Darkness - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Surly Brewing Company

Darkness - Bourbon Barrel-AgedDarkness - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
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From:
Surly Brewing Company
 
Minnesota, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #23
ABV:
12%
Score:
98
Ranked #314
Avg:
4.46 | pDev: 8.74%
Reviews:
68
Ratings:
357
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 12, 2023
Added:
Dec 23, 2009
Wants:
  260
Gots:
  52
Darkness is a beer of fable and legend. Malty and intense, yet velvety smooth. This special edition of our massive Russian imperial stout matured in Elijah Craig 12-year bourbon barrels and brings waves of chocolate, vanilla, dried fruit, and cherry flavors, enhanced by the oaky spice the barrel and its previous occupant.
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Rated: 4.6 by KAP1356 from Pennsylvania

Nov 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by d5001986 from Wisconsin

Aug 10, 2023
 
Rated: 4.26 by bschmidt_37 from Illinois

Jun 08, 2023
Photo of ryan1788a5
Reviewed by ryan1788a5 from Massachusetts

4.81/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
750ml bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Pitch black color with a finger of brown head that retains decently well considering the barrel aging. Patchy lacing.

S: German chocolate cake, bourbon ball candy with chewy caramel and nougat, hefty helping of roast and espresso, undercurrents of dark fruit and fruit skins- grape and blackberry. Big pull of bourbon barrel breaks down into a clear vanilla and coconut shavings type of note from the wood, along with corny sweet bourbon.

T: Follows the nose. Lots of fudge and deep chocolatey notes up front. Roasty backbone with hints of mocha and espresso. Chewy dark caramel. Flashes of berry-like dark fruit go almost jammy with a blackberry impression. The barrel contribution is absolutely wonderful, with a lot of vanillins that have a heavy toasted marshmallow and coconut shavings impression. Big pull of quality bourbon is stiff and assertive to the point of toeing the line into "hot" territory, but it feels like it absolutely belongs there. The size of the beer warrants the bold bourbon character and it never feels hot because of it. Finish is all delicious barrel in the most glorious sense.

M: Full, hefty, and coating. Dextrins abound in a feel that stops just short of being sticky/syrupy. The barrel lends a surprising amount of wood tannin that works to add a slightly drying illusion. Some spicy bourbon warmth, too. Ample carbonation has a stiff but gentle prickle around the tongue.

O: This may be the single greatest bourbon barrel aged imperial stout I've ever had, and this may be the highest rating I've ever given a beer. I take great care not to give out any 5 scores unless I think the beer or aspect of that beer absolutely cannot be improved upon. It's a big deal for me to dish one out. In taste, this is an absolute 5. This beer, along with Firestone Walker's Parabola, are the absolute pinnacles of a highly crowded style category. If you see this in any bar or liquor store, you buy it and enjoy it without hesitation.
Jun 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.75 by bigred89 from Maryland

Apr 30, 2023
 
Rated: 4.44 by Mikexw from New York

Mar 22, 2023
Photo of philbe311
Reviewed by philbe311 from Pennsylvania

4.67/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
A fingers worth of lush whipped dark khaki colored froth... Decent retention gives way to a lopsided lacing... Color is a deep dark mahogany that allows the slightest bit of light to leak in around the edges... Stellar nose - Bourbon, brown sugar, molasses, roasted malt, coffee, chocolate and some dark fruits... Tons of depth and complexity... Each whiff reveals a slightly new nuance... The palate is equally complex and exhilarating... Chocolate, caramel, dark fruits, and molasses with hints of roasted malt and bourbon barrels... Full bodied, sleek and moderately carbonated... Velvety smooth with each sip... There aren't enough superlatives for this beer... Stellar all the way around...
Mar 18, 2023
Photo of micada
Reviewed by micada from New York

4.53/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
2022 version. Simply, it’s a beast. It’s a thick pour. It’s black as darkness. The aroma is a barrel full of dark molasses. The taste is evil, with a stone fruit purée like duck’s blood soup. The mouthfeel is appropriate for that scrapper’s soup. Alcohol has no burn, but brings warmth on the cold back porch this cold March night. $19/16 oz is steep, but what isn’t any more? Definitely a no fucking around drink.
Mar 04, 2023
Photo of Tucquan
Reviewed by Tucquan from Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Had this on 2023-01-20 from a 2022 16oz can.

A - Black with a dark brown head and great lace

S - Roasty and rich. Chocolate, orange, berry and vanilla

T - Not as roasty as expected. The bourbon barrel aging has imparted additional sweetness and flavors that to me adds a malted milkshake essence with the vanilla, orange and berry flavors.

M - Smooth as silk. Full body and light carbonation.

O - Had this side-by-side with regular Darkness, which has more of the traditional roasted imperial stout characteristics. Both are excellent. I liked this barrel-aged better but my son-in-law preferred regular Darkness.
Jan 21, 2023
Photo of Strix
Reviewed by Strix from Wisconsin

4.57/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Near black, tan head, minimal lacing

Malty with vanilla and bourbon

Super yummy with roasted malt, vanilla, bourbon, bit of dark chocolate. Just what I like in the style.

Mouthfeel smooth

Can't go wrong here, world class.
Jan 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.4 by TLA from Pennsylvania

Jan 01, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by dexterk1 from Illinois

Dec 02, 2022
 
Rated: 4.18 by socon67 from New York

Nov 10, 2022
Photo of drdiesel9483
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio

4.54/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5
Look - black and thick with a fantastic tan head rimming and lacing
Smell - roasted malt barrel and booze
Taste - roasted malt barrel wood chocolate a lil coffee
Feel - thick creamy light carb
Overall - fantastic
Nov 06, 2022
Photo of 40ontarget
Reviewed by 40ontarget from Colorado

4.24/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Very inky dark with 1/16 inch of tan head. The nose is vanilla, a small bit of wood seeps out. There is an odd bit of chocolate orange in there. The taste is bourbon, hot tasty bourbon and something like a turtle candy with chocolate, caramel, and a hint of pecan. The finish is woody dryness. This is full bodied with some syrupy thickness. Everything is there...maybe a little light on the nose. Really nice BA Stout.
Nov 03, 2022
 
Rated: 4.29 by dms1767 from Nebraska

Oct 19, 2022
 
Rated: 4.75 by TylerJ from Iowa

Oct 03, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by Gkruszewski from New York

Sep 09, 2022
Photo of feloniousmonk
Reviewed by feloniousmonk from Minnesota

4.56/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Notes from 2016:
Solid blackness, strictly Stygian, with a slim roasted, toasted ring of foam on top.

Nose is all types of richness, the thick of the bourbon, the massive malt, the charcoal and vanilla and marshmallow, the depths of the oak and caramel, the toffee and espresso and cocoa. Gigantic this one. A gargantua, an impressive mixture of all the blessings from the beer and the barrel. anise and molasses and whiskey and more.

In the mouth: Thickness. Richness. Depth. Deepitude. Coats the palate, pours over the senses, takes on every inch and spreads it's complexity for the tongue and the tastebuds to experience. Smooth, mellow, while deep, complex, rich and utterly satisfying. And something swells, something grows and builds within you while you imbibe this. This is absolute perfection. Everything comes together perfectly. Nothing is bigger than the other, nothing is greater than anything else.

Am I just reading things into this, because of other things on my mind, two days after the distress of the election? Am I looking at the drooling vampire bat on the label of this bottle and seeing the looming disaster of our impending apocalypse? Is the bottle scaring me because the threat of four years of President Trump looms in the forefront of my mind?

Back to the beer, though: It is so good. Well-balanced, well-attenuated, great bourbon-y treated goodness. So good that it keeps every bad thing from the door. It strengthens and fortifies. It builds you up, and builds you up, and now you're solid. Solid as a rock. That's what this love is, that's what we've got, got, got, got got.

And it's damned delicious. Whoa. Got me quoting Ashford & Simpson instead of some Satanic death/gloom metal. Something's wrong with me, clearly.

I didn't want to drink this whole bottle by myself. But, I'm glad I did.

It's so good, so perfect, and so well, you know, put-together. This is my simple solace, in face of tougher times ahead. Wish I had another dozen bottles put away, but alas. I could only wait so long on this one, and the wait was worth it.
Aug 15, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by BrewSTL from Missouri

Aug 04, 2022
Darkness - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from Surly Brewing Company
Beer rating: 98 out of 100 with 357 ratings