smellysell
Go Vols!!!
Mick (tsmckenney) braved the crowds and the wrath of his wife to get me a couple bottles of this, for which I am very grateful as this is one of the holy grail beers to malt heads like myself. Darkness is a very limited, one day only release at the brewery. Surly is a fantastic brewery and I’m obviously a whore for RIS, so needless to say I had high expectations for this beer.
Thanks again Mick!
Style – Russian Imperial Stout
ABV – 10.3%
Brewed In – Brooklyn Center, MN
Availability – Fall (one day release at brewery)
Score – 7.5/10
Appearance
This bottle is from the ’08 release. There couldn’t possibly be a more fitting name for this beer than Darkness. It pours an absolutely jet black into my favorite snifter (which I sadly dropped and broke while washing recently
). The head is big, brown, and soapy. It lingers for a decent amount of time and provides spotty lacing.
Smell
The aroma is surprisingly muted. There are some touches of chocolate malt and alcohol, but otherwise not a whole lot going on.
Taste
Milk chocolate flavors jump at you immediately after taking a sip. In the middle it rounds into some bittersweet chocolate and molasses, before finishing with a slight alcohol bite. It finishes extremely long and as the alcohol fades at the very end the sweetness returns. I’ve heard people talk about a substantial hoppiness in previous batches, but I don’t pick up any of that, with the exception of hops possibly contributing to the bittersweet flavor in the middle. The balance isn’t what I would hope for, the sweetness coming across as a bit artificial and cloying, but the flavor is still enjoyable.
Feel
I don’t think the body could possibly be any better. Very thick and creamy, with just a touch of carbonation. The smoothness is incredible.
Overall
I really enjoyed this beer, but it was just a bit sweeter than I would personally prefer. I’m really interested to see what happens to the other bottle with some time in the cellar. Thanks again Mick! :thumbs:
Thanks again Mick!
Style – Russian Imperial Stout
ABV – 10.3%
Brewed In – Brooklyn Center, MN
Availability – Fall (one day release at brewery)
Score – 7.5/10
Appearance
This bottle is from the ’08 release. There couldn’t possibly be a more fitting name for this beer than Darkness. It pours an absolutely jet black into my favorite snifter (which I sadly dropped and broke while washing recently
). The head is big, brown, and soapy. It lingers for a decent amount of time and provides spotty lacing.Smell
The aroma is surprisingly muted. There are some touches of chocolate malt and alcohol, but otherwise not a whole lot going on.
Taste
Milk chocolate flavors jump at you immediately after taking a sip. In the middle it rounds into some bittersweet chocolate and molasses, before finishing with a slight alcohol bite. It finishes extremely long and as the alcohol fades at the very end the sweetness returns. I’ve heard people talk about a substantial hoppiness in previous batches, but I don’t pick up any of that, with the exception of hops possibly contributing to the bittersweet flavor in the middle. The balance isn’t what I would hope for, the sweetness coming across as a bit artificial and cloying, but the flavor is still enjoyable.
Feel
I don’t think the body could possibly be any better. Very thick and creamy, with just a touch of carbonation. The smoothness is incredible.
Overall
I really enjoyed this beer, but it was just a bit sweeter than I would personally prefer. I’m really interested to see what happens to the other bottle with some time in the cellar. Thanks again Mick! :thumbs:
