So what makes a dark beer dark? It all comes down to the malts. Though all beer relies on malts (cereal grains that have been allowed to germinate, then dried to halt the germination process), dark beers are unique in their use of black and dark malts. These grains are heavily roasted to achieve the characteristic color as well as the caramelized, toasty flavors we love. The blanket term “dark beer” encompasses everything from classic styles like schwarzbier (a dark German lager) to the relatively new and trendy black IPAs. The most familiar dark beers, however, are generally billed as either porters or stouts. As it turns out, the line between those two styles is rather blurry indeed, and many argue that there is no practical difference at all. Historically, stouts evolved from porters, with English brewers aiming to create a “stouter” version of their country’s beloved porter beers. Though the two styles often overlap, today’s stouts still tend to be a bit bolder and stronger than easy-drinking porters. Within those two broad categories is a range of styles to suit any palate. Peaks and Pints presents a flight of dark beers, as summer approcahes, that we call Craft Beer Crosscut 5.25.18: A Flight of Darkness.
Lagunitas Dark Swan
8.5% ABV, 22 IBU
The broader of mind understands light and dark must forever compliment each other as eternal counterpoints. And just as Aristotle convinced us of our circularity, so adventuring ornithologists eventually contradicted the misconception of the monochrome swan, astonishing the world and casting light upon the Dark. This beer may well do the same. Lagunitas Brewing Co. Dark Swan sour ale appears cherry and red grapes will inevitably grace your presence. Experimentally hopped sour ale fermented with dark red wine grapes, Dark Swan swims up with an uniquely deep and rich purple hue and continues swimming for a long tart finish. A signature Lagunitas healthy dose of experimental dry hops keeps faint hops on the nose.
Pelican Le Pelican Noir
8% ABV, 35 IBU
“Noir” is French for “black,” and most recognized as a film genre of dark, gritty crime fiction. We’re talking Tommy guns, private detectives and women you could still call broads. Classic examples include The Maltese Falcon and Chinatown: modern examples include The Usual Suspects. Pelican Brewing’s Le Pelican Noic is a barrel-aged Belgian Strong ale with an enticing aroma of currants, caramel and raisins. Spicy character reminiscent of cinnamon and cocoa marry with an earthy undertone. Pelican Noir finishes with a soft, rounded malty flavor and a slight drying warmth.
Wingman Dark Waters
10% ABV
Wingman Brewers first brewed their Dark Waters imperial stout the brewery’s 2016 H. P. Lovecraft-themed Denizens of the Dark festival of big, dark craft beers. Dark Waters flows with cold brewed coffee from Bluebeard Coffee Roasters that adds flavors of orange and cherry; Tanzanian cocoa nibs roasted by Tease Chocolates to provide a rich and zesty chocolate flavor; smoked jalapenos from Oregon; and Cayenne peppers grown in Washington. These ingredients meld with ceylon cinnamon sticks to provide a spicy fruitiness and a very slight zing. More importantly, all these flavors come together for an indulgent dark beer experience fit for the Dark Lord Cthulhu himself.
The Lost Abbey Serpent’s Stout
11% ABV, 55 IBU
The history of the bible and religion is indeed the struggle of good vs. evil. The Lost Abbey’s Serpent’s Stout recognizes the evil of the dark side that we all struggle with. The Lost Abbey’s beers are never shy on flavor or intensity, and this certainly lives up to that expectation. It’s a big, bold, black beer that opens with forward scents of roasted malt, fudgy chocolate, raisin, prune and licorice. Those notes carry through to the flavorful but surprisingly approachable palate, with light carbonation and a pleasing astringency that lends a chewy texture to the finish. Flavors of caramel, molasses, burnt brown bread, fig paste and mocha espresso abound in the mouth, ending with a flourish of Bourbon-soaked oak.
Pike Octopus Black IPA
8.3% ABV, 80 IBU
The black IPA goes by many names: American black ale, India black ale and Cascadian dark ale (when most of the hops are American-grown Cascades). Hops are at the forefront, but the style can also have a modest malt signature because of the amount of black malts that are used to give it its rich black color. Pike Brewing’s Octopus Ink wraps itself around the hoppier side of the black IPA style. Dry hopped twice with Citra, Amarillo and Simcoe provides a toasted pine needle aroma and a woody, spicy pine and resiny edge to the bitterness. Bitter black roasted grains and coffee attach to the tongue but not the burnt flavor that can be associated with dark malts. All that malt lends balance and depth, complementing but not allowing the hops to completely take over the beer. This isn’t an in-your-face hop monster, just solidly hopped beer with a firm malty core.
