Odell Brewing Company Dark Theory
What the brewers say
“Experience the gravity of Dark Theory. Black cherries swirl in an abyss of wild fermented imperial porter. Belgian yeast strains illuminate a galaxy of plum and cranberry flavors atop layers of tart cherry and sweet bread. Roasted malts add notes of coffee, chocolate, and tobacco for a beer that is full-bodied, complex, and out-of-this-world smooth.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “There’s roasted malt up front with a bit of earthy funk and some hint of dark cherry and vanilla in the background. You could convince me that there are cherries in this one, but I wouldn’t guess it on my own. This could be mistaken for a porter in the aroma.”
Flavor: “A nice blend of dark roasted malt and sour. The cherry character is more pronounced on the palate than on the aroma, and it helps to pull together the slightly harsh roasted character and the lactic/acetic sour, although the flavors seem to be competing with each other. The dark richness of the cherries shines through more with every sip and comes through in aftertaste and lingers long. It’s fairly full body but still dry.”
Overall: “This comes across as a sour porter. There's a chocolate malt and toasty malt character with clean acidity once you taste it. The cherries are very subdued overall. It’s a nice beer, but it needs more fruit character.”
