Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Bier

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Marshall, Michigan USA

A streaky, tan lace formed off the quickish head above this beer’s deep brown/black body. Big roasted coffee and dark chocolate aroma. Thick & sturdy. Flavor held a predominant bitterness based off the raw character of wort. This is a porter? I drank my pint slow and thoughtfully, believing it was a wonderful rendition of a Schwarzbier. Then again, I suppose if you must classify it an ale, "Porter" seems an adequate parking space.

<font size=-4>Draught pint at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/michigan/marsha Horse Brewing Co., Marshall, MI 49068</font>

Opaque black with a toght small tan head. Massive chocolate aroma, The flavor is alos massive choclate with lots of burnt grains, quite bitter with a good amount of grapefruit. Medium full body dry finish with alcohol warming. I guessed it was an Imperial Stout not knowing the style. This is a mighty big porter.

12oz bottle, no date. Pours dark brown--black in the glass--with a minimal brown head fading to a ring. Aroma of roasted malts, soy, raisins, oatmeal, and milk chocolate shake. Taste is roasty malts (a bit acidic), creamy oatmeal, soy, with some more milk chocolate. Moderate bitterness that quickly leans a little towards sweetness. Low carbonation, medium bodied and smooth. Not really the norm for what I think a porter is, but still tasty.

Thanks tytoanderso. Pours a pitch black with a thin brown head. The aroma is sweet, light sweet chocolate, a little toasty, some coffee, and a little hop. The flavor is strong coffee, also a very evident hop profile, waxy grapefruit peel, roasty malt, chocolate, very nice dry flavor. Wonderful mouthfeel, full carbonation and a waxy finish.

Heres' a beer with a lot going on!!! Big and black, with hops jumping out in the nose, but also chocolate, molasses, anice, coffee bean. These flavors are rich in the middle as well as some caramel shining through. Much more molasses and anice from the bottle. Nice balance all around, roasty and dry at the end. Chocolate lingers. Yum, go have this at their pub!!!!

Beautifully brewed porter in every way. Great black oily pour. Intense roasted aroma. Very pronounced roasted (make that, "burnt") flavors...dried fruits, raisins, figs, dates, espresso, molasses, and brown sugar. Hop bitterness there throughout, but strengthens in the finish. Enjoyed with El_ Borracho while touring the brewery. We drank, we looked at each other, and we said, "This might be my new favorite brewpub!"

Rich coffee and roasted chocolate aroma, mingled with a hint of wood and vanilla sugar. Pours a oil dark black, with a coffee and cream head. Mellowed coffee flavor and a hint of mole with pumpkinseeds and fresh chocolate. Oily, sweet and slick. Has a wonderful aromatic vanilla and cream quality, over a more reserved roastedness. Finish is a little salty and oaty, with plenty of appropriate dryness.

<i>Bottled.</i> Okay, what’s with the crude drawing of the donkey from "Hee Haw" on the label. Anyway. Pours Pretty stoutish black, with a thin tan head. Big smell and taste of coffee, toasted carob, hint of licorice. I think there’s a pretty good-sized charge of hops here, and some of it may be American C&C. Somewhat of a Kingsford briquette aftertaste and quite a lot of bitterness. Perhaps this harshness might be covering up harshness from alcohol, but I definitely taste that, too.