Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout

12 oz bottle: I opened this bottle and smelled the blueberries right off the bat. I like blueberries. Blueberries in beer is right up my alley. Big aroma of blueberries and as that subsides, a bit of roasty stout-like qualities come out. Lots of roasted malt in the flavor and pretty dry also. Quite a bit of carbonation. A good stout with the addition of blueberries make this a winner.

A beer that had been in the cellar for almost a year. Almost drank it alone a number of times. Finally cracked it open at Beer Hawks cellar clearing tasting. A combination of blueberries, smoke, and coffee on the nose. A dark brown almost black pour with a lite tan head and lace. A flavor that is weighted heavy on the front by the blueberries then fades to a rich coffee with both flavors wrapped in a full smoky flavor. A bit foamy but not fizzy. Palate is full bodied past the carbonation? A very complex beer overall. With flavors from everywhere. Nice.

I was a bit put off with the idea of a blueberry stout, but this one surprised me. Not a huge fan of blueberries, but this worked nicely. Dry, roasty, with just a hint of blueberries. Nice.

I love blueberries and not many beers made with them have appealed much to me. This did. It poured out black with a fleeting brown head. The aroma of blueberries was not overpowering. It was joined by notes of chocolate, coffee, malt, barley. Good body to it and low carbonation. The flavor was rich with the blueberries singing backup rather than lead. Quite good.

Bottle shared with Decaturstevo and Beer Hawk. Thanks Steve, this has been on my wants list for a long time. Pours dark black with a dissipating brown head. Aroma of fresh blueberries, dark roast, and even some smoke. Initial flavor of blueberry, chocolate and cereal. Middle has a notes of medium roast coffee and smoke. Soft bitter finish, with some faint mineral texture. This beer is nicely balanced, as it is not too sweet or roasty, and the blueberry is not overdone.

A deep black pour under a short & short-lived head the color of wet sand. At first I didn’t quite catch the blueberry in the aroma, instead focusing on the roasted maltiness and chocolate edges. Shortly thereafter, I caught a strong whiff of the berries, which seemed more soapy than fruity. Interesting, though. Additional notes of wildflowers. Flavor is an oddity with milk chocolate and berries and coffee roasts all clashing together at once. Each becomes more discernable in the aftertaste, at times very bitter and almost wooden, at times sugary sweet. Cherry, mint and even strawberry stouts I can understand, but I’ve never had chocolate-covered blueberries and I think I now know why. It doesn’t really "go"... does it? Ah, well. A unique experiment, I suppose.

<font size=-4>Single bottle from Wacky Willy’s... in front of <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/michigan/marshall/dark-horse-brewing-company/1155.htm>Dark Horse Brewing Co., Marshall, MI 49068</font>

Dark dark brown to black with a razor thin light tan head disappearing into nothing. The nose is dry stout dead on with a bit of dry roastiness. The blueberry is nice and subtle, but rather appropriate. The body is thin with low carbonation, completely as it should be for the style. The roast is intense in this flavor. A roasty bitterness seems to be backed up with a strong piney hop profile. A slight blueberry sweetness gives this a bit of balance, but the fruit doesn’t throw this off too much. A dry blueberry bite lingers with the roasty coffee finish. A bit of acidity, but again, appropriate to the style.

A gift from beastiefan2k. Very dark oily pour with a creamy dark brown head. Good aroma with strong blueberry announcing its presence over lots of dark chocolate, coffee and roasted barley. The flavour also shows lots of blueberry quality that just accentuates the chocolatey sweetness of the brew. Quite malty and sweet. Dark chocolate and roast on the back with a soft earthy bitterness countering all of the malty/chocolatey sweetness. Fairly complex malt base with a chewy leathery quality that complements the chocolate and roast. I can’t believe this is only 4.5% ABV.