Dark Matter
By All Means Brew Lab

 

Pours a slightly effervescent mahogany/ebony with one finger of fast falling tan head. Minimal head retention & zero lacing

S: Dark chocolate, vanilla, some dark fruit notes once near room temperature

T: Follows the nose, some coconut, caramel, a little barrel dryness up front, some cola notes as well. Dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel & some coconuts notes, plus a kiss of booze as this beer warms up. Finishes' with pleasing candy bar sweetness, dryness, a little figgyness & a kiss of barrel

MF: Somewhat chewy, low carbonation, pretty warming. Carbonation picks up once warmed up

Drinks like an Almond Joy Bar with some kick, so drinkable. If everything was in line with the flavor, we are talking world-class

Dark Matter – from By All Means Brew Lab. Acquired from @muchloveforhops3 in BSBIF #1. Reviewed 17/01/24 (Review 3222). 750 mL capped bottle. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Undated bottle. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 56.4 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 64.2 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Amber Brown (SRM 18), hazy.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, light penetration at the edges, amber at the bottom, goldenrod at the top.
Head - Average (Maximum two cm, aggressive center pour), buff, high density and fizzy, no retention, leaving no crown and only a partial ring of tiny bubbles, and no cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 4 – Mild whiskey and some toasted chocolate malt. No yeast, no hops, no alcohol (11 % ABV according to the website – NOT marked on the label).
Flavor – 4 – Begins with chocolate and whiskey, slightly sweet. No yeast, no hops, no barrels. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. No ethanol ever tasted. Faint gastric warming. After taste is chocolate.
Palate – 4 – Medium; creamy; soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.75 (After deducting 0.25 point for an undated personal container) Looks like every other Impy stout, except for the fizzy head and no crown/lacing. Aroma is predominantly chocolate with some initial whiskey that disappears as it warms. The flavor is chocolate and watered-down whiskey, about the same as if you drank the water used to rinse out a tumbler. In general, an easy drinker but not one I’d seek out.