Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Bier

Very thick and rich for a porter...looks inviting! Great aroma: a lot of chocolate and even some espresso...a good dose of malts and vanilla. I really like it! The flavor is robust and more like an imperial porter, definetly. Great, creamy and thick mouthfeel. The vanilla comes through in the flavor, as does the coffee. Perfectly roasty. Yum!

Many thanks to OhioDad for this one - opaque pour with substantial, dark tan lace - very smokey aroma, with large amounts of coffee and sweet cream - very smooth, almost oily mouthfeel - quite bitter and roasty, huge coffee notes - plum, vanilla, cream - some hop bitterness at the end compliments the dark roast coffee flavors - a great porter.

Courtesy of Sprinkle. <P> Damn this poured like an Impy! Aroma is roasted coffee and dark chocolate. Deep black with a thin mocha head. Fore is very bitter with lots of coffee notes..hints of sweet cream in the middle along with quality milk chocolate and malt..the finish is again bitter with a big coffee finish. Intense flavor in this porter that could easily pass as a stout.

Bottle from Sully Thanks!

Pours a rich, oil-like black with minimal head and clinging lace. Aroma is wooden chocolate with a touch of smoke. Flavor is an onslaught of coffee, chocolate, hops, and bitterness. Smooth palate; very slick and clingy on the taste buds. A seemingly simple porter in the onset that develops complexity as it lingers on the tongue. Great beer!

WOW! This poured black with a thick creamy brown head. Left really great lacing. Nose seamed to be roasted chocolate, some dark fruits, and cream. Taste was a surprising alcohol kick. Did not know the 8%. There was roasted malts, coffee, raisins, and licorice. This was some bitter hops to make this a very well balanced brew. Thank you so much Sully. This is great. What is missing from this is that sickening sweetness. This is really good.

yep, it’s black alright. a brown bubbled watery head sits atop it. roasted coffee nose. a bit of chocolate too and the caramel aroma of spilled dr pepper on a hot hibachi grill. roast is the dominant flavor too. chocolate and blue bell homemade vanilla flavored ice cream. some peanut butter in the finish. very nice balancing bitter that stays in the background out of the way and allows me to enjoy the dark malts and richness of this. this has a rich flavor, but a surprisingly light mouthfeel. a nice brew that i will happily take in a trade again. thanks, adam(atpayne)

12oz bottle via trade with sprinkle - Thanks Mike! - Pours thick like oil, black as night, with a creamy mocha head that stays around for a short time but laces down. Nice aroma of coffee, a touch of molasses, caramel, and chocolate. Flavor is roasty.. Lots of roasted and burnt notes, coffee, chocolate, molasses, a hint of licorice. Palate is thick and chewy with a somewhat creamy mouthfeel. This is liquid from the Gods.. Very nice stuff..

Sampled at the monthly meeting of the Champaign-Urbana Beer Club courtesy of Tom and Nancy (mamabeer). Thanks! Going into it, I was thinking this was a black ale and was pleasantly surprised when it came out to be a whole lot more. Notes of tar and sweet coffee on the nose lead into a think and extracted porter, with a solid roastedness and sweetness. Semi-sweet chocolate, coffee, and a bite from the hops meet up on the palate. A solid finish. Well done.