I love Dark Charge… Deep, roasty flavors dancing with chocolate and slight coffee notes. It’s an amazingly well done Imperial stout that just keeps getting better and better with each year’s release. Braxton kicked things into a new gear last year when they announced that their base variant of Dark Charge would start becoming a blend of several different “vintages” of the beer together and it only made an already great beer better.
The brewery has a few really amazing things up their sleeves this year, with a release that I’m going to go out on a limb and say might be my favorite yet… there’s some great stuff coming that I’ve been dying to share with you!!!
This Year’s Dark Charge Bottle Release
Every year, the folks down at Braxton manage to find a way to create a release that is innovative, while still being true to what Dark Charge is at it’s core. Between 7 or 8 different bottles they create an amazing mix of pastry inspired beers, barrel-only works of art, culinary inspired experiments and so much more. It’s wild to see what they come up with every year.
This year has some insane stuff, that has been in planning for years at this point.
Base, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Dark Charge
This is the beer that everything else is built upon. It’s got that signature roasty chocolate flavor along with notes of stone fruits and the smooth bourbon barrel character which brings in vanilla, toffee and caramel. Without this beer you can’t have anything else, and I’m so happy to watch as Braxton has kept on improving it as the years have gone by. It a testament to how they feel about this release and its importance to the overall personality of Braxton.
Builder’s Variant, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Chocolate Hazelnut Coffee
The builder’s variant is voted on every year by the Braxton Builders. These are the folks that backed Braxton during their kickstarter campaign back when they were opening their doors. This year… it’s a doozy. It was aged in Buffalo Trace barrels and features cacao nibs, hazelnut coffee and hazelnut extract. Think of it as hazelnut coffee with a healthy kick of chocolate added to it.
Braxton Labs, Coconut Cream Puff
Labs is known for always putting a little spin on things… especially when it comes to Dark Charge. 12 month aged Dark Charge gets a blast of lactose to bring an extra creamy mouthfeel, and it’s then conditioned on top of raw coconut, vanilla beans and cinnamon. They’re calling this one ‘Fresh baked pastries with a sweet, tropical finish’.
Braxton Barrel House, Orange Curacao
I’m really excited to get to try this one… it’s one of those beers that you won’t see anywhere else. Braxton took a 12 month aged Dark Charge and sent it over to Orange Liqueur barrels from Toledo Spirits for finishing. In these barrels it picks up citrus notes that will have you questioning if it’s really all barrel without any added adjuncts.
Braxton/Graeter’s Collaboration – Brown Butter Bourbon Pecan Stout
I managed to get a sneak peek at this one at this year’s Builder’s event – and let me tell you… wow. They nailed this one. It’s absolutely wild how delicious this beer is. With the relationship that Braxton and Graeter’s have built over the years, they’ve decided to make things a little special on Dark Charge Day, too. They’re going to not only have Graeter’s on site serving up ice cream – they’ll be also doing a fresh roasted pecan bar. It’s going to smell incredible.
Braxton Distiller’s Select Box
Ever year we get some sort of box set. They’re limited, they’re collectible, and they’re delicious too. This one brings together three different distilleries to create a trio of beers that highlight the unique characteristics of each barrel. Castle and Key helped put together a Rye stout aged in their restoration rye barrels – New Riff came in with a Bottled in Bond Imperial Stout that clocks in at a whopping 16% ABV that was aged in their 100% malted rye barrels and then Barrel Craft rolled in with a Rum Cask Dark Charge that they added some amazing rum spices to – this one is built for a cold winter night by the fire!
How To Get Your Hands On It
This is even easier than ever, now. Last year, due to… well… stuff. Braxton had to reinvent how Dark Charge Day works, and brought the preorder process online for everyone. It means you don’t have to wait in line early in the morning to make sure you snag your bottles, you just have to jump online and make your purchase.
This returns for 2021, and will even offer up some easier ways for you to get the beer to you if you don’t live close and aren’t able to make it down for Dark Charge day in December.
That’s the real fun part of it all, though… the day. Dark Charge Day has become a beer holiday here in Cincinnati. It’s an all day event in Covington that shuts down the street, brings in some great guest taps, amazing food, killer music… and of course – Dark Charge. The brewery will announce more details about how to get the beer into your hands as we get a little closer… but for now – just make sure that you’re calendar is clear for December 4th, 2021 and that you’ve got your driver or Uber ready to go.
For all the latest about the event – make sure you hit up Dark Charge Day’s website!