6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
This is the darkest Oktoberfest I've encountered, pouring a dark red-brown with a light tan head. This is also a surprisingly hoppy beer. Floral, grassy, spicy and slightly bitter hops subdue the lighter caramel malts in both the aroma and the flavor. Not sure this really belongs under the Oktoberfest category, despite the name.
Tried
on 27 Nov 2003
at 16:59
6.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
I appear to be in disagreement with the consensus on this stout. I found the combination of blueberries and stout flavors awkward and ultimately unsatisfying. Poured in typical Dark Horse fashion: thick like molasses, with a brown head (yes, a brown head; this is how dark their stouts are!). Aroma had some roasted notes but reminded me otherwise of Smuckers Blueberry Syrup. Some licorice in the body with roasted notes and a hint of smokiness, enveloped in tart blueberry notes. The aroma suggested blueberries would dominate the flavor, but I found otherwise. Still, the blueberry notes muted the typical roastiness, creating a beer that was thick but not bursting with flavor by any means. Also some roasted vegetable "off" flavors. I'll stick with the delectable "Too" Cream Stout.
Tried
on 14 Nov 2003
at 15:09
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottled. Pale brown with beige head. Citrusy hops up front. Fruity, malty and soft with loads of cookie malt. Quite bitter fruity finish. Very hop accented, but with good balance. Not even remotely similar to German oktoberfests, but a great beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Oct 2003
at 11:04
5.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 5.5
Medium brown. Nutty, toasty aroma. Thinnish body. Lean malt notes are not supported with bitterness or yeast by-product.
Tried
on 20 Sep 2003
at 08:50
5.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 3
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Hazy deep brown coloured body with a thin, fast dying tan head. Aroma of strong malt, caramel, honey, raisins and figs with a little nuttiness, but a mostly sweet nose. Medium to Full-bodied; Deep pungent roasted malt flavour with a lot of caramel sweetness, a little tobacco and a slight note of hops and nuts with earth. Aftertaste is pungent with sweetness, a little alcohol, a lot of fruits and a good dose of vanilla. Overall, a very nice brown that doesn’t really seem like the typical brown when you are drinking it. Definitely worth trying if you can find it, even if you don’t typically like the style. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Merchant’s in Dearborn, Michigan on 30-July-2010 for US$1.99 sampled at home in Washington on 24-March-2011. Score for this rating: 8,3,8,4,15 First Rating (eight years before 2nd rating): Dark amber colour with a decent tan head. Sweet maltiness with a bit of spiceyness. Medium-bodied; Subtle flavours, a bit of nuttiness and some spiceyness in the flavour. Nothing too special though! Overall a decent brown but not great. I sampled this beer at Joey_Capps’ on 13-September-2003 in Hamilton, Ontario. Score for this rating: 6,3,5,2,10
Tried
from Can
on 20 Sep 2003
at 01:00
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Dark., muddy brown. Big malt aroma – caramel & Tootsie Rolls. Strong alcohol presence. This is a mean mother – though it’s strange that while the caramel doesn’t balance out the alcohol at all, it does meld with it to create a unique effect on the palate. Slightly salty. Still, something to temper the heat would have been better – it hit my stomach like St. Ides.
Tried
on 28 Jul 2003
at 15:46
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Pours like molasses or petroleum with a brown head. Aroma is roasted malts, and the flavor is likewise heavy on roasted, burnt, smoked notes, with a hint of sweetness. The body was a bit on the thin side. The brewer's other stouts (and Black Bier porter) have the same smoked flavor as this beer does.
Tried
on 27 Jul 2003
at 11:59
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Fits nicely with the Dark Horse stout line. I remember enjoying this one in my undergrad days, and finding a 6-pack (finally) was a pleasant surprise. Pours molasses-dark, with a tan/brown head. Aroma is potent roasted chocolate with an essence of malt sugars. Likewise, the flavor is of rich roasted chocolate, coffee, black licorice, and burnt slightly sweet malts. Finishes dry. A real winner. The black licorice and molasses notes are characteristic of the Dark Horse dark beers. Get your hands on them if you can. I especially recommend this one to fans of Bells Kalamazoo Stout. I'll have to pick up that Smoked Stout I left in the store...
Tried
from Can
on 20 Jul 2003
at 18:21
5.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 4
Overall 6.5
Pours a ruddy orange, loaded with sediment, topped by a creamy light tan head. Aroma is floral, spicy hops. The flavor is a medley of hops flavors, with little in the way of malt balance. In fact, this is giving my mouth a muddy feel after a few sips. I prefer the darker styles by this brewery.
Tried
on 16 Jul 2003
at 17:16
5.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
A most interesting pour! The body is peach-colored, cloudy, and full of particulates. Pop-like fizzy carbonation quickly subsides, leaving no head. Aroma is slight and sweet, and the flavor is raspberry (you guessed it) and slight tang, with little complexity. A pleasant enough sip, designed (consciously or not) for the fan of "Clearly Canadian" soft drinks. Otherwise, not very heavy on the "beer."
Tried
from Can
on 29 Jun 2003
at 20:11