Beer of the Week: Dark Seas

From the Beer Writer: Picture it…North Park, 2010 or 2011. A mid-thirties beer writer walks into a restaurant sporting an extensive beer menu and sees a locally produced imperial stout he really loves but hardly ever finds on tap. That onyx gem goes by the name Dark Seas and, praise be to Ninkasi, it comes in a pint glass! That youthful writer was me, and I haven’t felt that pure brand of excitement over a beer’s availability very often since. It was a simpler time when barrel-aged stouts were just coming on and adjuncts weren’t yet considered almost mandatory for a high-gravity stout to be considered desirable. I miss those days, and I bet the folks at Mission Brewery do, too. Over the past decade Dark Seas has been mostly ignored by the craft-beer glitterati, pshawed in favor of flavor-of-the-week pastry stouts and oak-aged sugar bombs in desperate need of spirit-induced heat to cover their flaws. But a lack of attention in no way diminished this beer’s quality. That was proven last month at the Great American Beer Festival, when Dark Seas was named the best imperial stout in the country. Even I was taken aback by the win and, admittedly, a little disappointed in myself for not having tasted the beer for far too many years. But I have to say, revisiting this beer has been a pleasure. A rich, honeyed milk-chocolate nose comes first, followed by balanced flavors of cacao, cola, roast and even a light whiff of smokiness, all of which work in harmony unblemished by residual sugars or the thick texture the stout-averse fear and despise. Dark Seas was great back when and it’s good as gold today. Now, if only I were still in my thirties.

From the Brewer: “Dark Seas is a beer held near and dear by both our fans and employees. Like many of our beers, this Russian imperial stout stays true-to-style, hiding its 9.8% ABV (alcohol-by-volume) behind a smooth, malty backbone with aromas of roasted coffee, vanilla and toasted oak. While it avoids the cloying sweetness of a pastry stout, Dark Seas is a classic dessert beer, finishing semi-dry with notes of bittersweet chocolate, dark fruits and a touch of boozy heat—a true fireside sipper. A favorite beer of our brewers and bartenders, we’ve always known Dark Seas was something special and it was frequently a go-to for our ‘team meetings’. Seeing it finally get recognized with a gold medal at GABF this year was a big honor and we’re happy to have a reason to share this exceptional beer with even more people. Last year, we had planned to do a Dark Seas celebration, but with COVID failing to let up we had to postpone it to 2021. Slated for December of this year, we look forward to sharing a variety of Dark Seas variants with our fans, including our seasonal peanut-butter variant, amongst other fun versions in the works. This winter, we hope you’ll find time to stop by, have a pint of Dark Seas, and try some of our innovative one-offs in our newly revamped tasting room space.”—Jeremy Castellano, Head Brewer, Mission Brewery