About
Great beer is messy.

From the outset in 1997, Dark Horse Brewery was fueled by a relentless pursuit of excellence and creativity in brewing, with an unflinching disregard for anything that didn’t captivate the taste buds.

In truth, the journey has been filled with adversity, highs, lows, and even a bit of TV show fame. Some might even label the odyssey as reckless. Yet, it was through this tumultuous journey that Dark Horse Brewery honed its award-winning craft and culture. Producing remarkable IPAs, beloved ales, big bold stouts, sought-after session beers, wild events, and boasting more than 5000 mug club members.

Fast forward 27 years, now guided by new leadership under managing partner Chuck Mascari Jr. Dark Horse Brewing Co. remains one of the few lasting independent forces in the Michigan craft brewing scene with a brand impact embraced across the globe. Every month, over 1,000 hardcore #darkhorsenation beer fans check in to our brews on Untappd, from all over the world!

Now, we’re not only a craft brewery, but also a small distillery and small winemaker. Our Beer Garten is a unique entertainment venue for up-and-coming artists. For patrons and Marshall visitors, we offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner at our Commons Market and Taproom, and open our Beer Garten from May through October. There are six major events at the brewery every year starting with Winterfest Beer Olympics and ending the year with an 80’s themed, 4ELF Party!

With a blend of rebellion, responsibility, and boundless curiosity infused into every brew, Dark Horse Brewing Co. beers continue to stand as a testament to our unwavering commitment to exceptional quality and taste. Visit the Brewery today and experience it for yourself! Join the #darkhorsenation!
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7.9/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7.5 Texture 8 Overall 8
Reviewed from notes.
Can to nonic glass.
Appearance: dark brown close to black with a finger and a half's worth of khakia foamy head which slid off very nicely to leave some light lace.
Aroma: earthy to nutty scents, caramel/toffee malts, roasty semi-coffee whiffs, some chocolate then a light woodiness
Flavor: takes the prior noted aromas to blend to a mild sweetness with a sly roastiness underneath, finishes semi-dry with the roasty, toasty, nutty and earthy aspects
Texture: medium bodied, sessionable, fairly clean and mobile along the tongue and semi-dry
Overall: nicely done brown ale I believe leans closer to an English style. I would have again.
Tried from Can on 07 Feb 2026 at 12:24

7.9/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle shared by Johnny. Opaque black color, small brown colored head. Aroma and flavor are malts, soft roast with a nice blueberry twist in it and a nice bitterness that blends nicely with the blueberry sweetness. Nice one.
Tried on 05 Jan 2026 at 19:39

6.1/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 6 Texture 4 Overall 6.5
Can. Pours a clear light yellow with a white head that dissipates quickly to the edges. Aroma has sweet lemon and grains with a bit of straw and grass underlying. Flavor has sweet lemon and a bit of cookie with straw and hay underlying.
Tried from Can on 21 Dec 2025 at 17:13

8/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Well crafted, top to bottom. A lush orange/caramel body with a solid, well laced off-white head. The nose features dank hops from the dry hopping, dried fruit, booze and bready malt. The dank hops continue in the taste profile. Rindy hops, caramel, dried sweet fruit, apricots and smooth sweet malt work well together. A balanced finish, rich but not sticky body and roasted malt aftertaste all work for me.
Tried on 23 Sep 2025 at 20:11

8.5/10 — Appearance 10 Aroma 7 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 9
Dense tan head on a black body. The nose is relatively understated with chocolate, cream, caramel and hint of earthy hops. A wonderful IS featuring impeccable balances. Semi-sweet chocolate, heavily roasted malt, toffee, butter, dark berries and coffee are the lead group of tastes. As the beer approaches room temperature, apricots, nuts and banana make an appearance. This beer has a dense body with a frothy mouth feel. The sweetness dissipates with a touch of chalkiness to the finish.
Tried on 23 Sep 2025 at 20:09

6.4/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 5 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
A dark amber/mahogany body with a sweet malt nose. Caramel, some tropical fruit hops. Woody and sweet as well. Massively underwhelming for the ABVs. Maybe it was an old bottle?
Tried from Bottle on 23 Sep 2025 at 20:05

6.8/10 — Appearance 7 Aroma 6 Flavor 7 Texture 7 Overall 7
Old rating from 21-11-16 - Brought in Whole Foods on my trip to NYC. Poured at home in Jersey, it's a cloudy amber colour with a white head. Aromas of fruit, bread & malt. Tastes of sweet dried fruit, coriander, caramel, bread, toffee and hints of mild spicy yeast. Medium body & medium carbonation. Finish is a sweet fruity mildly bitter end. A reasonable effort of the style
Tried from Bottle on 07 Jun 2025 at 20:18

6.5/10 — Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 5 Overall 6.5
12 ounce can, 5/26/25. Clear gold, medium fizzy white head, average retention. Aroma of doughy bready malt, phenols. Taste is bready malt, floral hops. Crisp. Decent.
Tried from Can on 26 May 2025 at 05:22

8/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 7
Inky brown black pour from bottle with reddish edges. Roasted malts and some vanilla. Chewy, dark chocolate. Mild burn. Pretty good.
Tried from Bottle on 20 May 2025 at 01:16

7.2/10 — Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 6
Pours a slight clouded brownish or age amber. Not huge head but white. Strong citrus smell. Similar taste. Slight cream.
Tried on 20 May 2025 at 01:14