Doubly Down 'N Even Dirtier - Tyranena Brewing Company

mjn5036

New Hampshire

4.33/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big THANKS to seeswo for sending me a box full of great beers like this!

12oz bottle poured into a large snifter. The pour is black in color. As vigorous of a pour as it was, very little head was produced. A small, cocoa colored head rose and quickly fell, leaving a smattering of lacing on the glass, around the circumference, and floating on the surface. The lacing on the sides too, quickly fades away.

The nose on this is a pure concoction of chocolate, vanilla, and more chocolate. This is by far the chocolatiest smelling beers I have ever encountered. It is a divine smell. It is not the standard chocolate malt smell that I pick up on in chocolate beers but rather pure melted milk chocolate. Wow is all I can say right now. I also want to point out that the vanilla also smells like pure vanilla bean was used and not some harsh vanilla extract.

The taste has more complexity, yet is more subdued than the nose. Roasted malt, a faint breadiness, oak from the barrel aging and very light notes of bourbon blend effortlessly with the chocolate and vanilla profiles.

Together these flavors come together to create a silky smooth beer whose alcohol slips by undetected. Mouthfeel is on the medium side and this beer comes with a very slight chewiness that is pleasant, but I do find myself looking for a bit more in that department. The bourbon does play a slightly larger role in both the smell and taste as this beer warms up to room temperature - nothing spectacular, but it does show more. In my opinion this has to be one of the most underappreciated beers I have had - it is really damn tasty.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 02:46:53 | More by mjn5036

Kelp

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -3.8%

05-04-2013 23:33:48 | More by Kelp

BGsWo22

New York

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%

04-19-2013 00:08:49 | More by BGsWo22

funkel81

California

3.75/5  rDev -9.9%

04-01-2013 17:39:52 | More by funkel81

Hophead717

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%

03-28-2013 00:56:10 | More by Hophead717

Sparky44

Illinois

4/5  rDev -3.8%

03-24-2013 22:35:53 | More by Sparky44

jdhasse

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -15.9%

03-24-2013 01:33:24 | More by jdhasse

AmitC

Indiana

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%

03-15-2013 23:28:04 | More by AmitC

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -3.8%

03-13-2013 07:23:37 | More by Zachtheporter

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%

03-04-2013 14:16:25 | More by t0rin0

Hopsiam14

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -3.8%

02-18-2013 16:31:18 | More by Hopsiam14

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%

01-31-2013 22:10:07 | More by DmanGTR

denimdemon

Indiana

4/5  rDev -3.8%

11-09-2012 18:58:09 | More by denimdemon

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The simple packaging of the Brewers Gone Wild! (don't forget the exclamation point) series suggests a brown paper bag covering contents that shouldn't see the light of day. Nothing could be further from the truth, as the string of innovative brews has brought us many delights over the years, and I look forward to sampling many more. I used to consider the stick figure representing brewer Rob Larsen to be a bit of a cheat, until I met the man and realized that the artist actually nailed him with that likeness. So, here's the latest, bought at Zipp's.

Tyranena Brewers Gone Wild! Doubly Down 'N' Even Dirtier, Barrel-aged Chocolate Vanilla Double Stout.

Full-on brackishness, slim head, burnished tan, thin and dotted, stays slim and tight.

Aroma: cocoa and coffee, with vanilla and bourbon below.

Taste: full body, rich dark malt, out comes the chocolate, here comes the 'nilla, lays long and hard on the palate. Whiskey walks in, and settles in for a spell. Flavor is firm and full. Malt backbone is lush, and lovely. Sweetness of vanilla and cocoa is well matched by the lush malty flavor and the bourbon behind it.

Overall, well done, Tyranena. Way to go, Rob, another winner. Wish I knew the strength, so I could be afraid of how drunk I'm getting. Tasty as heck, though, great integration of flavors, especially wonderful deliciousness.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2012 04:22:05 | More by feloniousmonk

Diomede

California

4.25/5  rDev +2.2%

09-16-2012 23:01:57 | More by Diomede

jrpapajcik

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%

08-19-2012 04:18:26 | More by jrpapajcik

drewone

California

2.5/5  rDev -39.9%

08-13-2012 20:20:57 | More by drewone

driftlessbrewin

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +8.2%

07-31-2012 21:14:43 | More by driftlessbrewin

djrn2

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -3.8%

07-28-2012 02:33:23 | More by djrn2

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.03/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. stubby bottle courtesy of a trading partner, whose name is lost to the annals of history - thanks!  Poured in to a tulip. 

Appearance:  Pours an inky cocoa brown, and a fairly vigorous pour coaxes out only an inch and a smidgen more of head.  The head is a nice, consistently hued tawny chocolate, but the retention is fairly pour - inside 60 seconds, all that remains is a consistently sized but inconsistently constituted collar and a paper thin, culture-like surface dusting.  Persistent but tiny bubbles of effervescence are visible at intermittent points around the edges of the glass, rising upwards fairly quickly towards the head, suggesting a thin body.  Agitation reveals fairly good lace retention, with sizable, crisp, sandy ribbons clinging to the sides of the tulip, surprising given the lack of head retention.

Aroma:  Fat brownies, smooth vanilla, and a faint kiss of bourbon make for a smooth and appealing nose.  It's rich, without being opulent or offensively decadent; it's sweet, without being saccharine or sticky; it's balanced, and smooth, without being unexciting or flat.  If it were amped up from 9 to 10, this one would be perfect. 

Taste:  A pleasantly flavored beer.  The malts are coffee heavy, with a nice toasty, almost dirty espresso undertone throughout.  The espresso is balanced nicely by a number of sweeter and less roasted malt overtones - heavy cocoa, almost truffle-like at points, caramel, and hints of toffee.  A few hints of darker fruit mingle nicely with the additional overtones present in this one - a slew of vanilla, bright and wholesome, and a nice, subdued, only faintly spicy and sweet bourbon note.  The bourbon adds a definite element of warmth, though, again, almost no spice or other presence - that could be due to the age of this one, but it works, on the whole, despite the unexpectedness of the heat with a 7.5% abv.

Mouthfeel: Slick, with a lower level of carbonation, despite the appearance of excessive carbonation at the outset.  Very smooth, though almost too thick, given the level of residual sweetness (which, again, isn't overwhelming, but when coupled the low level of carbonation is in combination a little offputting).

Drinkability:  All in all, a pretty tasty brew, with a few process issues but a solid flavor profile and a smooth, above average aroma.  At 7.5%, you could put a few of these down pretty easily - recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 18:27:29 | More by CrellMoset

eawolff99

Colorado

4/5  rDev -3.8%

06-07-2012 23:41:29 | More by eawolff99

smutty33

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -9.9%

06-06-2012 17:03:22 | More by smutty33

writerLJBerg

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle courtesy of a LIF from Madvike. Thanks!

A: Good thick pour yields minimal head and leaves a trace of it after the beer settles. It's black as an RIS, though.

N: Chocolate syrup, oak, plenty of vanilla. Great mixture of the bourbon components, the base beer, and the nibs.

T: Balanced, but a little lacking. However, there's an excellent mixture of the coffee and roasted malt "bitterness" and the chocolate and bourbon aspects. However, I'm docking points for noticeable alcohol. At 7.5% this shouldn't even be an issue.

M: Hurts the beer. It's a little bit thin and watery, and as such can't deliver the flavors with a right hook. I know it's a double stout, but it still feels like it should have a bit more oomph.

O: This is so close to being brilliant, but the mouthfeel continues to hold it back. I don't know if it can get any thicker at 7.5% ABV, but if there was just a little more something here this would probably walk briskly into mid 4 territory.

Edit: Dropped this a couple points because it doesn't deserve a 4.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 02:20:07 | More by writerLJBerg

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma is very heavy on the chocolate with some roasted malt, oak and bourbon notes thrown in. The barrel-aged notes are stronger in the flavor, where the bourbon and maple is the first thing to come through. I also get a nice amount of chocolate, as well as some vanilla and some alcohol. Medium to thick mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 18:49:16 | More by Mora2000

dubinsky

California

4.2/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Received this as an extra from Lobonix's "friend" lol.

A - Pours a viscous black color. The normal pour yielded virtually no head, but a thin ring of mocha color bubbles formed around the edges of the glass as night in the glass. No lacing present.

S - They weren’t kidding with the double chocolate moniker. Huge dark chocolate notes along with a nice and prominent, yet very mellow bourbon aroma. I’m definitely picking up some hints of sweet vanilla as well. As the rest of the aromas clear my nose, I also pick up strong notes of roasted coffee.

T – Nice dark chocolate upfront followed by sweet vanilla. The bourbon although very evident isn’t overwhelming and is very smoothy integrated and well balanced. The finish is fairly sweet and roasty with a mild coffee tartness.

M - Medium bodied with medium low carbonation. Although its smooth I would have liked it to be more full bodied and creamier. Perhaps some lactose is needed?

O – This was a wonderful surprise. Its a great beer that is very tasty and well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 03:33:28 | More by dubinsky