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Dark Island Reserve
Orkney Brewery
- From:
- Orkney Brewery
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Style:
- Scottish Ale
Ranked #1 - ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 92
Ranked #5,473 - Avg:
- 4.13 | pDev: 9.93%
- Reviews:
- 71
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jan 15, 2024
- Added:
- Jan 15, 2008
- Wants:
- 108
- Gots:
- 32
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by AngusOg:
Reviewed by AngusOg from North Carolina
3.8/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.8/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Vintage 2007- Swing Top 750 ml Bottle
Decided to crack this one Saturday night while relaxing and wacthing the Stanley Cup finals. Poured into a snifter. Dark black with just the slight trace of a tan head. Smells strong of whiskey, some choclate and vanilla, some fig/dried fruit, some roastiness, but alot of whiskey, i feel like i'm about to take a sip of whiskey rather than beer. Taste is much the same, although luckily not quite dominated by the whiskey as much as the aroma is. Also, definitely got better as it warmed, (probably should have let it sit a bit before cracking it),the other flavors shine through more. Definitely not a lot of carbonation here. Overall, maybe a tad too much whiskey for my liking for this beer to truely blow me away, but still made for a very enjoyable Saturday night while sipping on this one. (slept well too.)
Jun 11, 2012Decided to crack this one Saturday night while relaxing and wacthing the Stanley Cup finals. Poured into a snifter. Dark black with just the slight trace of a tan head. Smells strong of whiskey, some choclate and vanilla, some fig/dried fruit, some roastiness, but alot of whiskey, i feel like i'm about to take a sip of whiskey rather than beer. Taste is much the same, although luckily not quite dominated by the whiskey as much as the aroma is. Also, definitely got better as it warmed, (probably should have let it sit a bit before cracking it),the other flavors shine through more. Definitely not a lot of carbonation here. Overall, maybe a tad too much whiskey for my liking for this beer to truely blow me away, but still made for a very enjoyable Saturday night while sipping on this one. (slept well too.)
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by AzfromOz from Australia
4.2/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.2/5 rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Purchased from Plonk in Fyshwick, Canberra, in August 2023. Drunk on a cold summer's day in December of that year.
L: Thick, oily, jet black, with no head whatsoever and no carbonation seen through the impenetrable blackness.
S: Rich plum, molasses and dark fruit. There's a slight barrel note towards the end, which, at least at the start of the glass, is overwhelmed by the plums but which comes into its own as the beer warms and the aroma dials back a notch.
T: The barrel very much comes to the fore in the taste profile, relegating the plums and dark fruit to a back seat. There's a woody note, as well as an unmistakable touch of the scotch whisky that originally inhabited the barrel. An earthy, acrid bitterness asserts itself on the swallow and lingers long afterwards. Alcoholic warmth is present and leaves a pleasant remnant in the throat, gullet and stomach.
M: Mouthfeel is pleasant - carbonation is minimal but sufficient to give the beer heft, and the body is full and smooth.
O: This beer was crafted in the Orkney Islands and is perfect for that climate. Australia is about as un-Orkney as you can get in terms of weather (normally - it's a cold and windy summer's day as I type this!), but this beer would be delicious and demand repeats no matter the location and no matter the temperature.
Cheers!
#413
Dec 28, 2023L: Thick, oily, jet black, with no head whatsoever and no carbonation seen through the impenetrable blackness.
S: Rich plum, molasses and dark fruit. There's a slight barrel note towards the end, which, at least at the start of the glass, is overwhelmed by the plums but which comes into its own as the beer warms and the aroma dials back a notch.
T: The barrel very much comes to the fore in the taste profile, relegating the plums and dark fruit to a back seat. There's a woody note, as well as an unmistakable touch of the scotch whisky that originally inhabited the barrel. An earthy, acrid bitterness asserts itself on the swallow and lingers long afterwards. Alcoholic warmth is present and leaves a pleasant remnant in the throat, gullet and stomach.
M: Mouthfeel is pleasant - carbonation is minimal but sufficient to give the beer heft, and the body is full and smooth.
O: This beer was crafted in the Orkney Islands and is perfect for that climate. Australia is about as un-Orkney as you can get in terms of weather (normally - it's a cold and windy summer's day as I type this!), but this beer would be delicious and demand repeats no matter the location and no matter the temperature.
Cheers!
#413
Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire
4.56/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
4.56/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
2016 limited edition bottle. Sampled December 25, 2020.
Handsome dark brown pour with a quick fading tan head.
The aroma is roasted dark malts, black licorice, and alcohol.
Full mouthfeel.
The taste is sweet and malt forward with those whiskey barrel characters in play. Warming, satisfying finish.
Dec 26, 2020Handsome dark brown pour with a quick fading tan head.
The aroma is roasted dark malts, black licorice, and alcohol.
Full mouthfeel.
The taste is sweet and malt forward with those whiskey barrel characters in play. Warming, satisfying finish.
Rated by goodbeergoodfood from North Carolina
4.89/5 rDev +18.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
4.89/5 rDev +18.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Just an absolutely fabulous world-class beer. I now have 5 bottles and I'm celebrating for special occasions.
Dec 12, 2017
Dark Island Reserve from Orkney Brewery
Beer rating:
92 out of
100 with
149 ratings
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