Darkest Days
Liberty Brewing

- From:
- Liberty Brewing
- New Zealand
- Style:
- Oatmeal Stout
- ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.86 | pDev: 8.81%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 4
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Jul 12, 2019
- Added:
- Aug 23, 2013
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
By de-platforming the ubiquitous hop, Darkest Days inhabits a subterranean realm where toasted malts and oatmeal waft richly textured notes of bitter chocolate and espresso up through the grates. Best savoured straight from without resort to refrigeration.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by StJamesGate from New York
3.98/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Ruby chocolate with puffy tan froth. 4
Big chocolate chip cookie nose. 4
Slight dough, more milk chocolate, roasty cut, and branchy finish with some blackberry. 4
Fizzy, smooth, halfway to medium. 3.75
Chocolate! A bit thin, though. Hits the mark for an oatmeal stout, overall. Interesting fact: the name references the hop shortage. 4
Nov 03, 2016Big chocolate chip cookie nose. 4
Slight dough, more milk chocolate, roasty cut, and branchy finish with some blackberry. 4
Fizzy, smooth, halfway to medium. 3.75
Chocolate! A bit thin, though. Hits the mark for an oatmeal stout, overall. Interesting fact: the name references the hop shortage. 4
Reviewed by DoctorZombies from Florida
3.6/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.6/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Black pour with ruby edge; thick creamy khaki to dark beige head; oily cap and good lace. Strong floral hop nose, vague roasted coffee and malt aromas; grainy oatmeal notes as liquid warms. Roast malt and bitter floral hops upfront; creamy bittersweet dark chocolate middle; bitter finish. Dry medium mouthfeel with medium carbonation. Overall a floral hop nose sits heavy on an otherwise lite roast malt stout.
Sep 09, 2015Reviewed by SmashPants from Australia
3.52/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Bottle: a solid brown 500mL bottle with an okay (if a little boring) label.
Appearance: pours a very dark brown tending towards black with a small, thick beige head with good retention. Decent lacing also.
Aroma: not bad for a stout - chocolate and coffee, with some nut behind.
Taste: the chocolate and coffee come through quite heavy and strong. Those hazelnuts also with the chocolate turning bitter cocoa.
Aftertaste: the heavy chocolates and coffee start to back off a little to be replaced by a milk chocolate and more bittering cocoa.
Mouth feel: a fairly smooth, moderate body with a fine yet mouth-filling carbonation.
Overall: quite a nice stout, particularly for an oatmeal stout which is not my favourite style. Not quite as complex or amazing as the dollar value would suggest. Seems to be a bit of a trend for Liberty.
Mar 19, 2014Appearance: pours a very dark brown tending towards black with a small, thick beige head with good retention. Decent lacing also.
Aroma: not bad for a stout - chocolate and coffee, with some nut behind.
Taste: the chocolate and coffee come through quite heavy and strong. Those hazelnuts also with the chocolate turning bitter cocoa.
Aftertaste: the heavy chocolates and coffee start to back off a little to be replaced by a milk chocolate and more bittering cocoa.
Mouth feel: a fairly smooth, moderate body with a fine yet mouth-filling carbonation.
Overall: quite a nice stout, particularly for an oatmeal stout which is not my favourite style. Not quite as complex or amazing as the dollar value would suggest. Seems to be a bit of a trend for Liberty.
Reviewed by ADZA from Australia
3.67/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.67/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Once again I am spoiled with a new release from this fine NZ brewery and glad for once its not a hop bomb and it pours a Midnight black with a frothy tan two finger head and lacing wherever it touches,the smell is dark chocolate malts,dark fruits and coffee,the mouthfeel is full bodied with above moderate carbonation and the taste is all about the rich dark chocolate its very decadent and only allows brief appearances from the oatmeal and dark fruits before the milky coffee finish and overall I would buy this again and such a nice change from all the hop bombs cheers.
Aug 23, 2013
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!