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Surly Brewing Company | Barrel aged Darkness 2014

📅 2014-10-26  

Tasted and published in 2014. Recipes and availability change.
Surly Brewing Company | Barrel aged Darkness 2014 | Russian Imperial Stout aged in rye whiskey barrels. (11-12%)  750ml bottle 1 of 3 bottles. 

A huge shout out to my buddy Nick and his friend for hooking me up with 3 of these beasts. This is my first time trying Darkness, so if I am not correct on the original flavors of non-barrel aged version, please don't hesitate to correct me on missing flavors of this once-a-year release. Awesome event by the way. The event was one of the most life-changing events as a beer-geek and as a person. 

Pour: Well the name clearly represents the color of this beer. Thick pour, leaving just a pitch-black color in the Teku glass. A nice fluffy, java-colored head. Looks really milky, and just scrumptious to be honest. 

Aroma: Wow this reminds me of Speedway stout, Black Butte XXVI, and possibly even Resolute. The reason why I say this is because Speedway has this banana-type aroma I get right away. Tart cherry from the Black Butte XXVI, and a thick chocolate raisin note I got from 3 Brothers Resolute. Very smooth barrel quality in this beer. I am getting a little bit of rye, vanilla, and a strong hop presence as well. Whiskey-soaked dark fruits in the aroma that emerge when it warms. It smells awesome!

Taste: Wow, this is highly and dangerously smooth for a barrel-aged RIS. A creamy mouthfeel. I get a tartness right away from the cherry followed by milk chocolate, chocolate-covered banana bites, vanilla, raisin, whiskey-soaked chocolate-covered almond (if that makes sense). This beer is ridiculously smooth for the ABV on this. It's really like drinking a chocolate shake with cherry and some whiskey. It's really damn good and I would even pour this over ice cream. It's a magical beer. The Harpy that is indicated on the label, definitely lured me into the depths of darkness and murdered my palate in a good way! 

Verdict: 97/100. Trade if you can for this awesome beer! Super good fresh right now, and better aged. Get an extra for ice cream beer floats too! Cheers!

Key takeaways

Frequently asked questions

What is Barrel Aged Darkness 2014?
Surly Brewing's annual Darkness Russian imperial stout, 11-12%, aged in rye whiskey barrels, in a 750ml bottle — the reviewer's bottle was 1 of 3 he received from a friend.
How did Barrel aged Darkness 2014 pour?
A thick pitch-black pour in the Teku glass with a fluffy, java-colored head.
How did it taste?
Tart cherry up front, then milk chocolate, chocolate-covered banana bites, vanilla, raisin, and whiskey-soaked chocolate-covered almond, with a creamy mouthfeel and dangerously smooth character for a barrel-aged RIS — like a chocolate shake with cherry and some whiskey.
What was the verdict on Barrel aged Darkness 2014?
97/100. Trade for it if you can, super good fresh and better aged, and grab an extra for ice cream beer floats.
What is on the label?
A Harpy, which the reviewer said lured him into the depths of darkness and murdered his palate in a good way.
Where was Darkness reviewed?
The beer poured thick and pitch-black in a Teku glass, leaving just the name-appropriate pitch-black color behind.
How did the reviewer get this bottle?
His buddy Nick and Nick's friend hooked him up with 3 bottles, and this reviewed bottle was 1 of 3.
Did he catch the usual non-barrel flavors?
Because it was his first time trying Darkness, he was not sure if he was correct on the original flavors of the non-barrel aged version and invited corrections.

Editorial note: grammar and clarity of the original 2014 quick-take were lightly corrected in 2026. Facts, opinions, and ratings are the author's own.