Theobroma - Dogfish Head Brewery

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86
good
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1,395 Ratings

THE BROS
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rAvg: 3.83
pDev: 15.67%
Reviews: 705
Hads: 690

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Brewed by:
Dogfish Head Brewery

Delaware, United States

Style | ABV
Chile Beer | 9.00% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (630), on-tap (73), growler (2).

Notes:
Theobroma is a celebration of chocolate, the food of the gods.

This Ancient Ale is based on chemical analysis of pottery fragments found in Honduras that revealed the earliest known alcoholic chocolate drink used by early civilizations to toast special occasions.

The discovery of this beverage pushed back the earliest use of cocoa for human consumption more than 500 years to 1,200 B.C. As per the analysis, Dogfish Head's Theobroma (translated into "food of the gods") is brewed with Aztec cocoa powder and cocoa nibs (from our friends at Askinosie Chocolate), honey, chilies and annatto (fragrant tree seeds).

It's light in color, not what you expect from your typical chocolate beer (not that you'd be surpised that we'd do something unexpected with this beer!).

8 IBU

Reviews

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Reviews by THANAT0PSIS:

THANAT0PSIS

Wisconsin

3.55/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

Dogfish Head Theobroma

Appearance: “Food of the gods” pours a pretty, hazy deep golden color with evident active carbonation and one finger of cream-colored head that does not stick around. There is that crust that this reviewer loves so much left behind, however. At 9% ABV, one would expect alcohol legs, but Theobroma is almost completely vacant of them. Also absent is any lacing. The beer is pretty, though more clarity would be nice; given the ingredients and the brewery that might be too much to ask. It looks curiously akin to the great imperial India pale ales such as Hopslam and Double Trouble.

Aroma: Faint wine aromas waft up from the glass accompanied by an equally faint hint of chocolate sweetness and breadiness. There is a stinging as well, most likely from the chilies. These combinations lead to a very complex smelling beer, but one needs a nose similar to that of a dog to pick up anything strong; unfortunately the overall aroma is just too weak.

Taste: Mouth follows the nose, as in most beers, but, in a welcome turn of events, the strength of the flavor is greater than that of the aroma, though not by much. The honey, cocoa, and malts hit right up front, while the yeast and the chili follows right behind; the chili is not noticeable right away but rather comes in more and more after each sip and never gets too overwhelming of the other flavors. The wine never really makes the transition from the nose, and, as the beer goes down, it even vacates the aroma; this is just fine because the beer is complex enough without wine character. It is an interesting and drinkable beer, but the flavors never get strong enough to really make this one something special. In a word, this beer is subtle.

Mouthfeel: Though it may not have a taste worthy of the gods, the mouthfeel may just make up for it. This is extremely drinkable and complements the rather weak taste with a lively carbonation. It is medium-bodied and goes down incredibly smoothly. This reviewer is a believer that a masterful brewer will always create a great mouthfeel; this is the mark of great beer. A beer’s taste really matters more than anything else, but what elevates a good beer to a great beer and a great beer to a legendary beer is the mouthfeel. Dogfish really crafted this beer well because the mouthfeel is spectacular.

Overall: Dogfish is easily one of my personal favorite breweries, and the Ancient Ales series is a really interesting idea, so as a result I was very disappointed in this beer. I expected a lot and had been putting off trying it for some time while it wallowed in my fridge. Perhaps I built it up too much. Be that as it may, it is an above average beer. The chili aspect is superbly done, and the chocolate is not cloying by any means. All of the flavors and aromas are just too muted. Subtlety is nice when dealing with strong flavors such as chili and chocolate, but it can be taken too far. This beer is an example of where a little more bravado would have been welcomed. Perhaps a “crazy” brewer like Three Floyds, Brew Dog, Cigar City, or Mikkeller could have taken this idea further by putting everything over the top. Perhaps Southern Tier could have emulated this ancient style better with their impossibly accurate imitations. Whatever the case, this is a beer to try if you are into the style (chocolate-chili beer) or into Dogfish Head or into, more specifically, their Ancient Ales series. Otherwise, do not waste the money on this one. 14.5/20

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 23:25:31 | More by THANAT0PSIS

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A: poured into a DFH snifter to a hazy light orange with a quarter inch of rocky just off white head that fades to a collar around the edge of the glass
S: smells of chili peppers, honey sweetness, sweet citrus, a touch of vanilla and a bit of chocolate
T: honey sweetness to start then a bit of heat from the peppers, some chocolate, what I'm guessing is the annatto, slight sweet citrusy flavor as well and on the swallow more chocolate, a slight bit of lingering heat, and some residual sweetness. flavors are good and well balanced
M: heavier side of medium in the mouth with soft and slightly prickly carbonation, slightly dry on the initial swallow but quickly turns to refreshing
O: very surprising but in a good way from the color to the flavors. good complexity, decent drinkability and a good balance of flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 04:54:15 | More by SHODriver