Origin of Darkness - Mikerphone
Collective Arts Brewing

Thick black pour, reddish highlights and a finger of dark tan head.
Aroma of caramel, slightly nutty, chocolate brownie, graham cracker and a maple, bourbon note.
Tastes of graham cracker, cocoa, brownie batter with notes of maple, bourbon and a touch of espresso bitterness.
Rich, full mouthfeel, smooth, creamy with decent carbonation and only hints of the booze beside the lingering sweetness.

 

 

 

Appearance: Poured with a finger of head with good retention and some minor lacing. The head itself is an exceptionally dark brown that fits the black as night body.

Smell: As advertised, as walnut and maple are the dominant notes with hints of whiskey, vanilla and smoke. Warmning does help bring it out and the potency is there.

Taste: It tastes chewy, like some kind of rich maple walnut rum cake. The sweeter stuff comes out first as it then turns to a more bready and nut grain before rounding out with a mild whiskey note.

Mouthfeel: This stuff is thick and has great transitioning and a creaminess that I love seeing a stout execute well. The aftertaste tends to focus more on the maple and malt with some slight bitterness. Near the end though, it seems all the yeast still in the bottle settles in the glass, leaving for an unpleasant chunky experience.

Drinkability: Viscous and thick so obviously heavy body as your would expect a big stout like this to bring to the table. That said, it conceals it's high ABV masterfully and perfectly restrains the bitterness of the roast to make this very easy and pleasant to drink.

Final Thoughts: My biggest complain is the yeast at the bottom, which is ruining my chances at getting at the last few parts of the beer. This is one reason I prefer bottles over cans, as you can at least see if they've left live yeast in the bottle and can adjust your pour appropriately. That complaint aside, this is another great beer in a legendary series of beers. I haven't really had an Origin of Darkness beer fail to perform, and this one was another great addition.

 

 

Spec-freakin-tacular...

By far the best of CA I probably have had to date. This was just a well rounded beer. From what met your eyes to what rolled over your tongue like liquid silk, this was special.

Though mostly a dessert beer rather than something more traditional, still, this was special..,

 

Canned 2020/09/28
Pours a brown fizzy smaller head with lower retention, decent legs, very dark basically black color

Nose brings big heavy roasted malts, char, some acrid burnt roast, sweet maple syrup, a weird fruity character hints at possible infection or continued fermentation in the can, a bit of a walnut character a little vanilla and buttery oak

Taste brings more heavy roast, inky black thick malts, chewy thick malt and creamy oats, chocolate fudge, a bit of vanilla and toasted oak barrel, some light walnuts but not a lot, a hint of maple, more fruity characters that again hint at continued fermentation, a bit of bitterness on the finish, coats the mouth and never goes away, thick rich dark malts and chocolate

Mouth is fuller bod, rich creamy thick lush, med-lighter carb, almost no alcohol

Overall eh, not my fav of the series, not a ton of walnut or maple, and same with teh barrel not a ton, also some possible continued fermentation thing with a fruity character I don't think should be there

 

 

Pours porch black, motor oil, minimal head. Aroma is dark roasty malt, dark chocolate, o get a whiff of bourbon barrel. Flavor is dark chocolate, maple is present but not super sweet like so many other beers of this style. Bourbon barrel flavor is outstanding. Walnut flavor is minimal, wish it was more prevalent. Arbination adds to a creamy texture. Overall a very good BA adjunct imperial stout. Wish the walnut flavor was bigger. Would drink again.

1/25/21
12 oz can
4.25 rating

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a dark brown color with a minimal head that disappears quickly. Aroma is dark chocolate, roasted malts and vanilla. Tastes of alcohol, dark chocolate and maple syrup. Finished on the bitter side; definitely not a sweet dessert beer.