Dark Soul
Levity Brewing Co.

1 July 2020 - Beer #133

Corona Day #111

Price: $16.99 on Tavour

Appearance: 3 - distinctly dark brown. Looks a little muddy, not the good kind.

Nose: 4 - pretty much all barrel, but not a ton of it. Smells a tad fake, contrived.

Taste: 4 - tasty brew. Does NOT taste like a stout. Honestly more like a barleywine. More malty than roasty.

Mouth: 4 - fairly thin, but pleasantly tickly on the tongue.

Overall: 4 - a bit overpriced, but not at all an unpleasant beer.

Cheers!

2018 offering. 22 oz bottle. 11% ABV, not the 8.5 of the other reviews. Odd that there’s so few reviews, but hey, I got it, I’m drinking it, and dammit I’m writing about it!

Poured cold cellar temp, hard to a tulip glass. Color looks like clear root beer, with a three-finger mocha head that looks like it came straight off a KBS hard pour. Sort of made me tilt my head because the two seemed rather unlikely, but there they were. Not much carbonation when still, but light movement brings out a cascade of bubbles that form the only ring once that initial head burns down. Nose is prominent, distinct bourbon, with late char, vanilla, something I can’t quite peg due to the tail end of this cold. I don’t do straight bourbon, but I get the impression that this is really playing to the strengths of the Woodford Reserve barrels. It’s quite enjoyable despite some of my currently muddled senses. Mouthfeel is thin and calls out some carbonation and hoppiness, but fits the heavy bourbon front. I’m actually pleased that there’s no sense of coffee or chocolate, as it brings a nice reprieve to the coffee, bourbon, chocolate profile that abounds in many good stouts. Sometimes I just don’t want chocolate or coffee at 10 PM. ABV hides pretty well, but the bourbon / char duo brings a psychological reminder that this is an alcoholic beverage. It’s almost as if you were drinking 22oz of straight WR bourbon, but without the imminent liver failure or death if you were really drinking 22 oz of bourbon... I have one more to cellar, so it’ll be interesting to revisit in a year or two. Makes me wish now that I bought a third to cellar even longer.