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Darkstar
Big Lake Brewing
- From:
- Big Lake Brewing
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- American Stout
- ABV:
- 8%
- Score:
- 89
- Avg:
- 3.98 | pDev: 6.78%
- Reviews:
- 12
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jun 18, 2019
- Added:
- Mar 16, 2014
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 8
A breakfast style stout brewed with Kona and Sumatra coffee aged on cocoa nibs.
52 IBUs
52 IBUs
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by AngusOg:
Rated by AngusOg from North Carolina
4.03/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Aug 04, 2017
4.03/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Aug 04, 2017
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by beerjerk666 from Florida
3.96/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 16 oz. can into a JK Snorkel snifter.
Appearance: Pours a dark brown to almost black body with a full finger's worth of khaki tan head. A bubbly chunky head reminiscent of a root beer float. Looks like a stout/porter.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, cold brewed coffee and something akin to cinnamon. Still leaning towards this one being a stout.
Taste/Mouthfeel: Well, I wasn't expecting that...Dark malts up front and then a ton of bitterness immediately afterwards. Maybe a little thin with a finish like having a mouthful of hops. As the flavor lingers there's more of a bitter, hops dipped in bakers chocolate and overly roasted to almost burnt french roast coffee.
Overall: Final impressions makes me think this one is a stout. This one was tongue buckler and it definitely had a little bit of creaminess too.
Apr 08, 2018Appearance: Pours a dark brown to almost black body with a full finger's worth of khaki tan head. A bubbly chunky head reminiscent of a root beer float. Looks like a stout/porter.
Aroma: Roasted malts, chocolate, cold brewed coffee and something akin to cinnamon. Still leaning towards this one being a stout.
Taste/Mouthfeel: Well, I wasn't expecting that...Dark malts up front and then a ton of bitterness immediately afterwards. Maybe a little thin with a finish like having a mouthful of hops. As the flavor lingers there's more of a bitter, hops dipped in bakers chocolate and overly roasted to almost burnt french roast coffee.
Overall: Final impressions makes me think this one is a stout. This one was tongue buckler and it definitely had a little bit of creaminess too.
Reviewed by larryi86 from Delaware
4.16/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.16/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Thank you Blackop555 for this
16 oz can poured into a snifter
A- Black with a three finger mocha head.
S- Roasted coffee, chocolate, some hints of vanilla, some caramel malts, some roasted malts.
T- Lots of roasted coffee, some chocolate, some roasted malts, some earthy hops.
M- Smooth, medium to full body.
O- A very coffee forward stout, worth trying if you are a coffee fan, just a little one dimensional
Mar 26, 201716 oz can poured into a snifter
A- Black with a three finger mocha head.
S- Roasted coffee, chocolate, some hints of vanilla, some caramel malts, some roasted malts.
T- Lots of roasted coffee, some chocolate, some roasted malts, some earthy hops.
M- Smooth, medium to full body.
O- A very coffee forward stout, worth trying if you are a coffee fan, just a little one dimensional
Reviewed by GreatStoutman from Texas
4.06/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
16oz can came as an extra in a trade... first beer from Big Lake and I'm a fan of the packaging. Not that it matters, but...
Looks great in my glass with a nice tan head and black, oily body... smell is somewhat of a letdown as I'm getting mostly roast and not a ton of coffee (though its clearly there). Taste is roasty, with lots of bitterness and just a hint of cocoa at the end.
Feels nice and creamy, and it goes down much smoother than my morning joe!
Nov 30, 2016Looks great in my glass with a nice tan head and black, oily body... smell is somewhat of a letdown as I'm getting mostly roast and not a ton of coffee (though its clearly there). Taste is roasty, with lots of bitterness and just a hint of cocoa at the end.
Feels nice and creamy, and it goes down much smoother than my morning joe!
Reviewed by NateDyk47 from Michigan
3.95/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Great stout. Drank from a 16oz can. Little bit of a burnt coffee taste, with light chocolate underlying. On the heavier side. I'll be buying this again!
Sep 11, 2016Reviewed by Mitchster from Michigan
4.32/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
4.32/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Brewed using both Kona and Sumatra coffee then aged on cacao nibs.
8% ABV, 52 IBU's. 16oz can.
Pours out to a deep, viscous oily black, forming a tall and creamy very dark brown head with beautiful retention and lacing. Carbonation is 2.5 carbs or so. The nose is great...chalk, black walnut, carob, and coffee. Mouthfeel is viscous and big bodied. Taste is very nice...a recap of the aroma but with firm roasted malts, some burnt marshmallow in the aftertaste, a little soy sauce and prune juice in the middle. The bitterness is somewhat firm, especially in the aftertaste, and there is a roasted and hoppy acidity to the mouthfeel, but it's not too abrasive. Feels much bigger on the mouth than the 8.0% would have you expect. No off flavors and aromas.
Very well done stout. Honestly, though I think it would be even better without the coffee, which would negate some of the acidity and let the cocoa shine. I would suggest adding cocoa powder instead of nibs and this would be a winner. Recommended for big stout lovers, specifically coffee stout fans.
Jul 03, 20168% ABV, 52 IBU's. 16oz can.
Pours out to a deep, viscous oily black, forming a tall and creamy very dark brown head with beautiful retention and lacing. Carbonation is 2.5 carbs or so. The nose is great...chalk, black walnut, carob, and coffee. Mouthfeel is viscous and big bodied. Taste is very nice...a recap of the aroma but with firm roasted malts, some burnt marshmallow in the aftertaste, a little soy sauce and prune juice in the middle. The bitterness is somewhat firm, especially in the aftertaste, and there is a roasted and hoppy acidity to the mouthfeel, but it's not too abrasive. Feels much bigger on the mouth than the 8.0% would have you expect. No off flavors and aromas.
Very well done stout. Honestly, though I think it would be even better without the coffee, which would negate some of the acidity and let the cocoa shine. I would suggest adding cocoa powder instead of nibs and this would be a winner. Recommended for big stout lovers, specifically coffee stout fans.
Darkstar from Big Lake Brewing
Beer rating:
89 out of
100 with
49 ratings
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