-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more.
— Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Dark Element
Element Brewing Company
- From:
- Element Brewing Company
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- Black IPA
Ranked #48 - ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #11,178 - Avg:
- 4 | pDev: 10.75%
- Reviews:
- 85
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Apr 11, 2023
- Added:
- Jun 04, 2010
- Wants:
- 47
- Gots:
- 37
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
Previously named "Dark Matter."
DARK ELEMENT
This New American Black Ale, our strongest signature beer, has the malt profile of an Imperial Schwartz Beer and the floral characteristics of an American IPA. Saturated in hops, this intrepid style offers smooth dark toffee and chocolate flavors without the roasted bitterness found in many "dark" beers.
65.5 IBU
DARK ELEMENT
This New American Black Ale, our strongest signature beer, has the malt profile of an Imperial Schwartz Beer and the floral characteristics of an American IPA. Saturated in hops, this intrepid style offers smooth dark toffee and chocolate flavors without the roasted bitterness found in many "dark" beers.
65.5 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by ReverendSoup from Massachusetts
3.9/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
3.9/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 3
Poured from tallboy can into pint glass.
Dark beer with reddish tones, short but lingering tan head. Gorgeous dense lacing. I'd give it a six for aesthetics if I could. Smells like chocolate and black cherry. Tastes about the same. Chocolate notes, roasty toasty malt. I'm not usually a malt guy, but there's great malt character here! Leaves a pleasant sweet aftertaste. I wish I tasted more of the advertised floral hops, but the beer tastes good, and I can't bring myself to be too mad. It said it wouldn't be too bitter and it did not lie on that point. I like bitter, but maybe you don't. Not gonna knock a beer for the horrible, terrible crime of being what it says it is.
Regrettably, it falls apart a little at the mouthfeel- it's strangely watery and undercarbonated. It's a shame, because it's got a lot of things going for it, but this one particular flaw is distracting me a bit. Makes me wonder if it's just an off can, but there's another review that mentions the issue.
It's a good beer overall. It does a lot right.
Apr 11, 2023Dark beer with reddish tones, short but lingering tan head. Gorgeous dense lacing. I'd give it a six for aesthetics if I could. Smells like chocolate and black cherry. Tastes about the same. Chocolate notes, roasty toasty malt. I'm not usually a malt guy, but there's great malt character here! Leaves a pleasant sweet aftertaste. I wish I tasted more of the advertised floral hops, but the beer tastes good, and I can't bring myself to be too mad. It said it wouldn't be too bitter and it did not lie on that point. I like bitter, but maybe you don't. Not gonna knock a beer for the horrible, terrible crime of being what it says it is.
Regrettably, it falls apart a little at the mouthfeel- it's strangely watery and undercarbonated. It's a shame, because it's got a lot of things going for it, but this one particular flaw is distracting me a bit. Makes me wonder if it's just an off can, but there's another review that mentions the issue.
It's a good beer overall. It does a lot right.
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois
4.08/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Lighter back with a tan head and thick lacing bands. Dark roasted malt, dark chocolate, slight earth, with light bitter hops. Taste is malt forward, light toffee added but hops are so faint. Feel is medium bodied, decently crisp yet creamy, hops are light.
Jun 05, 2016
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.6/5 rDev -10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.6/5 rDev -10%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pretty pour, dark beer, black in the center, brown towards the edge, and dark red right on the edge yielding a 3/5" head that was tan, all roasty bitterness in the aroma. Plenty of schwarzbier like hopping going on.
Lots of carbonation, high hop prickliness, bitterness contributions from both the roasted malt and the hops. Probably should tone the roastiness down to keep this from coming off like a high American hopped porter. Would be interesting to know if it was an ale or lager yeast, I can't tell given the high roastiness and hoppiness. Enjoyable.
Jan 29, 2016Lots of carbonation, high hop prickliness, bitterness contributions from both the roasted malt and the hops. Probably should tone the roastiness down to keep this from coming off like a high American hopped porter. Would be interesting to know if it was an ale or lager yeast, I can't tell given the high roastiness and hoppiness. Enjoyable.
Reviewed by zander4dawin from Texas
3.68/5 rDev -8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
3.68/5 rDev -8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
Sludgey dark brown beer with a thin head. Heavy notes of burnt toast, oats, piney hops at the end on a creamy body. Pretty good for the style never been a fan of dark IPA plays off the roasty malts and burnt sugar flavors.
Nov 26, 2015
Dark Element from Element Brewing Company
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
211 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!