What does the expression "dankness" mean to you?

Without reading the description in your post first, to me it's a darkness moisture-like flavor such as a wet cave that is imparted onto whatever other flavor that it touches, such as certain hops.

 

When I read that a beer (e.g., IPA) features “dank” I read that as being an aroma/flavor marijuana and I avoid those beers since I am not a fan.

Maybe I should try more “dank” beers!?!

Cheers!

 

The word dank is thrown around way too freely IMO. Rarely, if ever, does it actually smell like its namesake. I’ve encountered very few beers that I personally would call dank, if we’re actually using that to describe something that smells like cannabis flower. So at least in my experience, you are not alone.

It seem, I think, that brewers throw it around as a selling point and perhaps to just describe a heavily non fruity aromatic IPA.

——————

Side note…The dankest beer I ever had was Alchemist Broken Spoke (the pale ale version). It literally tasted like someone dosed it with kief to me.

 

Avoid.

 

I sometimes think of “dank” as more of an analogy to marijuana than as a direct comparison. Since legalization of recreational cannabis in Washington in 2012 (Colorado gets all the credit, but it happened here at the same time), in certain areas of Seattle the pungent smell of marijuana smoke seems constant and inescapable. I don’t especially enjoy it but I guess some people do. Similarly, the dankness of certain IPAs is overpowering and, for those of us who do enjoy that, it’s a quality for which we will climb mountains and cross deserts.

Of course the other way of looking at it is an actual comparison between the sticky-icky oils of the cannabis bud and those of the hop cone—the two plants are closely related, after all (both share a common component, terpenes). So a beer that can be described as “dank” also has that almost oily quality (“resinous” is another word often used in conjunction with “dank”) that stands out in clear contrast to another key ingredient of beer, water.

 

From 2014:

https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...bing-hops-or-ipas-what-does-dank-mean.144197/

 

My parents' nasty, flood-prone basement.

Please don't put that in my beer.

 

Enamel grating bong water from Snoop Dogg’s bong

 

I like beer. I like weed. The term "Dank" IMO isn't always associated with weed or weed-like attributes. At least that's how I find it. In my active pursuit dankness can have many forms and different levels and or intensities. When discussing dank weed, the point is more about the aroma rather than flavor though some MJ flower is very flavorful vs others (Sour Diesel). Simply more flavor but not necessarily dank. But when discussing or describing beer that is dank it involves aroma and taste even more so. At least this is what I find.
I agree that the term "Dank" is probably misused or even over used in the craft beer world and I too have had beers that are coined as dank but in reality, esp compared to some others, aren't spanky & dank at all. I find dankness in WCIPAs, NEIPAs, and even some Pilsners! There are dank IPLs, Session Ales, Saisons, plus more...and descriptions of dank expressions can be fun. I find pungent vegetation, industrial (kinda broad & vague), diesel, gas, paint, funky food, leftover fast food hamburger cheese, barnyard, horse blanket, over ripe citrus, flowery in general. It is what it is. Some are really good and some are just plain funky. **Probably the most extreme dank funk beer I've had was New Belgium Hemporer. It f'd up my taste buds for a bit. I'm sure there are others.

 

Earthiness, resin, pungent. Almost a little pine.

I generally associate it with a combination of Citra, Galaxy, Columbus, Apollo to name a few. I think also when the hops are added matter too

 

We regularly get PtE in my area but I have yet to see the Pliny for President but I will give it a try if I ever see it.

I am presently on the road heading to Lake Placid. And later in n the week a couple of days in Stowe where I will visit The Alchemist
and if time permits I will take a tour. My last purchase of Heady Topper was very dank (I wasn’t a fan). I have a theory that dank aroma/flavor is a late harvest of the hops thing.

Cheers!

 

In the past I have had dank beers that were dry hopped with Columbus. My guess is those beers used late harvest hops.

Cheers!

 

I love me some DANK ass west coast beers and marijuana as well.. I purchased a 4-pack of this beer at a Wholefoods in San Diego this past April. It was DANK AF as advertised. No games, no gimmicks. Dankness = marijuana character.. def don't equate it to a musty cave/damp funky wet aroma/flavor.

 

The Alchemist's website description:

https://shop.alchemistbeer.com/product/heady-topper/4

 

I'd be satisfied to leave it at that. The marijuana discussion is over my head, but I do understand "resinous." It's one of the qualities I seek out.

 

According to the Cambridge dictionary, the slang definition of dank just means excellent. So it doesn't really have any direct characteristics.

Talk about marketing BS.