Barley Johns The Dark Knight (Returns)

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

12 oz bottle of Dark Knight Returns hand bottled by one of the assistant brewers and obtained in a trade with robertsreality - Thanks a million Rob for the chance to try this one! - Pours black as the Dark Knight himself with a tan ring around the edges of the snifter and some lace. One sniff above the snifter and you can tell this is going to be a great beer. Aroma of bourbon, molasses, chocolate, coffee, vanilla, and a bit of licorice. One sip and you know that the aroma didn’t disappoint. Flavor is very complex and quite amazing. Bourbon, molasses, and a bit of vanilla upfront but soon gives way to a rich chocolate flavor that emerges along with some coffee bitters but finishes quite sweet with some notes of oak, much chocolate, a bit of raisins and that bourbon flavor all blended together so deliciously. The palate is as smooth as anything I’ve ever tried. Like aged Kentucky bourbon. It just feels great in the mouth. Amazingly thick, and creamy yet oh so balanced and smooth. The warming notes of the alcohol on the back of the throat after each sip are oh so welcome on a snowy Ohio day. This was one hell of a way to kick off the holiday weekend!

12oz bottle hand capped by footbalm on 2/05. body is black and the head is a thin ring of foamy burnt umber. I won’t take off points for appearance since this was hand bottled quite some time ago. aroma is molasses and vanilla, brown sugar and shredded unsweetened coconut, brown sugar, licorice, and bourbon. flavor is licorice, molasses, bourbon, and a bit like a cabernet. lively carbonation. alcohol heat appears in the back of the throat, and the nostrils in the way that horseradish or wasabi does (but it doesn’t taste liek either). thanks Zathrus13 for this in trade! RE-RATE 5/21/06: Sampled at the JimMack ’06 Invitational. fresh hand capped 12oz bottle thanks to EyeDrinkAle via Footbalm (thanks Eric!!). dark brown color, golden edges. aroma is dark molasses, bourbon, vanilla, and a little oak and butter. flavor is vanilla, molasses, and good single malt scotch. sweet malt like refined toffee. nice!

Tried dark night and dark night returns side by side at bj’s. DKR: Jet balck pour w/ a huge tan/brown head, some visable carbonation well laced, smells strongly of bourbon & brown sugar hints of plum & raisen light alcohol. Full creamy well coated palate very lightly carbonated. Flavor is super sweet huge malt careml brown sugar plums raisens alchol and a dry finish on the tongue w/ hints of bourbon. DK: Same appearnace.. Very sweet amlty brown sugar w/ hints of bourbon and light alcohol in the aroma but very mellow. Palate was full creamy and well coated. Flavor was bourbon brown sugar raisens and a very sweet but a bit more mellow than the returns. Alchol is present in the swallow. This stuff is almost too sweet but very good none the less.

Sampled the Dark Knight and the Dark Knight Returns side-by-side at Barley John’s.

The DK pours to a huge thick foamy brown head atop a black body. The head retention on this is better than the DKR. The aroma is sweet and caramelly, brown sugar, candi sugar. Less bourbon barrel aroma than DKR. The flavor is nearly identical to the DKR but less bourbon.

The Dark Knight Returns pours to a medium thickness tan head atop a dark black body. The aroma is sweet and caramelly. Brown sugar and candi sugar. Bourbon barrels. The flavor is insanely sweet. Lots of candi and powdered sugar. Bourbon and sweet milk chocolate. The palate is rich and coating. The beer kinda reminds me of a REALLY sweet Thomas Hardy’s Ale.

Sampled at the Great Taste of the Midwest, Madison, 8/13/2005. My second attempt for this one, the first being the original Dark Knight at the brewery. I sampled this in one hand with Great Dane’s Bourbon Porter in my other. I must say, I enjoyed the Great Dane’s considerably more. Even with the toned down bourbon notes, I find it hard to get passed them. My nose is flooded with bourbon (vanilla, caramel, toffee, and charred oak) which is just fine, but I get the same thing on the palate. There’s just not enough diversity of flavor here to back this up on the palate. All in all, its great stuff, but I’ll take Great Dane’s Bourbon Porter (and a few others) over this one.

The Dark Knight returns version sampled at the GTMW. This just keeps getting better. Rich, bourbon, wood, coffee and dark chocolate aroma. The roasted coffee and wood compliment each other nicely. Dark, dark black with a thick and creamy tan head that sticks, best head I’ve seen all day in my little glass. Flavor is a buttery roasted chocolate with some wood and bourbon coming out in the aftertaste. As I drink this sample more and more caramel and coffee come out in the finish. Very well balanced, unusual for the flavor to get more complex as you drink. Thick and creamy...sooo good.

Deep dark brown; coating and oily consistency. Wholesome and woodsy, with a sweet whiskey nose. Silky-smooth texture; very mouthcoating. Syrupy, molasses sweetness. Warming alcohol; 13 percent was hidden incredibly welll; rather cozy. Aromatic notes of sugary whiskey (actual whiskey flavor was subtle), chewy wood and prunes. Healthy amount of balancing hops, but definitely not overhopped. Very pleasant to drink. Thanks for sharing, Ern.

Oh goodness,Thank you for you sending this to me,footbalm. I owe you one. Dark,dark brown,near pitch black. Small,tan,colored ring of head. Slow moving carbonation. Very inviting aroma of vanilla,wood,bourbon,caramel,cocoa, and maybe some charcoal. Very slick,and smooth texture. Body is big and lightly sticky,but not cloying. Excellent chocolate,bourbon,toffee flavors start. Following is more bourbon(tastefully) and maybe some dark fruit like plums or raisins. Finish is clean,woody with lingering vanilla,light alcohol,and maybe,caramel. Wow,this is one of the best,if not best,bourbon barrel beer I’ve had. Put together so well,and tastefully. I could drink this quite often with no complaints.