Barley Johns The Dark Knight (Returns)

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

HUGE THANKS GO TO Footbalm! the aroma is awesome on this beer! Unbelievably good stuff in the nose. A little bit of bourbon, some vanilla, and lots of great sweet charred oak. The aroma is really complex and smells simply delicious. The flavor has some of the same sweet smelling charred bourbon barrel oak, with some nice subtle roasted notes, and a little bit of a plesant bitter back end. The alcohol is really not that present at all, ecspecially for being 13%. The palate is a little thin, but maybe for this beer I was expecting more of a impy stout mouthfeel as oppossed to the thiner porter, but none the less this was an excellent beer.

12 oz hand bottled thanks to drewbeerme for this sample. Black body with a small dark tan head that fades to a ring. Lots of alcohol in the nose, as it warms chocolate roasted aromas come out. Its surpisingly light bodied for the alcohol and ambition this one has. Chocolate, roasted, sour flavors with dry coffee beans, rasins, prunes, and alcohol behind it. Very impy stout like but without the body, it still has a nice creaminess but could really use a thicker mouthfeel. Pretty tasty overall, but i don’t think it is as extraordinary as its made out to be.

Generously shared by sliffy at the pre-tasting fridge clearing. Dark black pour with a small dark tan head. A big shot of bourbon in the nose...vanilla, doughy roasted malt, chocolate and coffee. The flavor was also a big shot of bourbon...some mocha as well. The mouthfeel was like a port...very thick and vinous. Great stuff!

Hand Bottled from Footbalm. This was a pretty nice one. Looked good, smelled terrific. Although I enjoyed it, it’s just too sweet for me. Almost like a Liqueur. Definitely well crafted, and very Interesting to try.

12 once hand bottle from footbalm. Poured into a snifter. Pours wonderfully dark brown with a good dark brown head. The aroma is brownies, light smokey or tobacco character, mochacinno. Not getting a lot of bourbon or oak character, but I don’t mind. Wonderfull real porter flavor. This is the porter that every brewer in the contry should be trying to make. Mocha is most prominent. Light hop bitterness is there also. Coats the entire mouth, and slowly fades away. 13%? Really? I don’t beleive it for a minute. Thanks a million, Eric.

Courtesy of Footbalm. It’s nice when you get a whiff of a highly rated beer and know instantly it isn’t all hype. Rich milk and dark chocolate, blueberry, coffee, cream,fudge brownies, molasses, caramel and vanilla. The chocolate/fudge and coffee elements are strongest, but the blueberry fruity notes make a decent showing. There is a slightly dusty note in the tail end of the aroma. Quite varied and concentrated though. The body is deep black and holds a slowly diminishing thumb thick mocha head that compresses to nickel thickness. Slightly hot boozy notes in the first sip followed by burnt/bitter roast and coffee notes. Unsweetened baker’s chocolate, low sweetness dark fruits, very light bourbon notes. The mouthfeel is actually very porter-y despite the massive un-porter 13% abv. which you’d think might make it more an Imperial stout in thickness. The finish is vanilla, sweet cream, brown sugar and some more dark fruit notes this time lucious grape, raisin and prune. Doesn’t dissapoint. Great range. Seems to dip slightly in inteisity through the middle ranges, but the finish is very enjoyable and it drinks damn easy for a 13% abv beer.

Hand bottle from footbalm thank you sir! Poured into a scottish thistle glass about 50 degrees.Vanilla notes are noticed as this thick beer pours a slight Tan head forms on a dark chestnut beer.The foam fades to a lace cap ... a collar ... nothing.Aromas of vanilla ,mollasses, dark rum,slighty burnt toast and roasted marshmallows.Wine like texture roast malts and carmel sweetness,coffee no hops but the tannins of the oak leaves a dryness even though this beer is deliciously sweet.I really liked this beer!!!

Hand bottle from the great footbalm: Black pour with a thin dark tan head. Aroma, rich chocolate, oak, vanilla bourbon and a bit of coffee. Flavor, similar to the aroma, but with some hints of fruits, and an almost port wine like texture. This was fantastic.