Dragonmead Sin Eater Belgian Dark | Dragonmead Microbrewery

4.31/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

12 ounce bottle into a tulip glass. Bottled 5/20/16.

Pours a dark brown, pretty opaque, with a two finger head and a good amount of foamy lacing. A cola aroma- also malt, Belgian yeast, toffee, raisins, bread, figs, light cherries. The taste is malt, Belgian yeast, figs, raisins, caramel, prunes, some molasses, and again, light cherries. No hint of alcohol, a pretty good achievement for the ABV and the style. Very smooth for the ABV, solid body, well carbonated.

Wow. Complex. flavorful, a unique Belgian Dark. The flavor really opens up as it warms. A very enjoyable effort. Well worth a purchase.

★ 615 characters

3.65/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

This may just not be my style, but it was still well done, I think. There are lots of notes of dark fruits, but the balance was just off in my opinion. Really complex, but just not my favorite.

★ 193 characters

4.3/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 7/22/2015. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger fairly dense tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings around the glass. Aromas of big raisin, prune, fig, cherry, date, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, pepper, clove, light licorice/banana, toasted biscuit, light roast, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great complexity and balance of fruity/spicy yeast and dark/bready malt notes; with good strength. Taste of huge raisin, prune, fig, cherry, date, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, pepper, clove, light licorice/banana, toasted biscuit, light roast, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate yeast spiciness on the finish; with lingering notes of raisin, prune, fig, cherry, date, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, pepper, clove, toasted biscuit, light roast, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast and dark/bready malt flavors; with a great malt/spiciness balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and slightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an incredible Belgian strong dark ale. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy yeast and dark/bready malt flavors; and very smooth and easy to drink for the big ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.

★ 1,616 characters

4.3/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 12 ounce bottle into tulip glass.

Dark brown with very little head, even with an aggressive pour. Diminishes to a faint ring around the glass with very light lacing.

Smell of light banana/roasted plantain, prune, dark cherry/grape and slight breadiness. Hints of candi sugar, but slightly overpowered by alcohol (surprisingly not as much as one would expect at this ABV).

Taste of candi and roasted malt, slight dark fruit and banana with slightly sweet finish and slight alcohol (again, dangerous light for the ABV).

Mouthfeel is really nice, medium to heavy body.

Overall a very nice representation of the style, and slightly sweeter than others in the category. Easy to drink this one too fast for the alcohol presence. Glad that this is seeing bottle distribution.

★ 788 characters

4.31/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This brew was served on tap at Dragonmead in Warren, Michigan. It arrived in a standard tasting glass, holding a coloring that was a shade browner than that of the darkest grape sodas. It held a half finger tall head of wispy khaki foam, showing a quick retention into frilled lacing and a creamy film across the top of the liquid. A mild haze was noted, but sediment was absent throughout. Carbonation appeared to be moderate. The nose was wonderfully rich with notes of burgundy wine, sugar coated plums, figs, dried prunes, and black cherries, dense caramel and dark wheaty malt roastiness, vinous and tannic-brushed herbal tea leafiness, soft black leathers, attic mustiness, sweet banana esters, cloven phenols, and a nice dollop of warming fusel booziness. The taste came along with an embodiment of all of the abovementioned ingredients, each bold enough to stand out and blend against the ones right next to it. These included cloyingly sweet, dark, and boozy fruitiness of prunes, dates, plums, cherries, and red apples, lightly roasted black, amber, and dark German wheat graininess, plastic and clovey phenols, coffee bean metallics, challah bread yeastiness, synthetic maraschino cherry syrups, allspice and black pepper, lightly simple herbal hoppiness, concrete dust, and gravel. The body was thickly chewy, and the carbonation was medium. Each sip gave thick and creamy slurp, smack, froth, and pop. Glug was limited due to the beer’s thickness. The mouth was coated and left warmly prickled from all the booze and residual sugars. The abv was appropriate for the style, and the beer sipped back nicely.

Overall, contrary to beer sampled and reviewed just prior to Sin Eater, this was the standout favorite from our first trip to Dragonmead. Everything about it just screamed boldness. From the intense fruitiness highlighted mostly through the nose, to the deep and dark malty base that held it all together across each component of the taste, this was just a really serious beer. Each ingredient had its proper place, and nothing came across as off balanced, one-sided, or extraneous. If we didn’t have to drive then this would be in our glasses for the remainder of the evening, and would be worth making the trip back here on another night when we could indulge.

★ 2,302 characters

4.7/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

An awesome mellow taste. The head is awesome. Although the ABV for this is very high you will not realize until much later. Drink in moderation. Not sure if this is still a seasonal beer. DM would make a batch on occasion and they would run out very quickly.

★ 258 characters

4.21/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Had on-tap at Dragonmead.

Appearance: Black. No head on my beer at all. Kind of like black water or something. But let's be honest, appearance matters not. I mean... it's nice, but... you know.

Smell: Prune/fig/grapes... dark fruit, dark fruit, dark fruit. Sweet and tart. Pleasing on the nose and very inviting. At 11%, that's not there at all. Also, this beer doesn't have that almost overly sweet aroma that some others from the style have.

Taste/feel: Exactly as the smell is, but that tartness is more obvious, as you'd expect. Sweet, but not too much so. Again, dark fruits all around. Maybe a slight sort of spiciness, but I don't know where that's coming from. I was told this beer had a clear alcohol presence, but I didn't notice it. The warmth, sure, but nothing in the taste. Definitely a bigger sort of beer. Sweet, tasty, and a sipper.

My favorite I've had from Dragonmead, I'd say, and it seems that I'm not alone. A must-try if you visit the brewery.

★ 970 characters

4.26/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: dark mahogany almost black. Completely opaque. A finger of a tan head that fades quickly and leaves very little behind.

Smell: bananas, dark fruit and amber candi sugar.

Taste: opens with a strong yeasty belgian taste. Dark fruits, mostly plum. Amber candi sugar sweetness. Small banana taste.

Mouthfeel: super dry. Heavy and warm

Overall: a very good and slightly unique example. I haven't tasted or smelled such strong banana in a belgian dark and it works quite well. Very well balanced and low alcohol taste for be strength.

★ 548 characters

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

What a phenomenally world class Belgian ale. Smooth and perfectly consistent. This would stand against any strong Belgian ale out there. The only improvement I could suggest is a bit more complexity on the flavor profile. It doesn't really matter though as it's so smooth and so tasty. A real pleasure to drink. Lucky to have been able to get the chance.

★ 354 characters

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Very dark brown/black body with a half finger head. unexpected chocolate and coffee in aroma. Not really the dark fruit Belgian dark string I was expecting. Cocoa, roasted malts, dark candy sugar. Light licorice and vanilla. Makes me think more of stout. Thicker body for the style and moderate carbonation. The best tasting beer of the 7 or 8 I tried, still not a great representative of the style though.

★ 406 characters

3.92/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Dragonmead. Served in a taster glass.

A - A sliver of tan foam quickly settles to a partial collar and not much else. Very dark body, mostly black with a hint of brown at the edges.

S - Candi sugar, dark fruits, phenolic yeast, dark roasted grains, licorice, banana, and some spicy alcohol esters.

T - Taste is largely similar, but with more emphasis on the fruity flavors. Dark candi sugar, Belgian yeast, and malted grains round things out.

M - Medium body, smooth texture, medium-low carbonation, and a light alcohol presence. Guessing this is around 10% or so.

D - Not bad at all. It's pretty much stock for a BSDA, but there are no obvious flaws. If you're into this style you won't be disappointed. One of the best offerings I had from Dragonmead.

★ 768 characters

4.24/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Black with a tan one finger plus head.

S: Sweet. candied sugar, cherry.

T: Sweet. cherry, caramel, toasted malts with a some alcohol in the finish. No bitterness.

M: Medium body with a medium carbonation, a bit fizzy. Very slight alcohol burn.

O: Good beer if your in the mood for something sweet.

★ 304 characters

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had a snifter at the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange of the pitch-black ale. Despite the color, I didn't pick up any roasted character, instead there was a big sweet mix of banana, plums, and toffee. I'd have liked it a touch drier, but it's not a bad take on the style. Give it a shot.

★ 278 characters

4.23/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Kalamazoo beer exchange.

A- dark body with tan head that quickly disapates

S-hard to get anything off the nose

T-dark Belgian candi sugar. Very sweet aftertaste.

M- medium body and smooth. Very sweet aftertaste.

O- decent beer that I would have again. ..

★ 270 characters

3.62/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer review from 9/17/11; pours a dark brown color with a reddish hue around the edges and a foamy tan 2 finger head that fades quickly and left weak spotty lacing.

Smells of caramel, syrup, sweet malt, dark fruit like dates, plums and cherry, molasses, brown sugar and alcohol; this beer smells like a barleywine, with a very sweet nose that was fruity and sugary with an almost red wine like essence.

Tastes of caramel, syrup, sweet malt, dark fruit like dates, plums, cherry and rotten grapes, molasses, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, pepper and other spices, yeast, grains and alcohol; this beer is so sweet that it borders on too sweet, with a grainy, fruity sweetness that dominates the nose and palate. There is an oily hop residue after each swallow, but no hop taste, and as the beer warms the fruits and sour fruit flavors become more evident. I assume that the ABV is high based on the characteristics, but don't know for sure.

Mouthfeel is watery, slick and smooth, with basically zero carbonation, a heavy body and a heavy feel that is chewy, but not as heavy as a stout.

At first I thought that this was too sweet, but it got better as it warmed and the sweet flavors brought out more dynamics and enjoyment as this flowed down. A good beer, but certainly not a session beer, yet still worth trying.

★ 1,322 characters

4.63/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Served on tap at sazeracks in grand rapids in a goblet. Smells like sweet banana, dark brown but not opaque. Rich sweet toffee, a little banana and slight plum. Good mouthful with fine coronation, not quite as much body as I would expect, but it doesn't detract. Overall an excellent beer.

★ 289 characters

4.29/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sampled on tap at Crunchy's in East Lansing as part of a taster tray. Pours a pretty deep brown color with amber highlights, with just a thin ring of a head. Aroma of sweet caramel malt and a touch of roasted character, along with a good dose of dark fruit and lots of boozy alcohol.
Palate is very sweet up front. Caramel, honey, and dark fruit (plum, nectarine, dark cherry) notes are prevalent. Finish is nice and heavily fruity, almost like a fruit syrup, again with a lot of booze that imparts a good bit of heat. Body is velvety smooth and very easy drinking, especially for a beer this strong. For a beer that calls itself Belgian, though, it doesn't have very bubbly carbonation. This is a nice slow sipper, very enjoyable.

★ 733 characters