Name: Dark Vader
Brewer: Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits (Philippines)
Style: American Stout
ABV: 6.5%
Review Year: 2021
Dark Vader is the flagship American Stout by Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits (Manila, Philippines). This is the new and improved version of the beer for both newcomers and seasoned drinkers of the Darkside.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as an American Stout (20B) in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Slightly opaque deep brown; medium tan head with fair retention. The nose opened up with moderately high impressions of coffee and chocolate with a very low lychee accent. Revisiting, Dark Vader transformed the perceived lychee into subtle orange pith and marmalade. Medium-full-bodied, moderately high carbonation with a smooth and slightly creamy mouthfeel. Like the aroma, the flavor profile showcased roasted malts and coffee (moderately high) but with a low piney hop impression. Perceived bitterness was a notch above medium complementing the mentioned dark and roasty characters. In contrast, the residual sweetness was low. No alcohol and dark fruit esters. The aftertaste lingered with roasty, coffee, and dark chocolate impressions.
THE VERDICT
This latest iteration of Dark Vader is a smooth American Stout with pleasant dark and roasty aromas and flavors perfect for cold rainy evenings. The slightly creamy mouthfeel was a memorable character of this beer and may have been contributed by oats if used. The balance between the malts and hops is already commendable, but we think the noted citrus and piney qualities in both the aroma and flavor could still be amplified further to make this stout more “American.” The dark and roasty malt presence, bitterness, and residual sweetness were spot-on and all contributed to making Dark Vader an approachable American Stout. Excellent.
Related Reviews:
Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits
Beers From the Philippines
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