Barley Johns The Dark Knight (Returns)

Brewed by Barley Johns Brew Pub
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
New Brighton, Minnesota USA

Big up to jarspag for the DMBT growler on this one. Talk about an unexpected flavor and disappointing revelation of a brew; hmm. Maybe ’cause the growler had been sitting for 3 weeks (but chilled). Aroma is thick sugary molasses and a hot blend of alcohol and bourbon - overly so for that matter. Sugar bombs over Baghdad! Charcoal, more molasses and some weird skunk I can’t recall. This blend smacks you in the face with hot alcohol, totally raw. Almost a task to drink a full glass....and damn, we had this whole growler of fresh Doom sitting in front of us. Thick oily mouth feel. Not something I would necessarily go for again, but hey, it’ll get you hammered.

Handbottle from Zathrus13: Pours black and tries to muster a head but cant quite do it. Huge perfume of bourbon and spice aroma, quite woody and spicy it could burn your nose. Flavor is again mostly bourbon spices with some maltyness and chocolate flavors underlying a sea of spice and plenty of alcohol warmth. Body is a little dissappointing, just barely medium bodied, i would expect a lot thicker and/or creamier for a 13% beer. Pretty damn good still provided you really enjoy bourbon.

500mL hand bottle from July, sampled tonight. Pretty much black with a small bubbly head that doesn’t quite cover the liquid. A 1/16" tan head does form when roused, and dissipates to a ring after a short while. Lots of bourbon, chocolate, roast, and vanilla in the aroma. There is also some dry wood, dark fruits (think raisins and figs), and some alchol. Flavor adds a nice sweet element to combat the roasted malts and grain. Vanilla and chocolate (much stronger in the flavor) blend very nicely in the middle to the "pre-finish." Spicy char dry wood finish. Bitterness is at a 3 at the back sides of my tongue. Medium body with light carbonation due to the hand bottling. Since this was the first use of the Pappy van Winkle (or whatever the hell it was), it’s still pretty boozy and bourbony--but if it’s done right it’s great. I think it was done right. My notes from the brewpub will show up here someday when my lazy ass gets around to it.

Hand-bottle (Thanks, Stine!) Poured very deep brown with a bit of a reddish hue; capped with a small tan head that dissipated quickly. Powerful aroma; chocolate predominates along with wood, vanilla, prune, and bourbon. Bourbon aroma lingered for a while after I pulled the snifter away from my nose. Flavor is very sweet with roasted malt and bittersweet chocolate at first, then joined by raisin, molasses, prune, and bourbon. Finishes with a big alcohol burn. I’m glad I got the opportunity to try this beer. Thanks, Eben!

Draft RBSG. Oh yeah, I love this beer. Super dark black/brown. Very strong vanilla, chocolate, dark fruit and roasted sweetness on the nose. Great full powerful mouthfeel with a good dose of bourbon coming through, but you can tell they use good barrels, and age it perfectly. One of the few bourbon beers out there worhty of such praise.

Very dark/black in pour. Overpowering bourbon and oakish aroma. Slightly sweet with a heavy bourbon overtone.

Bottle. Black pour with almost no head. Quite powerfull and oily with notes of bourbon, coffee and chocolate. Somewhat complex and also a bit sweet.

@ blind tasting - Black body with a light brown head; Very intense Bourbon nose of wood and flowers; Very sweet alcohol intense body, the actual body doesnt seem really intense only the alcohol part; Long very Bourbon like finish, very soft sweet, very ripe plum fruity sweet, huge very intense alcohol burn. Very pleasant powerful beer, Great!