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DarkNESS
Loch Ness Brewery
- From:
- Loch Ness Brewery
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Style:
- English Stout
Ranked #20 - ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #11,164 - Avg:
- 4.03 | pDev: 6.7%
- Reviews:
- 8
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jun 21, 2022
- Added:
- Aug 14, 2013
- Wants:
- 4
- Gots:
- 6
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Kiro:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)
4.18/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.18/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Reviewed blind (thanks, Bob!)
Serving: Bottle
Best before: Feb-28-2019
A:
It pours a fairly opaque dark, dark brown that almost has some ruby at the edges. Two fingers of foamy head. Good retention; some lacing. (4)
S:
The aroma is lightly nutty with toasty malt notes, caramel and some sweet woody-smoky smell in the background. (4)
T:
Taking a drink, it is about what I expected from the smell and the look. Some very light roast, dark bread, a mineral bite and a sweetish woody smoky finish that is as much an aroma as a flavor. (4.25)
M:
It is fairly light and drinkable and balanced. Nothing really stands in the way and the smoke component (assuming I'm not imagining it*) is just about right for the rest of it. (4.25)
O:
To me it seems like it is probably a smoked porter or brown ale of some sort. It wasn't....
Very enjoyable, well-balanced and tasty. Sweet-roast balance, looks lovely, drinkable and rich despite ours ABV. Really nice! (4.25)
*- I was, but it did either way.
Oct 14, 2018Serving: Bottle
Best before: Feb-28-2019
A:
It pours a fairly opaque dark, dark brown that almost has some ruby at the edges. Two fingers of foamy head. Good retention; some lacing. (4)
S:
The aroma is lightly nutty with toasty malt notes, caramel and some sweet woody-smoky smell in the background. (4)
T:
Taking a drink, it is about what I expected from the smell and the look. Some very light roast, dark bread, a mineral bite and a sweetish woody smoky finish that is as much an aroma as a flavor. (4.25)
M:
It is fairly light and drinkable and balanced. Nothing really stands in the way and the smoke component (assuming I'm not imagining it*) is just about right for the rest of it. (4.25)
O:
To me it seems like it is probably a smoked porter or brown ale of some sort. It wasn't....
Very enjoyable, well-balanced and tasty. Sweet-roast balance, looks lovely, drinkable and rich despite ours ABV. Really nice! (4.25)
*- I was, but it did either way.
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania
3.8/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.8/5 rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
£ 1.85/500 mL bottle at The Bottle Shop, Inverness, Scotland. Reviewed 6/26/18.
Appearance – 4.
Body – Brown/black and opaque.
Head – Large (Maximum 7.3 cm, controlled center pour), tan, medium density, average retention, diminishing to an irregular four to ten mm ring and complete layer. A few clots of lacing remain after head retraction.
Lacing – Poor. A few clots of bubbles.
First pour – Brown, clear.
Aroma – 4 – Chocolate and roasted malt.
Flavor – 3.75 - Roasted malt without the chocolate from the nose. No alcohol, no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, creamy, soft carbonation.
Impression and summation – 3.75 – A decent brew at a decent price. The flavor could have been better if some of the chocolate from the nose came through to the taste and the lacing was poor for a stout. Otherwise, a very passable drink.
Jul 01, 2018Appearance – 4.
Body – Brown/black and opaque.
Head – Large (Maximum 7.3 cm, controlled center pour), tan, medium density, average retention, diminishing to an irregular four to ten mm ring and complete layer. A few clots of lacing remain after head retraction.
Lacing – Poor. A few clots of bubbles.
First pour – Brown, clear.
Aroma – 4 – Chocolate and roasted malt.
Flavor – 3.75 - Roasted malt without the chocolate from the nose. No alcohol, no diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, creamy, soft carbonation.
Impression and summation – 3.75 – A decent brew at a decent price. The flavor could have been better if some of the chocolate from the nose came through to the taste and the lacing was poor for a stout. Otherwise, a very passable drink.
Reviewed by Hanglow from Scotland
3.76/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.76/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours black, small tight tan head, ruby brown highlights and bright. Looks as it should.
aroma - coffee, hot chocolate, vanilla and ginger creams on the nose
flavour brings more of the same, with added bitterness and some acidity. dryness comes in on the end.
so many great sub 5% stouts in Scotland at the moment, this exemplifies the type. Good to see Cairngorm are keeping this brand alive.
Oct 21, 2017aroma - coffee, hot chocolate, vanilla and ginger creams on the nose
flavour brings more of the same, with added bitterness and some acidity. dryness comes in on the end.
so many great sub 5% stouts in Scotland at the moment, this exemplifies the type. Good to see Cairngorm are keeping this brand alive.
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland
4.11/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.11/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
From BeerAdvocate Magazine #89 (June 2014):
Smooth, Roasty, Balanced, Quaff
This Stout is a thing of beauty, inviting darkness has a perfect level of roastiness throughout. A bit of woodiness from the Admiral hops and a kiss of citrus from the Cascade. Long lingering finish with a seemingly never ending depth. A thing of beauty.
STYLE: Scottish Stout | ABV: 4.5% | AVAILABILITY: Year-round
Jul 07, 2015Smooth, Roasty, Balanced, Quaff
This Stout is a thing of beauty, inviting darkness has a perfect level of roastiness throughout. A bit of woodiness from the Admiral hops and a kiss of citrus from the Cascade. Long lingering finish with a seemingly never ending depth. A thing of beauty.
STYLE: Scottish Stout | ABV: 4.5% | AVAILABILITY: Year-round
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania
4.13/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.13/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
From the cask, in an imperial pint glass. black in color, the aroma is a touch roasty, nice cocoa notes too. Great flavor and balance. Nice smooth full bodied mouthfeel
May 01, 2015Reviewed by Dentist666 from Russian Federation
3.98/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.98/5 rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours opaque black stout with excellent monolith of tan head. Nice retention. Smell - milk, coffee, chocolate, roasted malts. Taste is a bit sour (owing to milk acid?) that causes loss of balance and sweetness, the rest is typical for good stout - coffee, cream, chocolate. Pleasant mouthfeel with notes of tobacco. Moderate carbonation and reasonable drinkability.
Jul 19, 2014Reviewed by metter98 from New York
3.97/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
3.97/5 rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a thin light tan colored head that died down, leaving some lacing on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of chocolate and roasted malts are present in the nose. These seem to become a bit stronger as the beer warms up.
T: The taste has flavors of dark chocolate along with notes of roasted malts, a light amount of bitterness and slight hints of licorice.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very easy to drink and has a nice amount of flavors in the taste for such a light-bodied beer.
Jan 01, 2014S: Light to moderate aromas of chocolate and roasted malts are present in the nose. These seem to become a bit stronger as the beer warms up.
T: The taste has flavors of dark chocolate along with notes of roasted malts, a light amount of bitterness and slight hints of licorice.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is very easy to drink and has a nice amount of flavors in the taste for such a light-bodied beer.
DarkNESS from Loch Ness Brewery
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
21 ratings
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