Dark Passenger
Griffin Claw Brewing Company in Birmingham, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale Rotating Out of Production|
Score
7.11
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Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
22 oz bottle. Pours black with a tan head. Sour and raisin aroma. Sweet molasses and soy flavor, slight sour and nutmeg-type spice. Very, very sweet, but it’s rather tasty. Not at all what I expected when I bought it, but that’s probably because I missed the "D" in "Dark" in the name.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
22 ounce bottle into snifter, 2015 vintage bottling. Pours fairly pitch black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense tan head with with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of big milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, maple syrup, molasses, toffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, bourbon, toasted oak, and light leather; with lightly tart raisin, plum, cherry, fig fruitiness and yeast/toasted earthiness. Fantastic aromas with awesome complexity and balance of dark/roasted malt, spices, bourbon barrel, and dark fruit notes; with great strength. Taste of big milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, maple syrup, molasses, toffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, bourbon, toasted oak, and light leather; with light lightly tart raisin, plum, cherry, fig fruitiness and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate fruity/tannic tartness and spice bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, caramel, vanilla, maple, molasses, toffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, bourbon, toasted oak, and lightly tart dark fruit flavors after the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roasted malt, spices, bourbon barrel, and dark fruit flavors; with a great sweetness/tartness/spice balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very smooth, moderately creamy, and lightly slick/acidic mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a light warmth lingering after the finish. Overall this is an incredible spiced blended RIS/Barrel aged wheatwine style. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roasted malt, spices, bourbon barrel, and dark fruit flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the huge ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Shared bomber, snifters. Unnatural dark brown color with almost no head. Boozy plum, sherry aroma. Mild bourbon, vanilla, lots of spice . The complexity is intriguing but a bit too much nutmeg and pumpkin pie.