Barley Johns The Dark Knight (Returns)

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

On tap at GTMW 2007

this one was on my list so at 2:30 PM I was in line at Barley John’s. Having never had this release I was glad to get a sample. Since it is pricy at the brewpub it is almost worth the cost of admission just to get to try it here. I was a little disappointed but part of that I attribute to the heat. This is a great beer that just doesn’t stand up well in 90+ degree temperatures. Hopefully it will be on tap on a visit to the Minneapolis area so I can try it in its natural habitat.

Aroma / Appearance - The murky black body was almost as dark as an imperial stout; in fact it may be moreso than some poor examples of the style. A tan head about a half finger in height sat on top as it floated in my kolsch glass. Mint, caramel and vanilla make it apparent this has been bourbon aged. The mint almost had me thinking mint julep for a second. Chocolately undertones are mellow offsetting the sweet and creamy profile well.

Flavor / Palate - Rich caramel, hazel and oak immediately coat the corners of the throat. The bourbon is strong but balances the coffee flavor well. It does create something perhaps a little too boozy but that’s to be expected from something that sat in 23-year old barrels. The end result is some burning of the throat but nothing too intense. A creamy finish imparts expresso notes along with a hint of oatiness. On the whole this was very enjoyable though not quite Top 50 in my opinion. It’s possible that it was just the batch - I will certainly have to try this one again.

The Old 8 porter aged in twenty year old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrel...wonder if this could be any good? Great syrupy looking pour with a light slick of a head. The aroma coming off this beer is spectacular...bourbon fumes and syrupy roasted grains with burnt sugars and alcohol. The flavors run pretty true to the nose. Big initial bourbon slap, pretty smooth actually, and those intensely burnt grains and sugars ease on down the palate pretty easily. The texture is thick, viscous, and did I mention "syrupy"? The finish is sticky sweet and leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling in the belly. I liked it so much I bought a growler (65 bucks!!) to take to the rehearsal dinner...easily and instantly becoming the favorite drink of the party (and me the hero)!

Bottle thanks to hellomynameis bottled by footbalm. This poured a real dark brown black color with not much of a head. Aroma was really huge and rich mostly of chocolate notes and bourbon with some tobacco. Flavor didnt have that much alcohol but it was definitely noticable. Flavor was choc, coffee, and some more tobacco notes. Really flavorful and not overly sweet for being 13%. Well done!

Draft. Near black color. Aroma of bourbon, molasses, vanilla. A bit of chocolate and dark fruit (plums). Syrupy texture. Very warm. Very good, if not amazing.

Hand bottle shared with toncatcher. Thanks for sharing this brew. Very nice tastes of bourbon, oak, some vanilla, and sweet caramel. Also a well represented alcohol burm. Not in a bad way but in a light warming sensation on the throat. Very good and my first hand bottled sample.

A hugh thanks to hellomynameis (Zac) for this beauty. When I first opened this I thought it might be the best beer I ever had, it was incredible, just not the best ever. Pours dark and opaque with a thin head of tan creamy foam. Aroma was outstanding, vanilla, chocolate, bourbon, roasted amlt. If there was any part that was disappointing it was in the flavor. Flavors started out great with bourbon, molasses, chocolate but you could really taste the 13%ABV. Don’t get me wrong I really loved it.

A huge aroma of bourbon. What a surprise. A huge taste of bourbon. But in a good way! Pours black and headless. Tastes like bourbon in a vinous, smooth kind of way. Finishes with almost no hop presence. The bourbon is pleasant. A nice oaky, bourbon and slight malt taste. Almost no hops in the finish. Just very smooth and easy drinking-in a sipping way. A good beer; interesting, but lacks a huge finish (besides a slight sweetness).

pours black as knight. aroma is vinous and quite bourbony, there is chocolate, caramel and some roast. taste is smooth vinous bourbon with sweet chocolate and caramel. finish is a nice semisweet booze. quite nice.