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Absolute Darkness
Vancouver Island Brewing
- From:
- Vancouver Island Brewing
- British Columbia, Canada
- Style:
- Black IPA
- ABV:
- 6.5%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.9 | pDev: 11.54%
- Reviews:
- 5
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 18, 2015
- Added:
- Mar 21, 2013
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 2
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Kenmac19:
Rated by Kenmac19 from Canada (BC)
3.83/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Mar 01, 2015
3.83/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Mar 01, 2015
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Steelheadman from Canada (BC)
5/5 rDev +28.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +28.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 WOW! WOW! WOW! This beer thinks it's a stout and a porter, and IPA all in one glass. Everything balances out perfectly equal! The smell is heavenly . The hop flavor is smooth and not over powering . the coffee rich taste lets you no this beer is special with every sip . one of the best beer I've had in a while . it gets a solid 5 . well done Vancouver island brewery .
Jul 18, 2015Reviewed by souvenirs from Canada (BC)
3.94/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark like coffee, with three fingers of tan head. Floral aroma with a hint of cocoa. Grassy hops and cocoa, a combination that works better than I would have expected.
Mar 04, 2015Reviewed by LampertLand from Canada (BC)
3.89/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.89/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Vancouver Is. Brewing 'Absolute Darkness' @ 6.5% , served from a 650 ml bottle purchased for $6
A-pour is brown from the bottle to a cascadian brown in the glass with a medium size tan/beige head leaving a spotty lace along the pint
S-hoppy dark ale
T-good tasting at first mellow bitterness on the swallow
MF-ok carbonation , feels full bodied
Ov-surprisingly good beer
prost LampertLand
Feb 10, 2015A-pour is brown from the bottle to a cascadian brown in the glass with a medium size tan/beige head leaving a spotty lace along the pint
S-hoppy dark ale
T-good tasting at first mellow bitterness on the swallow
MF-ok carbonation , feels full bodied
Ov-surprisingly good beer
prost LampertLand
Reviewed by RooferOnFire from Canada (BC)
4.5/5 rDev +15.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +15.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Appearance (What's On The Cover)- The second of their Brewer's Batch series, this IDA looks like you're in trouble. It features a black label with a story about our island's caves and the brewer's description of the beer for the uninitiated. It comes in a bomber only, with 6.5%abv and was poured into both a small keg taster and thin mug.
Appearance (What's Inside) - Turkish coffee with a nice head, excellent retention, and porter-like cream. Thicker than blackstrap molasses.
Smell - Distinctive floral and grassy hops right away with some chocolate undertones. A bit of a nose-clearing affect that I can't put my finger on. I'm thinking hibiscus. I'm not turned off in the least.
Taste- Roasted coffee hits you right away, but doesn't stay there. Beautifully floral hops accentuate all of what's going on here, and there is a lot happening. Coffee, grapefruit, grasses, rose are highlighted. Aftertaste of fruity and floral hops and chocolate porter that fade into the night.
Mouthfeel - Luscious with slight overcarbonation for the style, but not unpleasant for my palate. It is full, but most certainly not as chewy as anticipated. Enjoyable. Balanced.
This came recommended and I will not be sending it back. A decent endeavour into the IDA class by Vancouver Island. While it is not the hop bomb of a Phillip's Amnesiac or American beast, it doesn't pretend to be- it's a very well-balanced hybrid of a DIPA and CDA that offers something new with each taste, yet finishes clean.
Vancouver Island is a great, working-man's brewery, putting out classic beer styles for the not-so-masses that this roofer has enjoyed for a good long while. This is one of their initial forays into snobland, and they have done shockingly well. The only sadness that occurs is when you finish a bottle, as you know you can't drive to acquire more. Luckily, tomorrow awaits.
I may cellar a couple to see what happens to the hops.
Mar 25, 2013Appearance (What's Inside) - Turkish coffee with a nice head, excellent retention, and porter-like cream. Thicker than blackstrap molasses.
Smell - Distinctive floral and grassy hops right away with some chocolate undertones. A bit of a nose-clearing affect that I can't put my finger on. I'm thinking hibiscus. I'm not turned off in the least.
Taste- Roasted coffee hits you right away, but doesn't stay there. Beautifully floral hops accentuate all of what's going on here, and there is a lot happening. Coffee, grapefruit, grasses, rose are highlighted. Aftertaste of fruity and floral hops and chocolate porter that fade into the night.
Mouthfeel - Luscious with slight overcarbonation for the style, but not unpleasant for my palate. It is full, but most certainly not as chewy as anticipated. Enjoyable. Balanced.
This came recommended and I will not be sending it back. A decent endeavour into the IDA class by Vancouver Island. While it is not the hop bomb of a Phillip's Amnesiac or American beast, it doesn't pretend to be- it's a very well-balanced hybrid of a DIPA and CDA that offers something new with each taste, yet finishes clean.
Vancouver Island is a great, working-man's brewery, putting out classic beer styles for the not-so-masses that this roofer has enjoyed for a good long while. This is one of their initial forays into snobland, and they have done shockingly well. The only sadness that occurs is when you finish a bottle, as you know you can't drive to acquire more. Luckily, tomorrow awaits.
I may cellar a couple to see what happens to the hops.
Reviewed by Derek from Canada (BC)
3.81/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.81/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A: Black with a light tan head, decent retention, leaves a bit of lace.
S: Fresh leafy hops, floral, grassy, bit of citrus. Hints of underlying roasted coffee & nuts.
T: Very green/fresh, a little more time for the hops to mellow might be an improvement here. Hops are very grassy, with light citrus & floral notes. Dark caramel, coffee & roasted nuts from the malt, solid bitterness.
M: Well-attenuated, moderate body has a slight acidity.
O: A decent brew. The malt character is somewhat porter-like, so it's certainly more of a Cascadian dark than a black IPA.
Mar 21, 2013S: Fresh leafy hops, floral, grassy, bit of citrus. Hints of underlying roasted coffee & nuts.
T: Very green/fresh, a little more time for the hops to mellow might be an improvement here. Hops are very grassy, with light citrus & floral notes. Dark caramel, coffee & roasted nuts from the malt, solid bitterness.
M: Well-attenuated, moderate body has a slight acidity.
O: A decent brew. The malt character is somewhat porter-like, so it's certainly more of a Cascadian dark than a black IPA.
Absolute Darkness from Vancouver Island Brewing
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
17 ratings
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