Dark Harvest
Bridge Road Brewers

Dark HarvestDark Harvest
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From:
Bridge Road Brewers
 
Australia
Style:
Black IPA
ABV:
6.6%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.92 | pDev: 8.67%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
29
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 03, 2018
Added:
Apr 30, 2012
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  3
Bridge Road Brewers together with gypsy brewer Mikkel Borg Bjergso of Mikkeller, created a one-off brew one Friday evening in March 2012. The result is "The Dark Harvest". Inspired by the timing of this collaboration, it was decided to make a dark beer, using locally grown fresh hops. Of several research hops being grown at Rostrevor Hop Garden one variety stood out for selection and was harvested just hours before being added to this beer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by bylerteck:
Photo of bylerteck
Reviewed by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Growler from Harvest Wines. From notes.

A - Poured dark, dark brown. Bright with one finger of light brown head. Good rings of lace and a film of retention.

S - Roast and hop combine really well. Perhaps chocolate fruits.

T - Chocolate, roast, nice hop flavour again. Chocolate fruits come through again. Well blended and balanced.

M - Nice carbonation, smooth almost creamy medium body. Pleasant bitterness.

O/D - A nice Black IPA. Good flavours and really smooth. Enjoyed it.
Aug 02, 2012
More User Ratings:
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

4.03/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
i thought this was great, a wet hopped black ipa done with mikkeller, granted the freshness is way off with this coming all the way from australia some months ago, but who cares, its a solid black ale, incredibly well made, and it still is very hoppy. its sexy in the glass, matte coal black with three inches of frothing light brown head stiff like beaten egg whites. it smells vegetal and piney, with a hint of berry fruitiness in there, i can tell that whatever the hops were, they were very unique, even though the obvious wet hop character is likely faded out a little bit by now. there is also some obvious bitterness here from the hops, not just the dark roast, although that element is really intense too, heavy burnt and charred black grain at the base here, dense and fuller bodied for its modest strength, but also very dry which i like. its earthen and sort of cold, but the hops feel very alive, a weird but pleasant juxtaposition there. lightly oily, mineral rich, and even crisp like a baltic porter might finish, the mikkeller influence here is evident. i like the yeast, i like the lingering bitterness, and i like all the body too. full and hearty, very much a wintery complexion even with the hops as forward in the mix as they are. a little sediment ends up in the bottom of the glass, i didnt see that on the pour. cool beer overall, a neat collaboration, id like to try it more fresh as the wet hop aspect isnt as obvious as it probably was when it was new, but still very enjoyable this time of year. shocked its not stronger, it drinks slowly. good to very good.
Nov 03, 2018
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tap at Bitter Phew. Killer black IPA, sweetness tempers the normal roast grain bitterness. Black pour with tons of lacing. Mild roast grain aroma leads into taste that is equal parts sweet and bitter. Pleasant lingering bitterness (burnt toast) and sweet (dark chocolate).
Mar 03, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by DioS from Georgia

Aug 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.77 by SDStoutly

Apr 10, 2016
 
Rated: 4.15 by k3ve from Switzerland

Jun 29, 2015
 
Rated: 3.56 by GRG1313 from California

Jun 22, 2015
Photo of chogm54
Reviewed by chogm54 from Australia

4.18/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
330Ml bottle, poured into half pint, bottled March 2015.

L - dark brown, opaque, pours a nice inch thick pale brown frothy head with reasonable retention

S - dominated by tropical fruits - like a fruit salad. Big notes of passionfruit, mango, hint of pine.

T - Initially bland, followed by resiny bitterness up front and cocoa beans with passionfruit flavours by the middle. Dark choc, roasted coffee, and slight smokiness towards finish,

F - low carbonation, thick bodied, dry finish.

O - great beer of two halves - IPA upfront, then almost porter like at finish. Well done.
May 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by personpitch from Australia

Apr 12, 2015
Photo of doktorhops
Reviewed by doktorhops from Australia

3.48/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Being brewed in collaboration with gypsy brewer Mikkel Borg Bjergsø of Mikkeller back in March 2012 means that with this Dark Harvest (the named derived from the fact that this is a Black IPA with experimental hops harvested mere hours before the mash) I am rather late to the show... and also that if you were keen on trying this brew you’ll have a damn hard time tracking it down. Regardless on my quest to provide beersumer advice I continue, even if the brew is a rare limited release that you will never get your hands on, let’s press on dear reader [actually it says bottled on 10/04/14 - so not really a limited release then - peasants rejoice!].

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: Big and black, not unlike like my motorcycle, with a fairly dense 1cm mocha head. Looks mocharific I must say, can’t wait to tuck in. 8/10.

S: Dark chocolate, vanilla and green (i.e. unroasted) coffee mixes with light earthy/herbal hops and a hint of smoke lingering in the background. Perhaps lacking a little in hops from other Black IPAs I’ve come to know and love (the Feral & Kooinda brews spring to mind). 7/10.

T: A subtle earthy hop note followed by some big dark chocolate and green coffee flavours and that unmistakeable smoke, finishes with some light citric bitter orange. The palate is well-balanced, though it edges towards a smoked Porter more than an IPA. As it warms the earthy tones come out more and you even get a hint of nuttiness as well. A good Black IPA then, but shy of greatness. 7/10.

M: Mid to light bodied with a fairly active carbonation, perhaps a little too active. 6/10.

D: As noted above this Black IPA borders quite closely to a Porter, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing (I love a good Porter), however when you buy a Black IPA your expectation is for the best of both worlds and the hops in this are too earthy and lacking in punch. Granted, that said this is still an enjoyable drop, it just isn’t going toe to toe with Feral Karma Chameleon or Kooinda Full Nelson or Kaiju! Cthulhu On The Moon in the Black IPA stakes... still I would buy this over many Porters I’ve had in the recent past. 7/10.

Food match: Anything cooked on a barbeque, specifically char-grilled meats.
Jan 15, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Dec 04, 2014
Photo of admiral
Reviewed by admiral from Australia

4.14/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
a very well balanced beer full of flavour.

aroma: orange, musky chocolate grapes with slight grapefruit

taste: cocoa/orange zest, chocolate grapefruit, musky chocolate grapes, roasted malt, spice with slight coffee.

another great beer from bridge road (with the help of quality brewer mikkeller).
May 31, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Kroehny_Loves_Hops from Australia

May 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Rwalford74 from Australia

Dec 07, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by Mendicant from Australia

Jul 22, 2013
Photo of Hoptron_3000
Reviewed by Hoptron_3000 from Australia

4.05/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Black colour with dense tan head. Bottle conditioned. Good lacing.
S: Lovely piney hop stink and slight coffee.
T: Sharp pine bitterness nestled with roasted coffee. Dark molasses. Toasted bread crusts. Nice bitterness from roasted malts and hops.
M: Crisp mouth feel.
O: Wonderful, nice Black IPA/CDA.
Jun 26, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by adityashekhar from India

Jun 16, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by pin from Australia

Apr 22, 2013
Photo of lacqueredmouse
Reviewed by lacqueredmouse from Australia

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle purchased from Slowbeer. Shared with @tobeerornottobe.

Pours a deep brown colour, with a solid and consistent head of ochre-beige. Patchy, spotty lace forms as the head subsides. Body is pretty light, but very decent. Overall, a solid looking brew.

Nose is clear and pungent, with a solid green, slightly biting hop character drawing through the centre, above a solid malt base. Surprisingly, there's very little in the way of roast character to the brew, although there's perhaps a depth to the organics that suggests a hint of char or smoke. Good stuff.

Taste has more of a dichotomy: solid smooth roasted malt forms the basis, but the hops are certainly muted (as is to be expected from a wet-hopped ale, I guess). The roast is also mild, but without a big vector of compressed hops it feels dominant. Overall, it's a decent palate, but somewhat emphasises the drawbacks of brewing with fresh hops.

Overall, definitely a nice brew, and great to see more collaborations between Aussies and some of the world's powerhouse brewers. It's very decent and with good characters to it: but it's perhaps constrained by what it is intrinsically.
Jul 28, 2012
Photo of spicelab
Reviewed by spicelab from Australia

3.8/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Deep chocolate with a tight mocha head that sits very quietly before falling gradually with some decent lacing to a raised ring.

Pine/lime splice, cut grass and passionfruit hops pairing easily with lots of toasty, gritty malts. Almost a rye-like spiciness to the roast character. Mild candied sweetness cuts through it all. Very nice.

Firm malt backbone of cocoa, liquorice and toasted grain supports a good dose of chewy hop oils. Don't get so much of the fruitiness in the nose, but more of a piney, minty bitterness.

Slick and even palate. Tingly carbonation provides a subtle lift. Mild bitterness seems to owe itself pretty equally to hops and roast.

Starting to look like Bridge Road are vying for the Limited Release Dark Beer Title (with respect to Mikkel on this occasion). Well executed, plenty happening and not much to fault.
Jun 03, 2012
Dark Harvest from Bridge Road Brewers
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 29 ratings