Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Bier

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Marshall, Michigan USA

[Bottle] Pours black with a dark tan head. Aroma is strong roasted malt, chocolate with some hops. Taste is the same with the hops a little more pronounced. Long finish. Quite thick. I know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but at first glance I did not expect this to be the high quality beer that it turned out to be--the only thing I can fault it too much on is it being a little hoppy for my liking, otherwise it is great.

A porter can’t get much better than this. Black and thick, syrup like beer. It looks great and it has a great palate. Aroma is roasted malt with some coffee, chocolate, and just a hint of oak. Flavor is exsceptionally rich. Tons of malt with medium sweetness and a roasted character, more coffee and chocolate.

(bottle, thanks olso2116) Pours very dark with a dark tan head. Heavy aroma of roasted malt, coffee, and some hops too. Taste of coffee, dark chocolate, with a smoky character as well along with a nice hop bitterness on the finish. Pretty good stuff, and even better the second time I had it.

Thanks to olso216. Pours a thick used motor oil consistency and color with very little head. Very sweet and sour or bitter nose with hints of mollases, chocolate, coffee, and nice sweet malt and raisens. Very full mouthfell with a huge dose of coffee and chocolate as well as a nice dose of floral hops.

Shared with Kinz for an impromptu tasting. Dark black body with a small fully diminishing light brown head. Sweet caramel, molassas, and malty aroma. Sweet chocolate and molassas flavor.

Thanks to maniac for this one! Dirty motor oil black, very slight dark brown head. Thick slightly burnt molasses aroma, slight pepsin. Slightly smoky too. Flavor matches, with an emphasis on the burnt molasses. An excellent sipper.

Date: 04/12/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Trade

solid black, whispy brown head, lightly sweet chocolate and roasted aroma, creamy body, rich malt flavor with a great chocolate character that just gets richer and richer, a nice bitter roasted finish, hint of fading tartness, much better than the typical alt as it has body and flavor
-------- /> Date: 02/10/2008
Mode: bottle
Source: tasting

rich dark chocolate aroma with a sweet fruity character, rich chocolate flavor, a bit dry and powdery, touch of fruit, long dry bitter chocolate finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

Pours out a very viscous black with thick brown head that fades quickly. Aroma is of roasted malt, chocolate, slight coffee and some charred wood. Taste is almost like a french roast, with strong roasted malt character, bittersweet chocolate, and like hop profile to keep things from getting lop-sided. Full bodied and moderately carbonated with a creamy finish and just enough alcohol to show through to let you know this porter packs a punch. Solid.