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Darkest Hour
Deep Ellum Brewing Company
- From:
- Deep Ellum Brewing Company
- Texas, United States
- Style:
- American Imperial Stout
- ABV:
- 9%
- Score:
- 91
- Avg:
- 4.08 | pDev: 8.82%
- Reviews:
- 19
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Dec 27, 2020
- Added:
- Jan 21, 2012
- Wants:
- 15
- Gots:
- 21
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by dac0152:
Reviewed by dac0152 from Texas
3.88/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured at Lucky Lou's in Denton.
Well, the beer pretty well lives up to its name; it's obsidian black with a nice cream/tan head. No lace.
Darkest Hour smells sugary sweet! Chocolate-syrup is the front-runner here, but there are notes of spice and a smoky aroma that I suspect is roasted barley, but it keeps throwing me off. It's really hard to pick anything out because the sweetness is so potent.
The flavor is dominated by sugar and sweetness which, at first, comes as a surprise but is not a bad thing. Honestly, I did not think I'd be able to notice the rye but it definitely holds the flavors together and keeps the sweetness turning from delicious to disgusting. The smoke smell is overturned by a roasted character and towards the end of a sip, turns the sweetness into a nice burnt chocolate flavor. I bet this stout would be wayyy better when aged. The further down the glass I get, the more tired I get of it being so sweet, but the rye adds an important, yet subtle complexity it keeps me interested; Darkest Hour wouldn't be the same without it.
The alcohol isn't really present, even for 9%, but I can't tell if it's just hidden behind all of the sugar. Full-bodied but easy to drink. I don't know if I could drink more than a pint at a time, but I'd definitely order one again.
Feb 10, 2012Well, the beer pretty well lives up to its name; it's obsidian black with a nice cream/tan head. No lace.
Darkest Hour smells sugary sweet! Chocolate-syrup is the front-runner here, but there are notes of spice and a smoky aroma that I suspect is roasted barley, but it keeps throwing me off. It's really hard to pick anything out because the sweetness is so potent.
The flavor is dominated by sugar and sweetness which, at first, comes as a surprise but is not a bad thing. Honestly, I did not think I'd be able to notice the rye but it definitely holds the flavors together and keeps the sweetness turning from delicious to disgusting. The smoke smell is overturned by a roasted character and towards the end of a sip, turns the sweetness into a nice burnt chocolate flavor. I bet this stout would be wayyy better when aged. The further down the glass I get, the more tired I get of it being so sweet, but the rye adds an important, yet subtle complexity it keeps me interested; Darkest Hour wouldn't be the same without it.
The alcohol isn't really present, even for 9%, but I can't tell if it's just hidden behind all of the sugar. Full-bodied but easy to drink. I don't know if I could drink more than a pint at a time, but I'd definitely order one again.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by IPAs_for_days_13 from Texas
4.12/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.12/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
L: Pours obsidian in color with a one-finger espresso head.
S: Smell rich of roasted malts, sweet dark fruits like fig, & a fair amount of hops.
T: Certainly follows the nose, has a nice malty sweetness hop bite balance.
F: Medium-full bodied, thick, coarse mouthfeel.
O: Super boozy stout that must be tried, cheers!
Dec 27, 2020S: Smell rich of roasted malts, sweet dark fruits like fig, & a fair amount of hops.
T: Certainly follows the nose, has a nice malty sweetness hop bite balance.
F: Medium-full bodied, thick, coarse mouthfeel.
O: Super boozy stout that must be tried, cheers!
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas
4.05/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.05/5 rDev -0.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours a murky ebony with with a sliver of mocha colored head. Zero head retention & lacing
S: Dark fruit, sourmash, kind of fades a bit
T: Follows the nose, barrel dryness as well, a little leafy hop, as well & a touch of Baker's Chocolate up front. Figs, Dark Cherry, much dryness, just a kiss or three of Bourbon & a little dark chocolate as this warms& a touch of red grape. Finishes with much dark fruit, a little oak, a kiss of Bourbon & a little vanilla
MF: Fairly chewy, subtle carbonation, warming
A nice take on this style , pretty darn drinkable
Apr 24, 2019S: Dark fruit, sourmash, kind of fades a bit
T: Follows the nose, barrel dryness as well, a little leafy hop, as well & a touch of Baker's Chocolate up front. Figs, Dark Cherry, much dryness, just a kiss or three of Bourbon & a little dark chocolate as this warms& a touch of red grape. Finishes with much dark fruit, a little oak, a kiss of Bourbon & a little vanilla
MF: Fairly chewy, subtle carbonation, warming
A nice take on this style , pretty darn drinkable
Reviewed by sokol_1993 from California
4.19/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.19/5 rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Got it from the brewery, 21/12/17
Smell: sour, smell of dark fruits and roasted malt.
Taste: a bit sour, a lot of fruitiness. Probably this came from the port barrel they aged the beer in. Excellent taste!
Dec 22, 2017Smell: sour, smell of dark fruits and roasted malt.
Taste: a bit sour, a lot of fruitiness. Probably this came from the port barrel they aged the beer in. Excellent taste!
Reviewed by TBoneJones from Texas
3.62/5 rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.62/5 rDev -11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
So the brewery's site indicates this is a 13% abv. release, yet the bottle label indicates it is 11%. Why the inconsistency there?
This looks fine, smells like bourbon barrel and roasted chocolate/malts.
Taste is largely barrel and toasted bitter bourbon and malts. Flavors rich cocoa that may have been in the nose are lost all but now. Fair for what it is, I'm sipping it, but the end result seems lacking to me,especially so given that I've already been sampling several other acclaimed bourbon barrel imp. stouts over the holidays.
Feels medium-thick and a tad sticky. End taste is a charry hop/ dry feel.
For me this suffers from lack of sweet notes of dark fruits, chocolate and even enjoyable malts. I'm still sipping it to see if that remains the case.
Dec 31, 2016This looks fine, smells like bourbon barrel and roasted chocolate/malts.
Taste is largely barrel and toasted bitter bourbon and malts. Flavors rich cocoa that may have been in the nose are lost all but now. Fair for what it is, I'm sipping it, but the end result seems lacking to me,especially so given that I've already been sampling several other acclaimed bourbon barrel imp. stouts over the holidays.
Feels medium-thick and a tad sticky. End taste is a charry hop/ dry feel.
For me this suffers from lack of sweet notes of dark fruits, chocolate and even enjoyable malts. I'm still sipping it to see if that remains the case.
Reviewed by ThaneMcC from Germany
3.76/5 rDev -7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.76/5 rDev -7.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
As far as imperial stouts go - this a fairly good representative of the genre.
Pours a deep black with tan foam, resolves with good residual lacing and minimal effervescence.
Smells is predominantly roasted malts, cocoa, espresso. Taste is sweet malts forward, some coffee, cocoa, hint of leather and smoke with transition to bitter hops mid taste and a rather bland finish.
Mouthfeel is medium, scant effervescence, not syrupy but a rather bitter aftertaste.
Overall, not bad - but something missing that would make this beer stellar. Aging in bourbon barrels? throw in some chillis? Mid note on is not good - I wouldn't seek this stout out and given its price point here in Texas - I feel rather gypped.
Aug 20, 2016Pours a deep black with tan foam, resolves with good residual lacing and minimal effervescence.
Smells is predominantly roasted malts, cocoa, espresso. Taste is sweet malts forward, some coffee, cocoa, hint of leather and smoke with transition to bitter hops mid taste and a rather bland finish.
Mouthfeel is medium, scant effervescence, not syrupy but a rather bitter aftertaste.
Overall, not bad - but something missing that would make this beer stellar. Aging in bourbon barrels? throw in some chillis? Mid note on is not good - I wouldn't seek this stout out and given its price point here in Texas - I feel rather gypped.
Reviewed by Thomas_Wikman from Texas
3.98/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.98/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I’ve had this local Deep Ellum Imperial Stout many times. It is good but not the best that Deep Ellum has to offer.
(L) The color is dark brown almost black with a two inch thick light brown head
(A) The aroma is roasted malts, chocolate and coffee.
(T) The taste is sweet malts, chocolate, coffee, perhaps a bit too sweet, but overall pretty good.
(F) Velvety mouth feel but there’s a hint of the alcohol. I like it, but it is not top notch.
Apr 13, 2016(L) The color is dark brown almost black with a two inch thick light brown head
(A) The aroma is roasted malts, chocolate and coffee.
(T) The taste is sweet malts, chocolate, coffee, perhaps a bit too sweet, but overall pretty good.
(F) Velvety mouth feel but there’s a hint of the alcohol. I like it, but it is not top notch.
Darkest Hour from Deep Ellum Brewing Company
Beer rating:
91 out of
100 with
97 ratings
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