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Dark Arts

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Dark Arts is a porter built on a complex malt bill, and the malt does most of the talking: coffee, chocolate and caramel run through both aroma and taste. The hops play a supporting part alongside those malt flavours, which keeps the beer smooth and even. It was the second beer the brewery released, arriving around six months after its first, and has been in the range ever since. The strength is 4.4% ABV.

ABV
4.4%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Roasted bitterness
SRM
dark28
PaceA Few
Where this beer sits
Body
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
drysweet
Bitterness
mildbitter
Texture
crispcreamy
Balance
malt-forwardhop-forward
What makes this beer itself
chocolatecoffeecaramel
chocolate
coffee
caramel
malty
roasted
dark fruit
Aroma
The nose leads with roasted coffee and cocoa notes, backed by layers of caramel sweetness from the complex malt bill.
not found:hoppy,bready,fruity,smoky

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Dark Arts

◎ Appearance

Dark Arts presents a deep mahogany to near-black color, characteristic of the porter style with a SRM of 28. The beer shows good clarity despite its depth, allowing light to pass through with a translucent quality. A dense, tan head forms on the pour with moderate retention and fine lacing along the glass.

deep mahoganytranslucentdense tan headmoderate lacing

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with roasted coffee and cocoa notes, backed by layers of caramel sweetness from the complex malt bill. Subtle hop character provides an herbal undertone that balances the rich malt aromatics without dominating. The overall impression is of warm, toasted grain with a hint of floral restraint.

roasted coffeecocoacaramelherbal hop

◐ Taste

Entry delivers chocolate and coffee flavors that develop through the mid-palate with warming caramel notes. The 33 IBUs provide gentle bitterness that integrates smoothly with the malt character rather than asserting itself prominently. The low alcohol—4.4% ABV—keeps the body balanced and drinkable, never cloying, with hops playing a supporting role throughout.

chocolate-forwardsmooth bitternessbalanced malt-drivendrinkable body

◑ Finish

The finish is clean and moderately dry, with lingering cocoa and subtle roast notes fading gradually. A light coffee bitterness persists into the aftertaste without harshness.

clean drylingering cocoacoffee note
78
hopIQ score
Aroma
78
Taste
79
Appearance
77
Finish
76
Serve at 10–13°C

Serve at 10–13°C. Too cold mutes the roasted complexity that makes a good porter worth drinking slowly.

Pint glass

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

Drink within 6–12 months for best results. Baltic Porters can be aged longer.

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Food Pairing

What to eat with Dark Arts

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About Porter

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Porter?

Porters are dark ales with 4–6.5% ABV and IBU 18–35. Roasted malt brings chocolate, caramel and toffee — medium body with a clean finish.

Finding a similar Porter

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same chocolate, coffee, caramel character as Dark Arts will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Compare with another beer →Explore all Porter beers in hopIQ →New to Porter? Read our guide →Browse Ireland beers →