Surly Darkness 2012, Five Years On

In late December of 2007, I was one of a few hundred people who made the trip to Surly Brewing in Brooklyn Center to buy 2 of less than 500 bottles of Darkness Russian Imperial Stout. The event continues year after year, though in 2008 it occurred in October and the allotment per person rose to six bottles each. And each year, I return to keep that collection going. This year, like last, I biked 10 miles from my home in Minneapolis on a Saturday morning in order to volunteer and pour beer for the attendants. This means no standing in the cold (or in the case of this year, rain) for hours. I like that.

The intent is to have enough bottles that I can annually host a tasting event with a "vertical" of Darkness. The first time I did this was six years ago, when I opened a bottle each from every year 2007 -2011. I had every intention of taking notes on everyone's opinions, but we were having too much fun for such seriousness. Since then, I make no pretenses to taking notes in the company of friends and merely enjoy.

But why not takes notes on vintage bottles as they take on the effects of time? Why not, indeed. The only appearance of Darkness here in the Nib, aside from the notes taken on 2015 Barrel-aged last year, was my posting of notes on the original 2006 version taken while consuming on tap, after having had a bottle of 2010, in 2011.

So, let's start things off with a 2012 bottle, now five years old, consumed last night.

Surly Darkness Russian Imperial Stout, Surly Brewing, Brooklyn Center, MN. 10% ABV.

Solid Stygian, utterly ebon, under a lush brown head that coats the glass with cocoa lace. A pinnacle of RIS appearance. Just flat out gorgeous.

In the nose: Aroma screams out of the glass. I love it when that happens. The aromatics are not shy here. Smoke, char, ash, chocolate, molasses, anise. Richness, decadence, deepness and sublimity.

In the mouth: Mmmm. Sweet, and bitter. Chocolate kisses. Caramel and cocoa and toffee and rich delights. Immense body, but not too thick, not un-manageable. Has time tamed it, made it more relaxed and easier to slide down the gullet? Perhaps. Right now, it's smooth and lovely, mostly malty, and totally chocolatey.

This is just about perfect. Nothing is lost, nothing has left, and what has been gained? It's all here, in full force. Yum upon yum, compounded by yum. So, five years on....yes, indeed. Six? We'll see. I should open an '11 soon, right? Oh, yes.