Rare DOS
Cycle Brewing

mschrei from Illinois

4.99/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A long time want that my brother was able to get for me, and it more than lived up to my expectations. First pour was very fuzzy to the point I was worried of potential infection. Dark brown, ruby edging, not much head retention. Smell is whiskey barrel, dark malt, brown sugar, molasses. Taste is exquisite-the malt and barrel are extremely well balanced, and it has sweet dark fruit qualities as well. My first pour was room temperature, then I chilled it for a while for the second. It’s bolder and more well rounded warm, and while chilling it slightly thins it, it does not diminish the flavor. At either temp, it’s a big bodied thick bad boy, and although there is a slight oiliness at room temperature, it never has an off putting soy sauce presence. All around, this is an amazing beer, one of the best that I have never tried before this year. Here’s to a brother who asks if I want something from Cycle!

Jul 04, 2020

DoctorZombies from Florida

4.44/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured at 57 degrees, black with ruby edges and a fizzy quick dark tan head; a small island survives poor retention; solid thin ring; medium plus legs and lots of small dots of lace upon swirl. Cocoa nibs, sweet dark fruits and a touch of whiskey in the nose. Bittersweet dark chocolate and roasted coffee bean bitterness; sweet brown sugar, molasses, whiskey, burnt brown bread/toast; fruity black cherries and prunes middle; layers of black licorice, toffee, chocolate and char in the finish. Dusty dry cocoa powder feel; light carbonation; medium body; smooth but not lux; dry oak/barrel tongue coating; very little booze or warmth from 10% abv. Overall, nice rounded, soft alcohol notes with chocolate and dark fruits; thinner than expected, but so easy to drink.

Apr 18, 2020

superspak from Ohio

4.25/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled in 2017. Pours dense pitch black color with a small dense dark brown head with solid retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, brown sugar, whiskey, toasted oak, roasted nuts, fudge, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, coffee, licorice, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, oak char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Minimal booze in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts, whiskey barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of huge dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, brown sugar, whiskey, toasted oak, roasted nuts, fudge, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of coconut, coffee, licorice, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, oak char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oak earthiness. Very minimal herbal, grassy, roast, char bitterness; and whiskey/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, molasses, toffee, brown sugar, whiskey, toasted oak, roasted nuts, fudge, dark bread/crust, coconut, coffee, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, char, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, whiskey barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a solid roasted bitter/sweet and whiskey/oak spiciness balance; with no cloying sweetness after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and whisky/oak spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and super full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, fairly slick/syrupy, and slightly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is fantastic. Mild increasing warmth of 10%, with no lingering barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic barrel aged imperial stout. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, whiskey barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV, with the minimally bitter/tannic/drying finish. Fantastic silky/smooth/soft feel for the big ABV. Fantastic balanced super rich malts and whiskey barrel presence/integration. Mild earthy hops. A bit fruitier than expected, but not overwhelming. Not overly sweet/heavy with lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding top tier quality style example as expected. Preferred some variants more than others, but this is right on par with expectations.

Sep 25, 2019

beersampler6 from Michigan

4.24/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Whew! A big boozy imperial stout that was upfront and powerful. Pours a thick, dark black opaque color with just a little tan cap head and very scant spotty lingering lacing. Smells great, nice deep rich chocolate mocha, medium roast coffee, oak, strong whiskey, caramel, toasted nuttiness and vanilla. Taste follows the nose, and again that whiskey and oak is very in-your-face and strong. Definitely a sipper of a beer. Smooth, slightly sticky, rich mouthfeel that coats the palate, just the right amount of carbonation. Probably would have rated it higher - like others here - into the 4.5 range if it were a little more mellow and balanced and the high ABV didn't smack you in the face so much.

Jul 28, 2019

darktronica from Indiana

4.35/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

2018 release. Thick, viscous, with long-lasting legs when swirled. I'll admit to rolling my eyes a bit at the label text emphasizing that it was aged for *over one year*, when so many others do the same. However, this one really is a very heavily oak-forward boozefest, without any of the negatives that could come into play given such a description. Cocoa powder, vanilla syrup, honey, a hint of anise and tannins, and bourbon. All the bourbon. Very full-bodied, tongue-coating, leading to a lengthy finish that sticks around but never gets too sweet or overpowering; it just offers a persistent, polite reminder of what was just experienced.

Nov 17, 2018

Buck89 from Tennessee

4.27/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a snifter. Opaque dark brown color with a modest tan head. Great aroma. Chocolate, oak, whiskey, roast. The taste followed with rich base imp stout bathed in a whiskey barrel. Nice vanilla notes. Overall an outstanding beer.

Oct 21, 2018

Radcpa from Washington

4.27/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Aged for more than a year in the bottle. Very dark appearance with slight tan head that dissipates quickly. Aroma is a nice blend of whiskey and coffee. Taste is a smooth whiskey and coffee.

May 11, 2018

Jeffo from Netherlands

4.89/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Got this one from 7clutch. Thanks, man!

From a bomber into a snifter
Whisky barrel aged imperial stout

APPEARANCE: Half opaque black pour yields a two finger, medium-thicker looking, creamy tan head with great retention. Black body with no carbonation evident. Head slowly recedes to a full, creamy cap and leaves sticky lacing on the glass. A half ring remains leaving decent lacing as the glass empties.

SMELL: Lovely nose of oak, bourbon, sweet vanilla cream, coconut, milk chocolate, butterscotch and a hint of roasted coffee notes. Bold and enticing stuff.

TASTE: Oak, bourbon, butterscotch, milk chocolate and vanilla cream up front. Flavorful for sure, with lots of sweet barrel components. A bit of booze at the swallow with a bold and lingering finish of bourbon, oak, butterscotch and toffee sweetness, coconut, vanilla cream, milk chocolate and a touch of bitter coffee as well. This is really flavorful with plenty of sweet barrels and bitter, roasted base beer. Lovely.

PALATE: Fuller body and lower levels of carbonation. Enough weight and very silky slick, goes down smooth with a bit of a burn and finishes sticky on the palate, A bit of heat lingers.

OVERALL: Mind-bogglingly good. I first had this one a few years back when they were brewing it at the old location, and it looks like they’ve got it more than dialed in. Just as good as I remember it. Wonderful nose and flavor with superb balance between the sweet barrel and bitter base beer, and piles of all the other good stuff all over the place. Good looking and a top class feel to boot. This is one of my all time favorites for sure. Thanks again, desp! Lovely stuff.

Apr 11, 2018

Phineasco from Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Look: Motor oil black, with thin 1 inch brown head that sticks around for a bit. Low carbonation.
Smell: Fudge, chocolate chip, Bourbon, and faint vanilla.
Taste: Fudge, chocolate chip, and Bourbon heat.
Mouthfeel: Medium with plenty of barrel.
Overall: A very good Bourbon barrel aged Stout from Cycle.

Oct 14, 2017

Wayne17 from Texas

4.14/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Fantastic smell of vanilla, wood, whiskey, marshmallow. The flavor is hot, chocolate fudge, more oak and whiskey. Only small issue like most Cycle beers is a touch thin but overall a winner.

Sep 10, 2017

Sabtos from Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Black with a thin mocha head that dies quickly.

Nose is Tootsie Roll, Vanilla Coke, caramel, a hint of roastiness and light whiskey.

Taste is lighter on chocolate, with some prune and walnut. Oak opens up as it warms. It's light on the booze but still tastes like a Jack and Coke as opposed to a barrel-aged stout. Overall the flavor disappoints from the aromatic intro.

Feel starts out crisp, tangy and tingly, transitioning to a slick and thin fluidity mid palate. It's a little hot, but the thin, tingly body adds an odd cooling effect, leading into a waxy finish. So it's not too intense and as such is very drinkable.

Aug 16, 2017

RAlmeida77 from Massachusetts

4.74/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

What a surprise this was. Pours black as oil with minimal head. Coats the glass very well. Aroma is heavy on fudge and Baker's chocolate with some hints of whiskey barrel. Flavor is exactly as it smells. Intense amount of Baker's chocolate finish in each sip. Mouth feel is relatively thick. Coats the mouth pretty well. Overall, I would have to say that this is one of the best cycle beers that I have tried. This held up very well and it tasted absolutely magnificent!

Jun 25, 2017

gcamparone from Rhode Island

4.53/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Ryan for sharing this bottle. Poured from a 22oz bottle into a snifter.

Pours thick, black viscous body with a small brown head. Tons of chocolate on the nose, vanilla and bourbon. On the tongue is rich bakers chocolate, fudgy, whiskey, finishing roasty. Thick rich body, really nice velvety feel.

Great beer, very solid

Jun 24, 2017

YodersBeerEmporium from Iowa

4.5/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed this at a recent All Cycle tasting. Vintage 2014 bottle which I believe might have been the original batch.
Solid whisky BA Stout with smooth barrel and chocolate notes

May 23, 2017

Ciocanelu from Romania

4.75/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

On tap. Black color with brown head. Aroma has fleshy plums, floral notes like violets and also green coffee beans. Taste is quite balanced with bourbon, toffee, green peppers and caramel on the finish. Medium to full bodied with medium carbonation.

May 22, 2017

ragnar3 from Iowa

4.33/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a taster. Chocolate, dark malts and a little char. A bit thin, per the Cycle norm based on my experiences, which holds this one back a bit.

May 03, 2017

BeerSamurai34 from Texas

4.43/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This one was over a year old when I tried it, and it was still delicious. Super creamy thick mouthfeel with tons of chocolate and some subtle vanilla on the finish.

Jul 12, 2016

kerry4porters from Arizona

4.85/5  rDev +9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Delicious barrel aged stout with an abrasive burn molasses sweetness that some how smooths as it warms and becomes a liquid chocolate bourbon delight big thick mouth feel and roasty coffee through out perfect bourbon aroma and flavor that blends beautifully with the stout

Jun 05, 2016

maximum12 from Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An insanely generous extra from moose3285, whose boxes will leave you feeling small & emasculated. Thankfully, I don’t know what that means. Trippy black & white 2014 bottle split with my wife.

The pour is a moonless night in the Boundary Waters, in your tent, around 4 AM, when you wake up with a full bladder & think you’ve been buried alive. Nose is light but inviting: vanilla, light burn, chocolate, sweet malts.

Rare DOS makes me think sadly of my old Commodore 64, with it’s DOS programmed games we used to type in from…whatever Commodore 64 magazine used to exist. Time has made this a smooth operator. The strongest bit is the roast, which infuses every other taste, including vanilla, a cord of fire-blackened wood, subdued whiskey, residual malt & sugar sweetness, with a finish of bitter cocoa slathered with anise. I’ll have no trouble downing my 11.5 ounces (don’t tell my wife - she’ll start getting out the measuring cups…again).

This bottle matches up with what I remember of Peg’s beers in general during our visit over Hunahpu’s weekend in March 2014 - very good, but doesn’t quite reach the upper echelon. Thanks again Mike!

Mar 30, 2016

johnnnniee from New Hampshire

4.15/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle from MeadMe, thanks for the opportunity!
Pitch black with a frothy creamy bubbly tan head that persists. Roasty chocolate with a hint of licorice and a bit of oak and vanilla. Solid whiskey presence is never harsh. Earthy hop and light pitted fruits round this out nicely. Thick creamy mouthfeel, light level of carbonation, thick body. That's a very tasty brew right there.

Dec 30, 2015

jlindros from Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Big thanks to rudzud.
Dark fluffy smaller creamy head, light lacing, super pitch black color.

Nose big fluffy cocoa, fudgey choc, caramel candy, dark mild roast, little roasty coffee, mild bourbon barrel notes.

Taste dark choc, roasty char, cocoa and bitter roast, fudgey notes, little bourbon barrel notes, vanilla, bitter earthy hops and roasty char, sticky. Fudgey cocoa nougat.

Mouth thicker creamy fudgey decent carb.

Nov 12, 2015

rudzud from Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Shared with JLindros.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice dark black hue with a thin mocha head that fades to leave a thin halo.

S - Aromas of nice dark malts, light dark fruits, and light vanilla, light char.

T - Taste is similar to the nose, nice chocolate , decent char and roast malts.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated smooth and creamy.

O - Overall this beer was rather tasty, bit thin but still nice.

Serving type: bottle

Nov 12, 2015

Jwale73 from Rhode Island

4.07/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours one shade shy of black with a quarter inch, mocha-colored head that dissipates towards the shoulders into a frothy band. Nose expresses dark malts, molasses and not much in the way of whiskey, but a light ethanol burn is present in the nares. There's also a trace of artificial sweetener. Taste is very pleasant - vanilla notes are apparent, as well as whiskey; however, it's not overly pronounced. Mouthfeel is light in body (a bit too thin for my sensibilities) with a mild a carbonation and a silky texture. Overall, solid and quite drinkable.

Oct 31, 2015

PorterLambic from Florida

4.98/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Great googly-moogly, Batman! A beer worth of a grail. I think I want this as my last meal should it ever come down to that.

Black as a moonless night while wearing a blindfold. Solid ring of dark tan. Zero light penetration.
Smell is rich, malty, boozy, all the wonderful scents of a great fruitcake. Wheat, dark fruits (raisins especially ), roasted malts, hint of anise, too.
98% of maximum full body without being cloying, very light effervescence. Slight dryness in the aftertaste. Get it when you can.

Oct 30, 2015

JFresh21 from Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

First time having a Cycle beer. Rare Dos pours dark and a little thin. I was worried at this point. The smell is remarkable. Great blend of cherry and dried figs. The taste follows perfectly. Chocolate, cherry and no alcohol burn. Excellent beer and I'm excited to try more from this brewery! Cheers

Oct 23, 2015