Braxton’s Dark Charge Day returns with tweaks for 2020

Since its origins in 2015, Cincinnati area beer fans have looked forward to Braxton Brewing Company‘s Dark Charge Day, as a celebration of community, experimentation and wildly complex craft beer. What started as a release of the base beer and three variants has now grown to include eight beers.

Dark Charge Day, of course, gets its’ name from Braxton’s Dark Charge Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. Released only once a year, Dark Charge in all of its variants is a beer meant for collecting and cellaring and Dark Charge Day has become one of Cincinnati’s premier beer events.

This year’s event will be hosted on December 5th at all four of the area’s Braxton outlets (the Taproom in Covington, Labs in Bellevue, the Barrel House in Fort Mitchell and Braxton Cincinnati in the Three Points neighborhood). Each location will have every 2020 Dark Charge variant on tap as well along with live music and other special experiences.

A Different Kind of Celebration

In past years, Dark Charge Day featured a block party and a large tent for fans to celebrate the beer and community. Of course, things will be a little different this year to make sure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience. All of Braxton’s locations will be adhering to state and local guidelines for sanitation and social distancing for COVID. That means no tents, limited capacity and reduced hours.

Another big difference for 2020 is online sales of the beers. All variants are being sold exclusively online and when they sell out online, they will not be available at their outlets on Dark Charge Day. Braxton worked with web developers to create custom tools to handle the online queue and to assure that the release goes smoothly.

Variants for All Tastes

This year’s variants promise to rival those of years prior. The Breakfast Box brings the rich tastes of Maple Breakfast, Cinnamon Roll, and Blueberry Muffin to the base Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout while Opera Cream Dark Charge is a special collaboration with locally-loved Papa’s Candy.

The first four Dark Charge variants for 2020 were announced on November 16th and quickly sold through their online quotas.

Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Charge

This barrel-aged stout features deep aromas of stone fruits such as plums that pairs nicely with the notes of coffee and roast. The bourbon barrel character brings forward smooth notes of vanilla, toffee, and caramel that complement the beer’s overall heavy mouth feel. A perfect harmony of complex roasted malt stout character with the delicate notes of bourbon and oak.

Builders: Double Molé

The Builders Variant this year is a fun twist on the classic mole that Braxton makes every year. They start with the base barrel-aged stout and then double the cinnamon, double the ancho chillies, double the vanilla beans and double the cocoa nibs that are usually added to this delicious variant. These four ingredients pair together in perfect harmony with this barrel aged stout. Bringing notes of freshly ground cinnamon, a subtle heat from the chilies on the back palate, chocolate and vanilla to round out notes of bourbon, oak, and the stouts roast.

Labs: Affogato

Dark Charge Labs Affogato is their homage to the delicate and delicious Italian dessert that sees fresh brewed espresso poured over vanilla bean gelato. This bourbon barrel aged imperial stout starts with classic Dark Charge flavor profile of rich chocolate, roasted malts, and luscious oak and bourbon. In this Labs variant, Braxton conditioned a handful of Dark Charge barrels with freshly processed Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans. Late additions of cold brew coffee – brewed in house using an espresso roast from their friends at Coffee Emporium – and milk sugar create a sweet and creamy body with huge, lasting notes of rich and roasted espresso. In the end is a delectable stout that balances sweet dessert and smooth espresso.

Barrel House Double Barrel Aged: Peach Brandy

This variant is aged for an average of 10 months in single use Kentucky bourbon barrels then racked into freshly dumped peach brandy barrels and aged for an additional 6 weeks. It has roasty notes of coffee, caramel, and oak. The most forward aroma comes from the peach brandy barrel, that imparts a light sweetness. The peach aroma gives way to a subtle flavor to balance the roasty malts and lingering bitterness.

Learn More

Fans can learn more about Braxton Brewing Co., as well as where to enjoy Dark Charge Day online and locally on Facebook and at DarkChargeDay.com. If you want to get in on the special releases, it’s worth your while to closely follow Braxton (or even subscribe to email updates) so you don’t miss out on special releases.