Barley Johns The Dark Knight (Returns)

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

Growler: Dark brown in color with almost no head. The nose shows off coffee, chocolate, vanilla and bourbon! When warmed it also shows off some alcohol but given the level of power it almost seems expected. In the mouth it is full-bodied and the flavors from the nose follow. Given the girth, it was surprisingly well-balanced and dare I say...drinkable.

On tap at Barley Johns and served in a 6oz snifter. This beer poured a slick, inky black with a few large bubbles of tan foam that quickly faded away. The aroma of the beer was made up of vinous dark fruit, charred malt, licorice, and sweet bourbon. The flavor included bourbon, burnt sugar, chocolate, licorice, plum, cherries, and some very strong, warming alcohol. Pretty intense. The mouthfeel was full-bodied but seemed to have been thinned out by the time spent in the barrel. Almost no carbonation. The beer had a really even blend of bourbon and charred malt. Very tasty. The only drawback was the intense alcohol was very prominent. A sipper for sure.

Growler. This is EXCELLENT! Pours a dark brown liquid with a thin white head, and reduced CO2. Aromatics is liquorish bourbon chocolate woodiness. The flavor is that with a generous amount of bourbon overpowering the porrter’s original flavor. This has a moderate warming as it finishes. WOW this is my kind of beer!

Very much looking forward to this one! Served in a 6 oz. snifter at the brewpub. Pours nearly black and with a dark brown head that is thin and only lasted minutes before disappearing back into the black substance from whence it came. Aroma is bourbon heavy but some roasted malts, vanilla, and chocolate coming through as well. Taste is pretty rough around the edges if drank too cold. Once warmed the beer improves drastically. Chocolate, molasses, charcoal, chewing tobacco, and leather, all mix together with oak to blend nicely. A general sticky and syrupy sweetness prevails on this ale and is certainly meant to be sipped. This being said I think that the oak and bourbon are very nicely done and it is one of the best examples of bourbon barrel aged beer I’ve ever had my only complaint is that this beer is a tad too thin on the mouthfeel.

From my backlog. Tasted at the GTMW 2007. Very excited about being able to try this one! Quickly fading head, but aromas make up for it with a bit of bourbon and vanilla. Tad bit of charred oak thrown in for good measure. Flavour was a tad disappointing as the mouthfeel and body just wasn’t up to my expectations. Some decent char in their with the specialty malts also gives way to a slight bitterness of coffee. Some dark chocolate, american oak and jump in bourbon on the finish.

Growler provided by tytoanderso and shared by Taverner. Nose is COMPLETELY bourbon. The alcohol isn’t hidden at all in the nose, but it’s not as strong in the flavor, which is again, bourbon. I love the bourbon influence in almost any beer I’ve had. I think I’ll start drinking it straight. Or did I just do that? Slightly creamy mouthfeel, and the finish is surprisingly clean. As it warms a bit, much more of the wood, vanilla and coffee stand out, rounding off this excellent ale. Thanks a bunch, Mark & Tyler!

Got from a growler from tytoanderso. THANKS! Flavors of rum, bourbon, coffee, malts, bourbon, smoke and more bourbon! Pours a viscous black with brown, not tan head. Does not hide its alcohol, but that doesn’t matter. The sweetness makes this stuff go down easily. Ends on a sweet, not dry, note. And there is an after-after taste, which is a smoky woody note.

Handbottle from Stine - thanks man! This one pours nearly black with nary a head. Aroma is big and woody with some chocolate and cream - amazing how much more vanilla I get here than alcohol. Flavor has a wonderful chocolate/cream and oak/vanilla blend. Lots of bourbony goodness in there, but not overdone. I don’t even feel that 13%ABV until it hits my stomach. Really wonderful stuff that is truly worthy of its top 50 status. One of the best BA beers around.