The Pour-This was a very dark beer, to say the least. A dark brown head was left atop this veiled night sky blackness of a beer.

The Nose-Dark grain aromas were prevalent on the nose of this brew. Alcohol could certainly be smelled alongside coffee and some fruity (berryish) qualities. Caramel and chocolate also made a very pleasant impression.

The Taste-As I sipped on the beer, it clung to the side of the glass because of its very thick and substantial body. Alcohol warmth and an acidic bite took hold of us all as we drank Plead the 5th. The chocolate and caramel that appeared in the nose really cropped up in the taste. A deep, dark grainy taste dominated the brew from start to finish. There was a long, lingering finish, which ended with dryness and chocolate milk aftertaste qualities.

Overall, this was a great beer. To me, it evoked flashes of the Bourbon County Stout that I reviewed on here not too long ago. I really do imagine that if this beer were put in bourbon barrels, it would be pretty similar to the Goose Island offering. Bourbon or not, get this beer and try it if you like a good stout.

Mike’s Rating

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★½ 

Among other Imperial Stouts: ★★★★¾ 

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The Pour-The beer itself was a nice, golden-orange color with a finely carbonated light head. There was a slight haze to the beer.

The Nose-There was certainly some raspberry on the nose of this beer. Yet, it was not the cloying type of over-fruited beer. Actually, it was a pleasant fresh raspberry sourness that came through on the nose. Some wheatyness and grain came through, but there was not a ton beyond that.

The Sip-Raspberry emerged but not much sweetness was present. Of course, that is pleasant to me, so I enjoyed it. A slight acidity from the fruit gave a touch of bitterness to the beer. The Dark Horse Raspberry Ale drank with some nice wheat qualities and ended with a good, grainy finish. I’m sure that you are wondering about how raspberryish the beer was. I have to say that it was certainly noticeable but not overdone, in my opinion. Don’t expect Framboise of the Lindeman’s type. The only way to find out what you think about it is to give it a try.

Mike’s Rating

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★¼☆ 

Among other Fruit beers: ★★★¾☆ 

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The Pour: Reddish-brown hues made this beer look like a chance for full taste. There was short stable head with a slow and steady body that looking like a percolating pot of the black stuff.

The Aromas: Very little but coffee came through on the nose of this beer. In fact, the coffee aromas were more like smelling a filter full of expended grounds (I don’t mean for this sound negative because that is not what I’m attempting to do). There were touches of sweet malt, which are normally expected to dominate a Doppelbock. Be that as it may, coffee is a strong flavor.

The Taste: The first flavor to hit the mouth was…coffee. What did you expect me to say? Alcohol was noticeable, as well as a Belgian candy sugar type notes and touches of sweetness. Perkulator also had slight juicy fruity notes to it. Chocolate and caramel notes popped through this beer, while it finished out in a semi-dry finish. I’m not generally a fan of coffee in beers (especially stouts) but this wasn’t bad.

Perkulator was not as sweet and malty as many doppelbocks, which might be one reason it was a little less appealing than others might be.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★½☆ 

Among other Bocks: ★★★☆☆ 

Among other coffee beers ★★★★☆ 

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Like the One and Too, this beer was pretty stinkin’ dark. There was a finely carbonated but quickly dissipating head on this beer, which is a little disappointing when you would like a creamy head on a stout. Oh well!  Maybe the beer will pay off.

As one might expect, there were Blueberry aromas present in the beer that made the mouth water. Alcohol and dark, roasty grains were a prominent feature on the nose. I also perceived some chocolate tones. Beyond this, there was not a lot going on.

Upon the first sip, alcohol and blueberries could be noted immediately. Maybe the nicest feature of the beer was the middle of any given taste. There was a nice grain roastiness, which receded into a chocolate graininess. Finally, a bitter finish ended the taste.

Of the three stouts in the series, I liked this one the least. Oddly enough, this one didn’t seem quite as juicy (acidic) as the other two. This “Dark Horse” is in the middle of the pack. However, it was still a decent stout no matter how you slice it. You may want to pick up some stuff from Dark Horse and try it yourself.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★☆☆ 

Among other Stouts: ★★★☆☆ 

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When I poured I immediately noted that the beer is perhaps darker than most any Belgian Triple Ale that I’ve had. Of course, Belgians generally make many of these beers characteristically blond (this is not always true, especially in the field of Trappists, but you get the point). Having said the above, the beer came in at a light copper blond with a finely carbonated and stable head. The beer came off pretty clean looking in the glass.

As far as aromas go, this beer had plenty of fruit qualities. More than anything else, I noted pineapple. There was a touch of smoked meatiness (it sounds strange but isn’t really that odd). The combination of the smoke and pineapple almost gave the impression that the pineapple was cooked with a smoked ham (smell-wise). The yeast and alcohol aromas were also very present in the beer. Let me reiterate, before I move on, that the smoke and pineapple was not overpowering, nor was it off-putting.

The typical tastes of the Belgian style were present. Candy sugar type qualities were readily noticeable. And a very nice soft and delicate mouth-feel was also apparent. Dryness, which I’m sure was alcohol driven, came through solidly on the end. In addition, the yeast spice came through in the finish of the brew. The other notable quality that I got was the smoked malt on the nose.

This beer was, perhaps, a little more malty and smoked than many triples that I’ve had. Yet, it certainly does not venture outside of being a reasonable facsimile of a Belgian Triple. In fact, I think Dark Horse did an excellent job on the beer.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★★☆ 

Among other American Versions of Triples: ★★★★☆ 

Among Belgian Triples: ★★★½☆ 

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One and Too both had some very very dark bodies and dark brown heads.  They were both certainly Stout in every since of the word.  

Both these brews had some very nice burnt grain, chocolate, and coffee notes on the nose.  They both also had some juicy, fruity qualities.  These were the common factors among the two, but now it’s time for them to depart.

The Oatmeal Stout (One) obviously had some oats on the nose which combined with very roasty qualities. One had a thick mouth-feel, which revealed how chewy this Oatmeal Stout was (I would like even more oats on flavor).  Oats are notoriously hard to mash into a brew because of their gelatinizing qualities, so making even a decent Oatmeal Stout is a challenge.  Along with the oats was a clear chocolate taste to the beer.  I also noted some caramel and marshmallow notes.  The juicy (read: slight acidity) fruity taste was almost prune-like.  I did enjoy this beer.  Probably not my favorite Oatmeal Stout but a good beer nonetheless.  

Time for Too.  If the first beer was juicy (read: acidic), this one was more.  It had less chocolate and a ton of roast, which made it have more coffee qualities.  There was also a biscuit quality to the beer that was noticeable in this Cream Stout (cream stout meaning that it was brewed with Ale yeast and aged at Lager temps).  This beer had some nice smoky qualities that made it finish long and nicely.

I think that this brewery lives up to what I expected.  The interpretation of a slightly acidic Stout was a pleasurable experience.  I’ll keep you posted because I’m planning on trying their Triple Belgian Ale.

Mike’s Rating:

Overall Satisfaction: ★★★½☆ 

Among other Stouts ★★★¼☆ 

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