Dark Knight
Barley John's Brew Pub

Dark KnightDark Knight
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From:
Barley John's Brew Pub
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
Imperial Porter
ABV:
12%
Score:
96
Avg:
4.36 | pDev: 9.63%
Reviews:
88
Ratings:
185
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 02, 2019
Added:
Jul 17, 2003
Wants:
  110
Gots:
  11
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by AgentZero:
Photo of AgentZero
Reviewed by AgentZero from Illinois

4.22/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Riddle me this! Thanks to spycow for hooking this up.

A - Dark as knight, er night. Black beer with a little tan head that didn't leave much on the sides. Quite opaque.

S - Lots of chocolate, little dark fruit, some roasted and slightly charred malts. The barrel aging comes through nicely, with oak, vanilla, mellow bourbon. Good stuff.

T - Lots of chocolate, roast, bourbon, oak, vanilla. Not really sure what more you could ask for. Booze and roast are a little stronger than I would have thought for 12%, actually thought this was a stout with higher ABV.

M - Full bodied, lower carbonation. This beer is really thick and almost chewey at times.

O - Good beer, it was a bit much at times, and can really only do it in small doses, but I liked it and as far as imperial BA porters, this is about as good as it gets.
Jul 09, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of eithne
Rated by eithne from Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
20191102
Brewery taproom - 6.5oz
Nov 02, 2019
 
Rated: 4.15 by Dactrius from Netherlands Antilles

Nov 05, 2018
 
Rated: 4.28 by NolaHopHead from Louisiana

Jun 11, 2018
 
Rated: 4.13 by ChicagoNick from Illinois

Apr 09, 2018
Photo of Ristaccia
Rated by Ristaccia from Nebraska

3.11/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Infected; green apple/butter.
Apr 07, 2018
Photo of Ri0
Reviewed by Ri0 from Wisconsin

4.14/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
16 oz. can poured into a snifter. Pours a deep brown/black with a 1.5 finger tan head. Head doesn't last long and forms a thin ring around the glass that with webs of lacing around the glass. Soft and sweet bourbon smell, with oak, vanilla and some chocolate. The smell is fantastic. The taste is a nice vanilla and bourbon flavor. I get oak and some bitter chocolate with sweet and roasted malt. Mouthfeel is medium for a porter, but it is creamy and rich. Carbonation is soft and spot on. A delicious and tasty Porter with good amount of bourbon and vanilla.
Feb 04, 2018
 
Rated: 4.33 by Hop_Swig from Minnesota

Feb 02, 2018
 
Rated: 4.29 by TooGood from Minnesota

Jan 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.34 by RyanTheLion13 from Iowa

Jan 25, 2018
 
Rated: 4.48 by Pbarg from Florida

Sep 26, 2017
Photo of Stevedore
Reviewed by Stevedore from Oregon

4.24/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bourbon barrel-aged version, 16oz can served in a snifter glass. Pours a dark black body, opaque with a one finger offwhite head, good retention and no lacing. Smell is distinct bourbon richness, oak, milk chocolate, a fair bit of roast and espresso. Vanillin. Nice bourbon presence right off the bat. Flavour is plenty of bourbon, milk chocolate, roasted malt and touch of oily black coffee, light earth, touch of vanillin. Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, good carbonation, slightly creamy with a hefty body.
Sep 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by Narthax from Texas

Aug 16, 2017
 
Rated: 4.18 by Sparky44 from Illinois

Aug 16, 2017
 
Rated: 4.3 by Vicirus from Massachusetts

Jul 28, 2017
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
this is an awesome beer, ages well, and might be my favorite of all offerings i have had from these guys so far. somehow they still fly under the radar, yet their beer really is leading the way in some respects, especially this one, which is a barrel aged porter of enormous depth and quality. pouring a thicker looking near black color with a mocha colored head, pretty stuff. aroma is awesome, not oxidized at all from the age, sweet smelling, molasses and tobacco notes, unbrewed coffee grinds, and lots of bourbon and vanilla and barrel char from the ageing. molasses and brown sugar up front ahead of the roast in the flavor, supported and propped up immediately by the whiskey, with notes of graham cracker and coffee behind it. some booze, but this isnt hot, and not an overabundant amount of residual sugar. body and bitterness to finish, the coats the palate all mellow and huge at the same time, not sticky just big. i love all the dark grain in here, the maturity of the wood on it and the seamless integration of so many layers of flavor. this is hands down the most ambitious barley johns beer i have had, really special stuff, and not to be missed when it comes back around next time! get one for the cellar too, this is drinking beautifully right now!
Jul 26, 2017
Photo of SpeedwayJim
Reviewed by SpeedwayJim from New York

4.03/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Big thanks to Jeff for this one. I've been wanting to try this beer for years! 16oz. can into a Surly teku. Shared with schen9303.

Nose is roast, booze, molasses, chocolate and smoke. Aromatic and rich if a little boozy. Beer opens booze, sweet soy sauce and chocolate and molasses. There's a smokiness that floats in the background, leaving a gap between it and the chocolate and dark fruit flavors up front. Middle has a touch of roast and some baker's chocolate. Finishes boozy with more chocolate and rich molasses. Body is medium with moderate to low carbonation. Real smooth and drinkable. This doesn't feel like 12% even though it tastes like it.

A real well balanced and carefully crafted beer. Good balance and complexity. Definitely worth seeking out.
Jun 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.88 by Vidblain from Minnesota

Jun 16, 2017
 
Rated: 4.25 by Pearlstreetbrewingco from Florida

Apr 25, 2017
 
Rated: 3.89 by Onenote81 from North Carolina

Mar 20, 2017
Dark Knight from Barley John's Brew Pub
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 185 ratings