Barley Johns The Dark Knight (Returns)

Brewed by Barley Johns Brew Pub
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
New Brighton, Minnesota USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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Very dark mahogany color with a small tan head. Rich bourbon and chocolate aroma. Extremely rich, sweet bourbon, chocolate, malt, dark fruit, wood and alcohol flavors. Very thick, wet feel. This is one awesome porter! Thanks from me too, footbalm!

UPDATED: DEC 9, 2006 (12OZ HANDBOTTLED SAMPLE FROM FOOTBALM,THANKS ERIC!)so i a dumped bit into my snifter glass and i can totally see why its called "the dark knight"black as black can be with no hightlights what so ever.a small brown head did try to form,but it faded fast and left a few bubbles swimming to the sides of the glass.i tipped the snifter to my nose and took a nice big whiff.i was smacked in the face by an aroma full of chocolate,bourbon type alcohol,figs,sticky liquorice,coffee,brown sugar,and caramel malts.man talk about an aroma!so now for the first sip.it hits my lips and sends my tounge into a tailspin!first is the chocolate and bourbon,followed by some grahm cracker,coffee,sweet malts,damn.....its really hard to keep up with all the mixing flavors at the moment.all i can say is this is the biggest,richest porter i have had so far.as i drink more i pick up notes of cherries,and even something that resembles flavors you would find in a red wine.i also cant believe how full and rich the mouthfeel is.is this really a porter????this has simply blown me away,at the moment i cant think of anything else to say except.....PROPS TO FOOTBALM!!!!(RE-RATE:I BELIEVE THIS IS ANOTHER BATCH?)not as impressed with this batch as i was the other.mouthfeel was lighter and the bourbon didnt shine as much in this one.still really nice though.

Growler courtesy of jimbowood. Pours black and thick like motor oil. Aroma of oak, bourbon, and vanilla. Thick mouthfeel with taste of bourbon, vanilla, and mild notes of chocolate. Mostly bouron but not overdone. Alcohol is hot on this one. Definitely a sipper, but well worth each sip. Outstanding beer. Thanks Jimbo!!

Growler @ Bloggprovning Syd. Black with no head. Vanilla Bourbon explotion roasted malt coffee chocolate more vanilla more bourbon dark dried berries and fruit even more vanilla and bourbon no alkohol.

The Dark Knight returns version sampled at the GTMW. This just keeps getting better. Rich, bourbon, wood, coffee and dark chocolate aroma. The roasted coffee and wood compliment each other nicely. Dark, dark black with a thick and creamy tan head that sticks, best head I’ve seen all day in my little glass. Flavor is a buttery roasted chocolate with some wood and bourbon coming out in the aftertaste. As I drink this sample more and more caramel and coffee come out in the finish. Very well balanced, unusual for the flavor to get more complex as you drink. Thick and creamy...sooo good.

UPDATED: FEB 7, 2007 I heard about this small little brewpub on the north side of the cities, close to my old apartment I lived in 9-10 years ago. All of these local ratebeer guys were raving about this place that I didn’t even know existed. Actually, it didn’t exist when I lived there but was built after I moved to the southern suburbs. Then I was told, "You have to try this Dark Knight" if it is ever available. Well, I just found out it was. And I had an opportunity to visit as I was up around the area. Below is my review of this wonderful elixir. <P> The Dark Knight - I waited in anticipation as robertsreality poured my this dark black beauty. One whiff and immediately I was seduced. The perfumes were of dark chocolate, raisin, cherry, bourbon, with lacing all over the glass. Very sweet taste. I can see why some may be put off by the sweetness, but I found it very good as a dessert type beer. <P> Aroma 9 Appearance 5 Flavor 7 Palate 4 Overall 17 Total 4.2 <P> The Dark Knight Returns - Poured with very little head, which would distinguish this from the original Dark Knight. Similar in scent to the DK, but slightly mellower. I like this even more than the original, as the bourbon sweetness is more softened and mellowed out. Wow! Score/Rating above

UPDATED: JUL 1, 2007 Sampled as the first batch of "Returns". Good pop-cap hiss when I opened the hand bottled goodness. Sticky choco-molasses aroma permeates the air around me. Incredibly dense and complex aroma, I know already I’m going to love this. Excited to taste the Batman beer. Barbeque used charcoal, buttery baking chocolate, maple, bourbon and prunes and dark berries fill my senses. Taste: oh my god, this is unreal, and it’s not even fresh (so to speak). Light caramel, more chocolate and bourbon, little vanilla and molasses. Finish 5 miles long. Heavenly.

TITW Part Deux - 12oz handbottle courtesy of footbalm. Thanks, Eric!! Dark black center; dark tan head with good lacing. Huge amounts of vanilla and bourbon in the nose: sweet and creamy. Beautifully balanced mouthfeel: milk chocolate, sweet vanilla-laced bourbon, toasty oak and sugar, roasted malts; no hotness whatsoever; well-integrated. Incredible imp. stout.

Growler from brewfiend. Drank with a few friends. Growler was a month old at the time of opening, but was still carbonated. A beer of this magnitude needs no carbonation, but it still adds to the palate to have some. Pours thick and pitch black with little head. Aroma of lots of sweet caramel, subdued roasted grains, some oak, and a low level of bourbon. My friends said the bourbon was pronounced, but I thought it perfectly on edge of attention. Thick body. Taste is like the aroma, sweet malty, perfect amount of oxidation. After many hours of thinking, I could only come up with one suggested improvement: Some maltodextrin late in the boil for better head retention and mouthfeel. This improvement may not be needed as my growler was a month old. So you ask: Was it worth it to pay $70 for this growler? Well this is equivalent to paying for 3 $23/22oz bombers. I think it is worth it once/twice a year. Here’s an interesting note: I poured Cobra into the same glass, and thought this Cobra smells great! But I think it was the carbonation of the Cobra lifting the aromas from the Dark Knight. After cleaning the glass, I tried tasting again with the Cobra and the aroma was gone.

on tap at the brewery pours thick black with a tall frothy dark brown head. Aroma is big vanilla, oak and bourbon. Really wonderful smelling beer. Flavor is nice and roasty throughout with big hits of vanilla and sticky bourbon without being too overbearing. It’s really nice that the base beer still shines through this even though the bourbon element is so strong. Awesome stuff with the alcohol being pretty well concealed until you stand up.