Dark Star Critical Mass

Brewed by Dark Star
Style: English Strong Ale
Haywards Heath, England

Gravity, Dover BF. Dark rich brown with a small layer of fine creamy off-white. Coffee, dark honey and maple syrup aroma. Palate is sugary and sticky, yet still somehow manages to feel kind of thin. Dark honey sweetness, just enough roast and bitterness to keep from being a total sugar bomb. I can imagine this being better late in the day as a nightcap or something. Even with a little more carbonation. It does improve quite a bit as it warms up, the edge of the sweetness softening and the flavor mellowing. Overall, a very anticipated beer that didn’t quite live up to my hopes.

Half pint pulled at The Rake at Borough Market (London), a dark brown with a bubbly beige head. A warming roasted aroma with a touch of chocolate. The palate is very smooth with some finishing tang and easy biscuity malt flavours. Drinks much easier than its 7.8%.

Small beige head over opaque black body. Light milky burnt licorice aroma. Soft, sweet earthy licorice taste with light burnt aftertaste. Some alcohol heat. Fruity, with banana flavours and notes of milky chocolate. Dry aftertaste. Nice! A beer to savour. (0.5pt on cask.)

Cask at the White Horse, Parsons Green. Fine aroma of roasted malt, some fruit, too. Dry aftertaste with alcohol warmth.

(Cask at White Horse, Parson’s Green, London, 26 Nov) Dark brown, almost black, with ruby notes. Small beige head. Malty, roasted nose with prunes, raisins, chocolate and hints of blueberries. Malty, fruity taste with notes of dried fruit (prunes, raisins), chocolate, spicy hops and liquorice. Slightly sweet and vinous. Well balanced and warming. Very nice.

Cask gravity at Planet Thanet BF 2006, Ramsgate. Very dark brown colour with lasting dark beige head. Hoppy coffee aroma. Some liquorice. Intense aromas. Syrupy in mouth with dark treacle flavours. Unctious oily feel in mouth, thick but with only some alcohol burn. This really woke me up. Finish has dryness and more dark treacle. I liked it.

Bottled with live yeast. A strong winter warmer with roasted chestnuts and all manner of chocolate insects crawling down the gulliver to bounce around the head singing like heavenly angles. A critical mass indeed. Send up the rockets.

(Cask at Akkurat, Stockholm) Dark brown with red tones. Small tan head. Nice and deep aroma of black chocolate, anise, hops and alcohol. Rich, chewy and deep flavour of caramel, dark chocolate, cocoa, raspberries, sea salt and brown sugar. Full bodied. Long full aftertaste of of licorice, bitter black chocolate, cocoa and alcohol. Awesome stuff from an excellent brewery!