Dark Horse Tres Blueberry Stout

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

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.

Thick black color, sweet and cloying bay leaf flavor with some generic-like blueberry extract syrup... some chocolate, plasticy flavors. Pasty texture... falls apart on the back of the tongue, with finishes with an all-too-sweet blueberry plastic flavor.

Bottled: Dark brown coloured. Reddish brown head. Berries, light roastyness, some sweetness. Roast, coffee, berries in the flaovur. Ends on a sweet note.

The blueberries in the aroma and finish were WAY too big of a distraction for me, especially since I’ve never been that fond of the fruit. Great pour, a deep, dark brown with a creamy brown head. It’s got an extremely smooth mouthfeel that delivers a flavorful treat of of roasted malts & barley, dark dried fruits, brown sugar.... and those damned blueberries. I probably would’ve rated this much higher had they used gooseberries, boysenberries, raspberries, prunes... Anything but blueberries!

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=1 RAYBOY01’s Fridge<font size=-1>

Really looked forward to trying this one. I’ve always wanted to make a blueberry stout, yet I’ve never gotten around to it. Opaque silky black body with a moderate light brown head that settle to a small bubbled lid. Little ringlets of lace. Light roasted barley with mild blueberry and some herbal scents. Fairly light in feel with a bit of airiness. Fruitiness of blueberries shows itself throughout the guzzle. A light and fruit essence that does not truly reveal itself willingly, but it’s there - One of the reasons I have restrained myself from trying this in a homebrew. The more I think about it perhaps a mix of 90% blueberries and 10% raspberries would bring out the flavors more. I digress. This really does seem to fit the bill. A touch too bitter at times (some coffee flavors that distract), but a very well made brew in my book. Thanks Lou.

Bottle: Black, nice tan head and no lacing. Nose of fig, incense; the hops are too earthy and bright, clashes with the berry (columbus maybe?). Vague blueberry. The flavor is more balanced but isn’t as bright. This really needs an over the top berriness like the walking man cherry stout. Finishes nutty, stouty. Lacks cohesion.

Draft sample at MBGF. Black color with a small light brown head that diminished quickly with fair lacing. Moderate blueberry toasted bread aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture. Medium complex blueberry dark chocolate flavor with a smooth sweet finish of moderate duration.

Bottle. Pours dark brown almost black color with a small tan head. Has a roasted malty blueberry aroma with hints of licorice and choclate. Smooth roasted malty licorice flavor with some hints of berry. Has a roasted malty bitter chocolate finish.