Dark Seas | Brewerianimelogs (Anime and Beer Lore)

Rating: 6/6

Peanut Butter Dark Seas by Mission Brewery is 9.8% ABV Russian Imperial Stout brewed with Peanut Butter.

Label:
Since the very first batch, the recipe for Mission Dark Seas has remained unchanged. The classic, award winning Imperial Stout is rich in toasted coffee, chocolate and all those bold roasted flavors. WE have added peanut butter for a rich, creamy taste sensation. Peanut Butter Dark Seas; Just as amazing as the original, but with a nostalgic twist.

==Introduction==

A limited release from Mission Brewery. It has been a long time since I tried the Missions Dark Seas and the Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Seas. Both are world class beers and definitely some of the best. When I first saw they had released a peanut butter version I nearly flipped. While I haven’t had too many of the Missions brews, they are always amazing! I am not sure if this is the same as their Captain Crunch Peanut butter version they had on tap but it would make sense as the Captain is a captain of a ship. Pirates or not, it would sure fit. Let’s have a look at this one, cheers!

Aromas:
Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, peanut butter, nutter butter cookies, roasted peanuts, Reece’s peanut butter cup, vanilla, roasted coffee, mocha, pralines, hazelnut nectar, dark fruit currants, prunes, raisins, rye bread, molasses, anise, tobacco notes, rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, graham cracker smores, toasted coconuts and brown sugar.

Flavors:
Rich peanut brittle, roasted peanuts, real peanut butter, nutter butter cookies, Reece’s peanut butter cup, captain crunch peanut butter cereal, vanilla, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, bakers chocolate, rocky road ice cream, marshmallows, graham cracker smores, toasted coconuts, coffee cake, flan, dark fruit currants, prunes, raisins, rye bread, molasses, anise, tobacco notes, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, caramel, roasted coffee, mocha, pralines, hazelnut nectar, walnuts, macadamia nuts, almond milk, roasted barley, bananas, dark cherry hints, chocolate mousse, fudge and peanut butter cake and brown sugar.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with lots of nutty unsweetened peanut butter flavor, roasted coffee, dark fruit, dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel and roasted barley bitterness. No alcohol in the taste, dark full body, smooth, creamy, chewy and velvety mouthfeel and a moderate drinkability.

Overall:
Damn insane. Very exceptional brew. Yes, it is not barrel aged but the peanut butter flavors and chocolate are ridiculous. Overall, the beer is very complex and it does appear that they are using real peanut butter and not peanut butter flavoring. Either that or peanut flour. I am not sure, but regardless, the semi-sweet peanut butter and chocolate flavors from this one are definitely unique from other peanut butter beers. Not to detract from other peanut butter beers as they are all amazing, but this one definitely stands on its own. Also, the Russian Imperial style and flavors complements the peanut butter and chocolate flavors so well! Highly recommended.

Anime Corner:
Franco il Nero (Cyan hair) and Donne Annonime (Blonde hair) from Outlaw Django Tre Donne Crudeli as well as Nitro+ Cross over of Ignis from Jingai Makyo and Al-Azif from Demonbane were used in this pairing mainly since I used Franco and Donne in the original and Bourbon Barrel aged version of Dark seas. Like finding the treasure. This beer is a treasure in itself. The addition of the other characters was mainly for the sake of using new art work to pair with the beer. I must say that they pair really well with the flavors and the colors of the ingredients this feels like it has. Especially the complexity. Overall though, they all come from the same company, Nitro+ so I like how this turned out.

Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/21oMSKa.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/p0iaGxU.png
http://static.zerochan.net/Franco.Il.Nero.full.138803.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mretZWu.jpg
http://img1.reactor.cc/pics/comment/full/Anime-tre-donne-crudeli-под-катом-еще-574309.jpeg

Rating: 5.5/5* Last Review of 2013

Dark Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged by Mission Brewing is 11.25% ABV Russian Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels.

Label:
This limited-edition version of our Russian Imperial Stout has been aged for 20 months in Four Roses whiskey barrels. It features Dark Seas’ obsidian, viscous and astoundingly roasty smooth-drinking charms, all taken to new eights from the aging process. Aromas of milk chocolate and bourbon give way to luscious notes of malted milk balls, cocoa, oak and whiskey. An especially spirited version of Dark Seas with softer edges, vanilla hints and barrel-aged complexity.
___

Picked this one up at Ramirez Liquor and is also being sold at Uncle Henry’s in Downey California. This beer will see many of the Mission distribution networks so it should be available in many places. I have tried the original back in 2012 but back then, I really did not have a system of ranking. I am sure I would have gave that one a 5 as I really liked that one. Now with the release of this one, I could think of no better way to ring in the new year with a treat like this one.

Aromas:
Milk and dark chocolate, Bourbon, vanilla, oak, flan, dulce de leche caramel, currants, port wine, dark fruits like cherries, earthy but mild hops, brown sugar, marshmallow smores and raisins.

Flavors:
Bourbon, whiskey, vanilla, oak, marshmallows, toasted coconut, milk and dark chocolate, cocoa nibs, rocky road ice cream notes, smores, plums, brown sugar, molasses, Kahlua, mocha, dark fruits, chocolate cake, bakers chocolate and brownies.

Aftertaste:
Finishing with notes of the dark chocolate, mild cherry, raisins, caramel, earthy hop notes and currants. The bourbon does not linger. Very smooth-drinking, very creamy, no alcohol in the taste and dangerously delicious.

Overall:
Very delicious beer exceeding the expectations of the original by a great amount. The best part is that it is VERY SMOOTH as hell. No lingering alcohol and very pleasant with nothing over powering and there seems to be enough sweet and bitter balance with everything just smooth sailing.. The Calm before the Storm per say. Makes me wonder if I am still drinking an 11.25% ABV beer, WOW. People that love this one or love Barrel-aged beers will definitely love this one even more.

Anime Corner:
Franco il Nero (Cyan hair), Donne Annonime (Blonde hair), Lily Salvatana (w/ glasses and captain hat) from Outlaw Django Tre Donne Crudeli were chosen for this pairing as a way to salute the end of the year as Franco is saluting in the picture like if she was playing the role of a captain but also because I chose Franco and Donne in the original review. I chose them because pirates relate to the label and the dark seas beer. Pirates carry guns and these two were on the shore of the beach as if they were stranded off at sea. That was my reasoning from it. Now as for the Dark sea aspect, I show you the last pairing which is the one with the girl at sea with the ships coasting the dark seas. Awesome stuff.

2012 Review of the NON Barrel-aged version:
https://brewerianimelogs.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/dark-seas-russian-imperial-stout-by-mission/