stout fragrances: chocolate, malt, bit of caramel.

Taste: Well here is the problem. It doesn't take like pumpkin at all. I made sure to cleanse my pallet before I drank it and sorry no pumpkin. HOWEVER, when you consider it as a stout holy hell its fantastic. You get very complex tastes of coffee, caramel, malt and only in the after taste (when I was half way done) did I get the slightest hint of pumpkin.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and sweet, with little carbonation.

Drinkability: This is odd because as a stout I think its a fantastic beer. As a pumpkin beer I can't recommend it because it doesn't taste like one. However I can't deny the complexity and just overall great quality of such a stout that I could drink all night.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2009 01:03:44 | More by Nezzy

Wetpaperbag

Washington

4.18/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Since this beer fits two style (Stout and Pumpkin Ale) I'm gonna have to try and review with both styles in mind.

A- Very dark black, yeah I know how dark can black get huh? The head is a dark brown with nice lacing. The pour looked thick.

S- This has a great smell for a stout, chocolate, roasty, vanilla, coffee, and a hint of nutty pumpkin.

T- Wow this has a great complexity. The stout flavors are there first up front, then this great nutty pumpkin flavor kicks though. The finish is a bit dry, but at the same time there is this lingering pumpkin seed flavor coating my mouth. The more I drink it the more the pumpkin spices come through, but there is still a great roasty stout flavor with a touch of chocolate.

M- The dry after taste is ok, but I could have lived without that effect.

D- Very drinkable, and complex. This is definitely blurring the style lines.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2009 02:05:57 | More by Wetpaperbag

aaron12

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A. So I was a little worried when I poured this into my glass, (especially since it was $6.99 for a 22oz). Pretty much no head, low carbonation. It's dark, dark brown, with an orange hue.

S. Smells like a stout. A bit of nutmeg spice.

T. OK, this is fuckin' good. I really like Elysian's night owl pumpkin ale, (In fact it's my favorite pumpkin ale), but this is better... So for being 6.5%, this is such a tasty stout! Perfect amount of coffee, mixed with pumpkin pie, dark chocolate, and caramel malt. I don't like sweet stouts, but this is well done.

M. Feels good...

D. VERY, VERY GOOD! This is a pretty strong beer, and I could put four of em' away quick, (if I had them, and if they were not 7 bucks a bottle...), but yeah, for a stout, this is easy.

cheers!

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2009 01:29:09 | More by aaron12

plaid75

New York

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

On draft at The Blind Tiger, NYC.

Poured a deep black hue with a two finger foamy tan head. There was very good retention and lacing.

The smell featured chocolate malts, dry coffee and a touch of caramel.

The taste consisted of dark chocolate, roasted malts and a touch of pumpkin rind. No spice.

The mouthfeel was full.

Overall a tasty pumpkin stout.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2009 17:54:20 | More by plaid75

boogyman

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First review of this out of the bottle! I am gonna try to get a good picture and upload it. It's a pretty cool label. It sounds like this was limited to 120 cases total. Got it at my local beer store, Bottleworks in Seattle. They had ONE case that they hid in the back and I am sure they had a limit but there was two guys in front of me who got two each but I only got one. As far as I know the only way they advertised that they received it was on their Twitter feed which I happen to follow.

Anyways, to the review!

A- Poured into my trusty tulip glass. It pours black, maybe a super dark brown, but held up to the light, I don't see any light passing through. Not much head for me but it was straight from the fridge so it was cold and it was a fairly gentle pour. A little bubbles around the edge of the glass. On my second pour, after it warmed up a bit and on a more aggressive pour, there was a nice light tan head that stuck around a lot longer.

S- The pumpkin spices are fairly subtle on the nose. But there is the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice. It has a similar smell to Punkin Ale from DFH just not as strong.

T- As in the nose, the pumpkin spices are fairly light but most definitely there. The roasty malty flavors are much more prevalent. This beer doesn't seem as complex as some other stouts or imperial stouts, but it is definitely very tasty. I am starting to notice some slightly chocolaty notes but only so faint.

M- Fairly nice feel. Very smooth going in and going down. The alcohol burn is pretty well hidden.

D- Overall this beer is very tasty from the bottle. I could drink a few of these if i was blessed with more then one bottle that I probably wont get again till next year. I am gonna see if I can some of this at the Great Pumpkin Beer Fest they will be throwing soon. If you see this in your local store, buy it because it is worth trying. If you can get more then one bottle, do it because it wont last long until next year.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 02:29:53 | More by boogyman

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.38/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed on 10/3/08. On tap at Blind Tiger. Pours black with a small ring of light tan head. Aroma of roasted malt and smoke. Flavor of light chalkiness, bitter chocolate, and sweet roasted malt. Light bodied. Similar to Fisherman's Pumpkin Stout--just sort of an average stout--except that there was really no pumpkin presence.
7/4/7/3/14 (3.5/5)

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2008 01:37:33 | More by LilBeerDoctor

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

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

Served on tap at the Iron Hill North Wales location during their Pumpkin Fest on 10/25/08. Part of a Pumpkin Ale keg swap this season between the two breweries.

Pours black with a finger of burnt looking, dark tan head. Retains around the edges with some thin wisps in the center, leaving a nice looking cascade of spotty lacing behind. The aroma is mostly on the Stout side, with some roasted chocolate malts and coffee taking center stage, but there is also some lighter spice aspects that come out behind them. A bit of cinnamon and clove with just a touch of floral hops that floats amongst them.

The taste is similar with dark roasted bitterness coming out to play first, followed by additional notes of coffee, chocolate, and caramel sweetness. And yes, a subtle tingle of pumpkin pie spices does indeed make itself known. Especially in the finish, where it lingers with some leftover sweetness and lightly roasted bitter notes. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a firm carbonation that really accentuates the overall toasty feel of this.

Never mind the pumpkin aspects of this, I thought that this worked worderfully just as a plain ole' full flavored Stout. The pumpkin spices were just an added (and luckily not overdone) aspect that lent some warmth and Fall-like qualities to the mix. Good stuff here that I'm quite glad to have tried.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2008 16:54:17 | More by Kegatron

bonbini26

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ the blind tiger 10-03-08

Was lucky enough to try this from their pumpkin event earlier in the week. THis beer pours a very dark brown/black, with a nice head. The pumpkin spices aroma is not very strong compared to other pumpkin beers ive had. More on the stout side, with roasted notes of coffee, chocolate and cloves. The taste is much more of a robust stout, than a pumpkin beer, the pumpkin spices try to come out a little but seem to fade quickly. Overall this beer gets point for not being an overdone spiced pumpkin beer like some are and for brewing outside the box and making a stout version of a pumpkin beer

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2008 14:08:41 | More by bonbini26

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.22/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

As the original poster noted, this a pumpkin stout. Brewed with Maris Otter, crystal, and chocolate malts. In the mash are roasted barley, Castle Cara-Vienne, Cara-Munich, and Special B malts, along with roasted pumpkin seeds. Pureed Golden Delicious pumpkin is in the mash, kettle, and fermenter. Crushed cinnamon in the kettle and bittered with Magnum hops and finished with Hersbrucker hops. Starting gravity of 18.8 degrees plato and abv is 7.3%.

Pours almost black with a thin head and some lacing. Aside from the roasted grain in the nose, you can really smell the cinnamon and roasted pumpkin seeds. The taste has a more pronounced pumpkin flavor and sweetness. The cinnamon is also evident here as is a late, nutty roastiness. Mouthfeel is smooth and dry. Once again, a very interesting pumpkin brew from this brewery and another one that works.

Serving type: on-tap

12-14-2007 15:53:14 | More by Georgiabeer

jletts

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Dark O' the Moon is a strong Pumpkin Stout. Although I classified it as a pumpkin ale, it is actually more of a robust strong stout brewed with pumpkin and pumpkin spices. The pumpkin spices are not overly strong, and shine through more in the background of the beer creating a nice twist in this delicious stout. The Elysian seems to shine with its pumpkin style brews so I thought I'd better try this one before it is gone for good. Looked black as most stouts with aromas of coffee, cocoa, some cinnamon and cloves. The taste was roasty and deep with dark chocolate and cloves followed by sour dark cherries and nutmeg and finishing with ripe pumpkin meat. A very interesting concept for a beer and an excellent fusion of a pumpkin ale and a strong stout. Surprised I haven't seen a pumpkin stout before now. Try it on tap before it's gone. I was informed they probably won't be bottling it.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2007 04:22:59 | More by jletts