Darkness Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged (2015)
(Batch of Darkness Rye Whiskey Barrel-Aged)
Surly Brewing Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Rotating Out of Production|
Score
7.67
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This massive Russian Imperial Stout brings waves of flavors; chocolate, cherries, raisins, coffee, and toffee. Barrel-Aged Darkness is a limited edition variant that spent over three months aging in Rye Whiskey barrels from High West, a distillery in Park City, Utah. The aging process provides a distinct aromatic whiskey character that is oaky and spicy on top of the core Darkness flavors.
Our 2015 vintage bottling of Darkness features a screeching bat-nightmare by local artist Brandon Holt.
No creature is more adept at navigating in the Darkness than a bat. Emerging from a deep and ancient cave, this year's twisted nocturnal creature has evolved a set of adaptations well suited to detecting and devouring uncommon nourishment.
Notes of chocolate, coffee, dried tart cherries, rye whiskey and raisins emanate from his lair. If you can evade the talons and teeth, the thick body of this Russian Imperial Stout finishes sweet, with a piney resinous hop Character
Omar Ansari / Todd Haug
Our 2015 vintage bottling of Darkness features a screeching bat-nightmare by local artist Brandon Holt.
No creature is more adept at navigating in the Darkness than a bat. Emerging from a deep and ancient cave, this year's twisted nocturnal creature has evolved a set of adaptations well suited to detecting and devouring uncommon nourishment.
Notes of chocolate, coffee, dried tart cherries, rye whiskey and raisins emanate from his lair. If you can evade the talons and teeth, the thick body of this Russian Imperial Stout finishes sweet, with a piney resinous hop Character
Omar Ansari / Todd Haug
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8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Big bottle courtesy of Brandt. Ø tasting. Very dark brown body, not much head. Smooth aroma, carob, chocolate, grain, light raisins, lower oxidation than expected, traces of orange. Smooth, well restrained raisin-chocolate combo, some low barrel vanilla touches, lower alcohol presence than expected but good enough. Excellent really!
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Jun 2026
at 17:13
8.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 9
Overall 8
Pours black, no real head. Smell is full, boozy, mild whiskey . Taste is full, intense, rye whiskey , mild booze. Dark chocolate. very full and yet very balanced. Lovely beer and indeed way better than i remember the basebeer to be.
Tried
on 21 Oct 2019
at 09:31
8/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Sep 2019
at 18:01
9/10
Backlog
Tried
on 04 Feb 2018
at 12:24