Dark Matter | Hoyne Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Hoyne Brewing Co.
British Columbia, Canada
hoynebrewing.ca
Style: American Brown Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.30%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Deep inside the Hadron Collider physicists hurtle sub-atomic particles with lightning speed on a collision course with each other. They do so in the pursuit of pure science, in the hope of one day being able to unlock the mystery of the elusive unseen fabric upon which our universe is embroidered: Dark Matter.
Added by LampertLand on 03-26-2012
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 82 | Reviews: 20
Reviews by IllNate:
More User Reviews:
3.79/5 rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
650ml bottle - of all the Canadian 'white whale' brews that I've been asked about over the years, this one probably tops the list. And of course, we now have it in Alberta - patience, and all that.
This beer pours a clear, very dark orange-brick highlighted brown colour, with three fingers of puffy, rocky, and somewhat creamy beige head, which leaves some nice pitted limestone wall lace in places around the glass as it slowly but surely dissipates.
It smells of gritty and grainy caramel malt, some free-range ashiness, kind of pithy nuts, wan cafe-au-lait, stale bittersweet cocoa powder, ethereal black licorice, some overripe black stone fruit, and tame earthy, leafy, and floral green hop bitters. The taste is bready and biscuity caramel malt, further subtle toffee notes, medium dark chocolate, some oily nuttiness, well-creamed and vanilla-laced coffee, laid-back anise spice, some muddled dark orchard fruitiness, reduced brown sugar syrup, and a still plain weedy, herbal, and grassy verdant hoppiness.
The carbonation is quite light in its fleeting frothiness, the body a decent medium weight, and mostly smooth, with a swell airy creaminess arising as things warm up a tad around here (the beer, not actually 'here'). It finishes off-dry, the caramel, coffee, chocolate, and vanilla presiding.
Overall, Dark Matter is indeed a pretty flavourful brown ale, one more suitable for dessert pairings, as the hoppy quotient is just not up to Yankee spec. Not a bad thing, of course, and I now see why this one is so popular with the hoi polloi - sugary and sweet, and not really all that challenging. Let them eat cake!
1,637 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
650ml bottle - of all the Canadian 'white whale' brews that I've been asked about over the years, this one probably tops the list. And of course, we now have it in Alberta - patience, and all that.
This beer pours a clear, very dark orange-brick highlighted brown colour, with three fingers of puffy, rocky, and somewhat creamy beige head, which leaves some nice pitted limestone wall lace in places around the glass as it slowly but surely dissipates.
It smells of gritty and grainy caramel malt, some free-range ashiness, kind of pithy nuts, wan cafe-au-lait, stale bittersweet cocoa powder, ethereal black licorice, some overripe black stone fruit, and tame earthy, leafy, and floral green hop bitters. The taste is bready and biscuity caramel malt, further subtle toffee notes, medium dark chocolate, some oily nuttiness, well-creamed and vanilla-laced coffee, laid-back anise spice, some muddled dark orchard fruitiness, reduced brown sugar syrup, and a still plain weedy, herbal, and grassy verdant hoppiness.
The carbonation is quite light in its fleeting frothiness, the body a decent medium weight, and mostly smooth, with a swell airy creaminess arising as things warm up a tad around here (the beer, not actually 'here'). It finishes off-dry, the caramel, coffee, chocolate, and vanilla presiding.
Overall, Dark Matter is indeed a pretty flavourful brown ale, one more suitable for dessert pairings, as the hoppy quotient is just not up to Yankee spec. Not a bad thing, of course, and I now see why this one is so popular with the hoi polloi - sugary and sweet, and not really all that challenging. Let them eat cake!
1,637 characters
4/5 rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is my friend Sara's favourite beer. I've been meaning to try it for a while.
A: Dark! Reddish hue when held to the light. Tan head.
S: Coffee, cocoa, dark fruits. Malty.
T: Roasted malt flavours. Cocoa, coffee, some nuttiness, a bit sweet.
F: No complaints.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is my friend Sara's favourite beer. I've been meaning to try it for a while.
A: Dark! Reddish hue when held to the light. Tan head.
S: Coffee, cocoa, dark fruits. Malty.
T: Roasted malt flavours. Cocoa, coffee, some nuttiness, a bit sweet.
F: No complaints.
268 characters
3.95/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appearance. Pours a deep red-brown with almost a finger of pale tan head.
Smell. Sweet caramel and roasty malts with just a little vanilla, molasses and coffee.
Taste. Sweet caramel malts and a little molasses. A little bit nutty.
Mouthfeel. Below medium body with below medium carbonation.
Overall. A little on the sweet side but tastes really good and drinks easy.
371 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appearance. Pours a deep red-brown with almost a finger of pale tan head.
Smell. Sweet caramel and roasty malts with just a little vanilla, molasses and coffee.
Taste. Sweet caramel malts and a little molasses. A little bit nutty.
Mouthfeel. Below medium body with below medium carbonation.
Overall. A little on the sweet side but tastes really good and drinks easy.
371 characters
3.52/5 rDev -8.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap @ Garrick's Head.
A - Dark brown. Opaque. Thin layer light brown head.
S - Hard to pinpoint the style. Roast, choaolate and floral hops aromas.
T - Roast, a touch of chocolate, a light bitterness, toffee. Sweet with some bitterness.
M - Light to medium body. Moderate carbonation.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap @ Garrick's Head.
A - Dark brown. Opaque. Thin layer light brown head.
S - Hard to pinpoint the style. Roast, choaolate and floral hops aromas.
T - Roast, a touch of chocolate, a light bitterness, toffee. Sweet with some bitterness.
M - Light to medium body. Moderate carbonation.
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3.56/5 rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
A: Deep black brown with 5-6 fingers of light tan coloured head which slowly dissipated into a thin layer leaving small amounts of lacing.
S: Musk, wet earth, leather, wood and musk dominate the scent - reminiscent of a good men’s cologne.
T: Taste is similar in profile to the scent, but is more reserved or toned down.
M: Light to moderate bodied with low carbonation.
O: While this beer is not complex, it would do well with those entering the craft beer scene by giving them a safe intro beer and shows that a dark beer doesn’t need to be heavy.
560 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
A: Deep black brown with 5-6 fingers of light tan coloured head which slowly dissipated into a thin layer leaving small amounts of lacing.
S: Musk, wet earth, leather, wood and musk dominate the scent - reminiscent of a good men’s cologne.
T: Taste is similar in profile to the scent, but is more reserved or toned down.
M: Light to moderate bodied with low carbonation.
O: While this beer is not complex, it would do well with those entering the craft beer scene by giving them a safe intro beer and shows that a dark beer doesn’t need to be heavy.
560 characters
3.54/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
4.73/5 rDev +23.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
3.68/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.75
British Columbia review dump.
A- Bomber reveals a black brew into a whiskey glass. The cap on the beer is a cream hue and it peaks at one cm high with pretty good retention. A wide belt remains and lacing forms with plentiful sheets and webs around the glass.
S- Toasty and roasted grains exemplified atop a mostly clean ferment and a lack of assertive hops. Roasted barley, cocoa powder, sweet caramel malt mash, slight smoky charred grain, burnt popcorn(not butter) and toasted nuts.
T- The malts once again run the show with authority dominating the flavor profile. Roasted and toasted barley dropping strong notes of chocolate, burnt grain, ash, tobacco, caramel, toasted to burnt nuts, smoke, leather, charred marshmallow, cocoa powder and medium sweetness. Earthy and pine hops peek through but the malts are bold.
MF- Light-medium bodied with a slightly creamy and foamy texture. The carbonation is moderate and on the whole it comes off a bit watery. Burnt hoppy bitterness in the ending.
Massive malts with a lot of charred and heavily toasted flavors with a suitable sweetness held in check. The body falls a short and it cannot support the rich flavors which end up being dragged down from this effect.
1,218 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.75
British Columbia review dump.
A- Bomber reveals a black brew into a whiskey glass. The cap on the beer is a cream hue and it peaks at one cm high with pretty good retention. A wide belt remains and lacing forms with plentiful sheets and webs around the glass.
S- Toasty and roasted grains exemplified atop a mostly clean ferment and a lack of assertive hops. Roasted barley, cocoa powder, sweet caramel malt mash, slight smoky charred grain, burnt popcorn(not butter) and toasted nuts.
T- The malts once again run the show with authority dominating the flavor profile. Roasted and toasted barley dropping strong notes of chocolate, burnt grain, ash, tobacco, caramel, toasted to burnt nuts, smoke, leather, charred marshmallow, cocoa powder and medium sweetness. Earthy and pine hops peek through but the malts are bold.
MF- Light-medium bodied with a slightly creamy and foamy texture. The carbonation is moderate and on the whole it comes off a bit watery. Burnt hoppy bitterness in the ending.
Massive malts with a lot of charred and heavily toasted flavors with a suitable sweetness held in check. The body falls a short and it cannot support the rich flavors which end up being dragged down from this effect.
1,218 characters
4.1/5 rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hoyne Brewing's fifth offering "Dark Matter"@ 5.3% in a 650 ml bottle
A-served cold into a pilsner glass poured a dark chocolate brown , small creamy/beige head with minimal lacing
S-roasty flavours and aromas come together to create a richness for the nose
T-Malt forward brew ,
MF-smooth , not heavy on the palate
Ov-very drinkable , I'll be highly recommending this beer , well done Sean
Cheers LampertLand
412 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hoyne Brewing's fifth offering "Dark Matter"@ 5.3% in a 650 ml bottle
A-served cold into a pilsner glass poured a dark chocolate brown , small creamy/beige head with minimal lacing
S-roasty flavours and aromas come together to create a richness for the nose
T-Malt forward brew ,
MF-smooth , not heavy on the palate
Ov-very drinkable , I'll be highly recommending this beer , well done Sean
Cheers LampertLand
412 characters
3.75/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dark with a thin light brown head. Dry chocolaty notes and cold coffee with a dry dark roasted grassy finish slight creaminess but still mostly dry. Finished clean with dried leaf on the aftertaste.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dark with a thin light brown head. Dry chocolaty notes and cold coffee with a dry dark roasted grassy finish slight creaminess but still mostly dry. Finished clean with dried leaf on the aftertaste.
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Dark Matter from Hoyne Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
67.1% out of
100 with
82 ratings
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a deep brown with a good amount of tan head and good retention. Aroma is really pleasant, a layering of dark malts mingle with the malty base. Key notes are chocolate and plum. Taste follows moderate roasted and caramel malts overtop of a malty base, chocolate and plum again. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with excellent drinkability. Overall an excellent brown ale, possibly my favorite thus far, it really is an underrated style. I dock it a half point in the overall category for picking a silly name for a brown ale. With a name like Dark Matter, I was expecting a stout or porter.
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