Darkest Hour - 2021 Woodford Reserve
Anchorage Brewing Company

375 mL bottle. Black. Smells of bourbon, sweet chocolate, smoke. Stronger smoke than I expected. Tastes pretty smokey too. But bourbon and sweet chocolate are equally strong. Dry woody back end. Boozy and sweet. Bitter back end, but it keeps it interesting. Not sure how much I love it, but it's different enough to keep me interested.

Review: 2574
Name: Darkest Hour
Brewery: Anchorage Brewing
Location: Anchorage, AK
Style: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
ABV: 13%
Canned: 2021
Date: 25 March 2026
Initial Impression:
The green wax removed easily. The label artwork—featuring wolves and a horned creature—is striking. Upon opening, a soft hiss releases an immediate burst of chocolate and bourbon aromatics.
Appearance:
Pours a dark brown to nearly black, fully opaque beer (approx. SRM 38) with no light penetration. A lathery, dark tan head forms with fair retention, fading quickly and leaving minimal lacing. Slightly above average appearance; head retention likely impacted by the high ABV.
Aroma:
Rich and layered. Dominant notes of chocolate malt, bourbon, oak, and char lead, supported by toffee, molasses, vanilla, and light anise. Secondary aromas include medium roast coffee, smoke, subtle Maillard character, dark fruit (raisin, plum, fig), cocoa powder, and faint leather and tobacco complexity.
Flavor:
Follows the aroma closely. Prominent flavors of Dutch cocoa, oak, char, and bourbon integrate with toffee, molasses, vanilla, and light tobacco. Mid-palate reveals dark fruit (fig, raisin, plum), caramel, anise, and medium roast coffee. A restrained smokiness ties the profile together without overpowering. A slight papery note is present but blends into the overall character without detracting significantly.
Mouthfeel:
Full-bodied, chewy, and coating with a mild drying finish. Low carbonation enhances the richness and drinkability. Attenuation is well-balanced, avoiding excessive sweetness while maintaining depth.
Overall Impression:
A well-executed imperial stout with strong barrel character that remains balanced and controlled. The oak and bourbon are present but not dominant, allowing the malt complexity to shine. The subtle smokiness acts as a unifying element, elevating the beer into a cohesive and memorable experience.

 

Pours out a thick dark brown ink. On an aggressive pour it only a dark brown ring appears.

The nose is the pure essence of a bourbon barrel aged stout. Tried and true. Strong presence of oak/wood, bourbon, roasted malt, brown sugar, vanilla, dark chocolate, smoke, booze, and a very mild hint of fruit. This reminds a of Sierra's Barrel Aged Narwhal. The barley sugar presence also reminds of Glendiddich 15 Solera Cask.

Taste follows the nose. Oak and roasted malt dominate. No question about it. The roasted profile soars so high, it approaches a smokiness. There is a bitterness that appears, but it does so very naturally. There are tannins, but it does not become astringent. Oak, roasted malt, brown sugar, bitter chocolate, smoke are the main components on the taste.

Mouthfeel is fullbodied, but not too oily or heavy. It is thick, but not cloying or clingy. There is a fair bit of carbonation considering the territory. It establishes it's presence and leaves gracefully. As I mentioned before, there are some tannins that leave a drying quality, but not so much to become overwhelming.

Overall a tremendous barrel aged stout. A pure non-adjunct expression from Anchorage. Now while this a stellar brew, I feel there are breweries who have achieved this at a fraction of the price. (Namely Sierra Nevada and their Barrel Aged Narwhal.) So while this a top shelf product, the price doesn't quite match up with the outcome. I drank this while watching the Series Finale to Peaky Blinders and it was a nice compliment.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, Brian.

Jet black with a dark brown head. The nose is acrid, bitter, ashy with head and bourbon. Harsh. The palate opens ashy, bitter, astringent with a real smoky bitterness that's unpleasant. A chore.

 

 

Midnight black with a thick brown collar, spotted lacing. Nose is amazing with how much bourbon barrel depth there is, oak is rustic and bold, bourbon mash and booze both there fully, smoked malt, char, leather, earth, a hint of toast and smoke. Rugged yet refined! Taste hits the barrel hard before the smoke from the malt kicks in, but both expressive yet not overpowering, meshes well. Leather, char, dark chocolate, soil, molasses, heavily toasted bread, and a hint of molasses all present in the supporting role. Let this one warm up and it will reward you. Feel is rugged and smoky with great barrel character without being obnoxious, still smooth and medium bodied by the finish, impressive. A sipper for late at night