Darkness
Surly Brewing Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Rotating|
Score
8.27
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Our legendary imperial stout, released every October. Darkness contains monstrous notes of chocolate, coffee, cherry, and toffee, plus a non-traditional dose of aromatic hops.
Bottle, can, and box art courtesy of 2024 Darkness Artist Susan Evans.
Bottles available exclusively at Darkness Day, Saturday, October 5. Boxed 16 oz. cans go to retail around Halloween.
Bottle, can, and box art courtesy of 2024 Darkness Artist Susan Evans.
Bottles available exclusively at Darkness Day, Saturday, October 5. Boxed 16 oz. cans go to retail around Halloween.
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8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
Another Top 50 (#18) for the style. Draft at brewery. 2025 vintage. Jet black pour. Creamy tan cap. Aromas of treacle and roasted malt. Flavor is more of the same. Dark roasted malt, molasses, tobacco, burnt sugar and resiny pine. Sticky mouthfeel, big hoppy finish. Warming alcohol. Wonderful.
Tried
from Draft
at
Surly Brewing Company
on 23 Jun 2026
at 21:28
8.3/10
—
Appearance 9
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
At a Drinkoteka tasting with the guys. Full bod, light carbo. Med-high bitter, med sweet. Fully malty, lots of chocolate, cocoa, med coffee. Med dried fruits. Med-light wood and bourboney ryeish element. Very tasty, easy sipping. Great.
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Jun 2026
at 13:44
5.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5.5
Flavor 5.5
Texture 5
Overall 5.5
Held up ok. Cola and cocoa. Some oxidation but not terrible. A little thin now. Drink now, can't imagine it will hold up much longer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Apr 2026
at 12:59
6.3/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6.5
Flavor 6.5
Texture 6
Overall 6
A bit more happening than the 2010. Cherry and cola. Cocoa too. Oxidized yes but not terribly. Again, I'd drink this now.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Apr 2026
at 12:58
8.4/10
LCI. Old school. Still holding up pretty well. Roasty coffee, chocolate, licorice. Boozy
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Sep 2025
at 11:13
9/10
Keg at centennial. Pours black, nose is chocolate, meaty, liquorice, soy sauce, taste is similar, rich, chewy, meaty. A classic. 9
Tried
on 06 Aug 2025
at 19:05
8.5/10
First Darkness, believe it or not! Minnesota is a rival, that's my excuse. 2016 or 18, I can't quite read it. Lovely stout, full of darkness. Hoppy bitter dark chocolate cherry, with some classy coffee roast.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Jul 2025
at 23:55
8/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 7
Overall 8
s: licorice | oatmeal | bourbon
a: dark oily black body | very thin, fast-dying brown head
t: caramelised sugars | rustic nuts | brewed coffee
p: dark chocolate | warming alcohol | anise throughout
o: complex | deep sugars everywhere | smooth vanilla & rounded edges
75 cL wax-sealed capped bottle | Smith's Liqour Gallery: Rapid City, South Dakota | 25-June-2020 | US$18,99 | bottled: 28-September-2016 | sampled: 04 & 05 July 2025, a bit less than nine years after bottling
a: dark oily black body | very thin, fast-dying brown head
t: caramelised sugars | rustic nuts | brewed coffee
p: dark chocolate | warming alcohol | anise throughout
o: complex | deep sugars everywhere | smooth vanilla & rounded edges
75 cL wax-sealed capped bottle | Smith's Liqour Gallery: Rapid City, South Dakota | 25-June-2020 | US$18,99 | bottled: 28-September-2016 | sampled: 04 & 05 July 2025, a bit less than nine years after bottling
Tried
from Bottle
from
Smith's Liquor Gallery
on 04 Jul 2025
at 23:08
7.8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottled, I think it was a 2014. Dark pour, little head, the cherry comes through quite a bit.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 May 2025
at 01:37
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
10/05/2025 Sample at Palace Hall, Malmö May tasting - dark sweet and roasted malty with layers of sweet chocolate and caramel, fudge and toffee, coffee roast, ashy dark malts, dark cherry undertone, full bodied, dark roasted malty lingering finish.
Tried
on 09 May 2025
at 22:00