Name: Dark Mystic
Brewer: Vocation Brewery (United Kingdom)
Style: Mixed-Style Beer (Base Style: Imperial Stout)
ABV: 10.8%
Review Year: 2019
In 2019, the West Yorkshire brewery, Vocation released Dark Mystic, a tribute to the mystical Rasputin. This “Russian Imperial Stout (RIS)” was laid to rest in oak barrels and was blessed with offerings of cherry and raspberry.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Mixed-Style Beer (34B), combining Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (33B) and Fruit Beer (29A), with Imperial Stout (20C) as the base style 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.
Recommended Reading: Understanding Whiskey in Barrel-Aged Beer (The Beer Connoisseur, 2020)
TASTING NOTES
Dark Mystic pours dark reddish-brown and is almost black with less light. This beer has a persistent foamy light brown head. The nose is composed of dark roast malts with complementing raspberries and dark cherries. This RIS is medium-bodied, a notch lower than the usual beers of this style. The flavor is malt-driven, of rich chocolates. Subtle vanilla and wild cherry tartness add to the complexity. The aftertaste then lingers with enticing impressions of sweet mocha, raspberries, and strawberry syrup.
THE VERDICT
Vocation’s Dark Mystic, despite clocking at 10.8 percent, offers a much more easy-drinking alternative compared to its peers in the style. Despite this, Dark Mystic does not fall short on the aromas and flavors. While the fruit additions contribute further to the complexity of this beer, any aroma and flavor from the oak seemed to be nonexistent. Regardless, very good.
