Theobroma - Dogfish Head Brewery

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

How in the heck is it that I have never before reviewed this beer?!? I must be slipping ...

My initial pour netted two fingers of foamy, fizzy French Vanilla-colored head with moderate retention. Color was a deep golden-amber with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a spicy pepperiness that seemed to tickle the back of my throat. Mouthfeel was medium and the way that the spice was muted yet present and discernible was quite unexpected. I seem to remember it as much more pronounced but this was really pleasant. The chocolate seemed to get lost in the mix as I really did not perceive it until the extreme finish. The finish itself was dry, but not gaspingly so, as one might expect from the presence of chile. Good stuff!

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 23:20:08 | More by woodychandler

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle is a 2010 vintage from my cellar. I drank it tonight to celebrate the world not ending and the Mayans being wrong after all. Poured into my DFH snifter. Carbonation definitely has diminished over the two years. Bright orange colored body, which was not what I expected from a beer brewed with chocolate. Smell was sweet. Taste was very interesting. The honey was really up front, followed by the hint of chili at the end. This beer is what would happen if DFH made a mead. Mouthfeel was smooth and dry. I give this beer extra points because it surprised me but I still liked it.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 04:53:54 | More by morebeergood

bensbeers

Maryland

4.55/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Color is a slightly hazy amber. Pours out a creamy one inch head with a minimal amount of sediment.

Smells sweet but not from the chocolate. Honey is what gets me first, followed by rich earthy cocoa, a bit of pepper, vanilla, and some fruity/nutty undertones.

Taste begins with the cocoa - rich, bitter but creamy. Honey follows and brings a touch of sweetness. Ends with a spicy, boozy kick. For a 9% ABV beer, it's not overly-boozy, though.

MoUthfeel is interesting. Not very bubbly, but the spice makes you thing otherwise - plays on the tongue like a crisp lager. Medium bodied.

Overall, a lot going on but I love it. The taste is all over the place, but I really enjoy it. I normally like to enjoy beer with a meal or snack, but I took this none by itself - it's like a savory dessert in a bottle! Will definitely try again and recommend to anyone looking for something new and exciting. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 02:32:23 | More by bensbeers

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

one of the more interesting archeological dogfish brews. the pour is a really bright bronze color, with a lot of suspended spent yeast, looks like a snow globe. short white lace rests on top. the nose is sweet and floral from the honey, with a touch of smoke and spice from the ancho peppers, and some unique earthy character, which i can only imagine comes from those annatto tree seeds. the flavor really features the honey, theres a mild sweetness throughout, with some undertones of raw cacao, but no decadent chocolate to this at all, more of an organic bitterness like cocoa powder. the chili pepper flavor is very mild, and really only comes into play in the finish, providing just a touch of warmth, which combined with the alcohol actually produces a beautiful conclusion to this beer. the mouthfeel works, it could stand a little more carbonation i think, but the body is soft and round, plenty drinkable. definitely one of the better beers in this series of old world recreations.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 18:26:53 | More by StonedTrippin

stephenjmoore

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Somewhat cloudy orange colored body with a thin white head.

S- Honey, cocoa, citrus, spices, hint of chile.

T- Honey definitely comes through first with a strong ginger-like taste as well. A slight chile taste comes in the middle, with some chocolate powder in the finish. Surprisingly subtle flavors besides honey.

M- Medium body, medium carbonation, good sipper.

O- Nice beer, but nothing stands out. Definitely not chile-forward.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2012 18:45:26 | More by stephenjmoore

Bills453

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into my Duvel tulip glass.

I must say that this is the last beer we tried during a nights tasting, I was pretty well along into the stages of drunkeness, and I'm going to copy my notes exact because I just now reread them and they're pretty fantastic.

Appearance - ancient hefeweizen

Smell - faint honey

Taste - it tastes like the drink of the gods. Honey, cocoa, chile powder.

Mouthfeel - smooth and chunky sediment.

Overall - I very much enjoyed this beer and look forward to having it again!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 13:39:31 | More by Bills453

Caedus

California

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a standard tulip glass

A: A murky orange color, lots of microbubbles streaming up, no head retention.

S: Tons of honey is immediate, bits of cocoa on the back end with just a hint of chilies after the beer warmed up.

T: Well Balanced, nothing too complex but the flavors present were very nice. The honey and chilies really pull through, just a bit of spices with some bread on the palate.

M: Lots of carbonation, medium bodied feel.

D: Very nice, very smooth, well balanced, very much enjoyed.

Full review here: http://bit.ly/UJV5gP

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2012 09:04:26 | More by Caedus

SeamusDoyle

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The aroma contains notes of chocolate chilies, grass, and some light pale lager aromas. It pours a slightly hazy amber with lots of fine sediment and a large yellow-tinged creamy head. The flavor starts with some light chocolate and sweet lager flavors. The chilies are noticeable in the background that slightly increases in the finish and mixes with some faint grassiness. Medium-bodied with light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 22:06:33 | More by SeamusDoyle

minterro

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bought several months ago at spartan spirits, kinda pricey so wanted to save it for a special occasion. I believe this week warrants that... tests Wednesday, thursday and the GRE this morning, what a hell week.

A&S: transparent light orange/yellow colored head comes in pretty light. not very lively and not much head (very fizz and white but dies really quick). Lots of unfiltered particles on the bottom. the smell is very tropical tasting: honey, citrus, and some spices.

T&M: Going into this beer I wasn't sure quite what to expect as far as the chocolate tones, i knew they were going to be different but not sure how. lots of complexities to this one. upfront im getting a lot of white wine. Midway through the taste and after sometime for warming im getting more of the chile and honey tastes. Alcohol and a light hint of coco in the back end.

Overall: I'm liking the idea of dogfish head ancient brew series, and I'm going to give this beer a nod of approval mostly because it tastes like nothing I've ever had before, the only down side is this beer was quite expensive in my neck of the woods, I don't know how it was priced elsewhere but here I was looking at over 15 for a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 19:46:21 | More by minterro

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Theobroma, capped 750 purchased in July in Portland, poured into a New Belgium Globe.

A: Gold color...opaque with tons and tons of particulates...great head lacing.

S: Honey and herbs...hints of saffron earthiness and minimal chillies...tons of sweet bready malt. Surprised that 1.) there is no real heat from the chillies and 2.) there is ZERO chocolate/cocoa presence.

T: Follows the nose...sweeter flavors with a ghostlike suggestion of spicy herbs...finishes with the slightest touch of spice. Again, no cocoa to be found here...wonder how old this bottle is.

MF: Creamy moderate body with lower carbonation...all of the floaties affect the score here too.

O: Disappointed overall...for a 'chile' beer brewed with herbs, spices and cocoa, I sure didn't get any chocolate character out of this. There is a nice sweetness that plays with the spiciness ever so slightly, but its almost too faint to mention.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 17:18:36 | More by Scotchboy

Infamous7100

Ohio

3.1/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: gold, no head, no lacing. Nice color.
S: notes of honey, malt and spice. Not bad.
T: sweet at front with honey, not picking up on the chocolate. The chiles are evident at th back. Nothing special.
M: high carbonation and medium bodied. Finishes dry and hot.
O: not my style. Too much going on and not a fan of chiles in brew. Hot finish and I can't dectect the cocoa.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 00:14:25 | More by Infamous7100

ChrisH1024

Ohio

3.1/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I'm going to briefly describe this. Overall, the appearance is light and gold with little head. It smells very sweet but finishes with spice. I get sweetness and honey in the beginning with spice at the end. The mouthfeel is overly carbonated. Overall, it may be because I didn't know what to expect, but I feel like this beer isn't what I was expecting in a beer that came recommended. Average for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 00:04:42 | More by ChrisH1024

socon67

New York

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a light copper color. Visible carbonation and slight lacing. Cloudy look.

S - Smells of spices and vanilla. Behind that some cocoa powder is present. There is a bit of a hoppy presence. The blend seems like I've walked into a florist.

T - Not all that impressed. First, the spicy feel seems misplaced a bit. Very convulated, and it seemed to take over the chocolate and vanilla flavors that smelled so nice. There is almost no heat from the chilies. It shouldn't be considered a chile beer.

M - Medium feel that masks its ABV well. The spice gets a little tedious on this one. I'd have hoped it could be toned down. Balance is a bit toward the extreme side. It is however, a good beer to pair with food.

O - I tend to like the DFH experimental beers, but this one I'll pass on. It just seemed a bit of a mix-match that didn't do any one thing really good.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2012 02:17:57 | More by socon67

PacNWDad

Washington

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 25.4oz bottle into a large snifter. Nice amber, honey hue, with some cloudiness from the yeast. Modest amount of lace on the side of glass. Aroma is strong malt and almost winey. Strong alcohol overtones. Chile pepper becomes apparent in the flavor. Very sweet, not a highly hopped or floral beer. Some bitterness from chocolate nibs. Very robust mouth feel with some heat due to alcohol and peppers. Overall a very unusual and interesting beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 02:28:10 | More by PacNWDad

JamesMN

Minnesota

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Surprised to see it's so light. A hazy glowing orange color with a white head.

Aroma: A dusting of cocoa powder and just a hint of the chile addition.

Taste: Bight palate at first and then you get the cocoa and the heat from the chiles hit you in the aftertaste. Very interesting beer. No hop presence so that low 8 IBU rating is right on. Can't detect the 9% ABV at all except in the heat on the aftertaste (but that might just be the chiles). The palate is basically 40% chocolate, 40% chile, and 20% miscellaneous beer flavor (other malts, yeast, etc).

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with average carbonation. Sort of soft but not creamy. Average drinkability.

Final Thoughts: It's not everyday you see a light colored chocolate beer, so that's unique in itself. This is an all around interesting and likable beer. Would I drink it again? Maybe, if it was shared among friends or in otherwise small doses.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 23:56:37 | More by JamesMN

Crundy

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: cloudy light Amber orange color, thin white foamy head

S: Honey, nice cocoa aroma, kind of sweet fruity aromas, light malty aroma

T: Pleasantly sweet, alcohol is very present, the honey and sweet malt flavors are pleasant, very faint cocoa flavor

M: Very creamy and leaves a dry mouth feel, nice hoppy bite on the finish

O: Overall this is a really good beer and pleasantly sweet. A nice diversity of flavors, the cocoa wasn't very prominent in the taste but was more present in the nose. Nice beer I would buy it again. I'd say with a few exceptions I like Dogfish head's "experiments."

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 03:44:06 | More by Crundy

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.2/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a 10 oz chalice glass

Appearance – Served a golden amber colored brew with a small white head. The head faded fast to give only a lighter amount of lacing.

Smell – The aroma was bready with some notes of a yeasty smell. With the strong bread aroma were notes of chili and a bit of honey. While it is a cocoa brewed beer, I did not detect much in the nose at all. While not much cocoa, it was a nice aroma none the less

Taste – The bready flavor with some sweeter fruit and honey flavors start out in the taste. A lighter cocoa and yeasty taste come quickly to the taste, but never grow very strong. The bready flavor remains relatively constant throughout, but the cocoa and fruit start to fade more toward the end when some chili spiciness as well as a lighter herbal tastes come to the tongue. In the end a dry and spicy crisp flavor are left to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer was on the just above average side in terms of creaminess with a carbonation level that was just below average. The light enhancement of creaminess was nice for the lighter cocoa, chili and honey flavors but not too heavy to take away from the great drinkability that the slightly lower then average carbonation level provides.

Overall – This was a very tasty beer with nice flavor transitions a great flavor profile and a good easy drinking feel. Well worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2012 00:29:27 | More by Darkmagus82

jimilayne

New York

4.15/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a chalice glass

Appearance - cloudy orange with a thick head

Smell - hints of cocoa and some peppery goodness. It does have a bite once you get going. Sneaks up on you.

Taste - faint chocolate that expands in the aftertaste. Pepper and some jalapenjo. Grows on you as you drink.

Mouthfeel - lightly carbonated and a bit of a sting on the tongue as you get into it.

Overall - Not knowing what the hell the name meant, I was stunned when the chocolatey taste hit my mouth, especially after the orange pour. It's a tasty beer and goes down smoothly at 9% ABV. Definitely grows on you as you dink it. Just finished the bottle and I am yearning for another.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 18:34:42 | More by jimilayne

bens0n

Texas

3.65/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a murky orangy-bronze color with a fair amount of foamy white head.

It has a hint of cocoa in the scent, but not nearly as chocolatey as I would have expected, but only mildly spicy. I guess I expected too much.

Flavor wise it has more spicy pepper than chocolate going on, its on the medium level viscosity wise with a balanced amount of carbonation. Its spicyness stacks in between sips kind of like bitter hops and eventually overpowers all that was cocoa in the flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 17:58:44 | More by bens0n

KeshiaM

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is not your typical chocolate beer. It's not your typical ale. In fact, there is nothing typical about this brew in the slightest.

The color is light amber, extremely unassuming for the punch it packs.

The smell is a mix of spice and sweetness with the slightest hint of chocolate and something I can't identity (probably the annetto)

The mouthfeel is thin and lightly carbonated with a little burn from the chilies.

It's the taste that blows everything away. Bold, spicy, sweet with a lingering aftertaste of cocoa. This is a beer to be sipped slowly, thoughtfully and with reverence (given the age of the recipe). It's high alcohol never over powers though the chilies start to burn at the end which stops this from being sessionable. Shame.

Overall this unusual beer is well worth trying, even going a little out of your way for. Sip it, ponder it and enjoy this food of the gods.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2012 23:21:11 | More by KeshiaM

gtermi

Texas

3.95/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: This beer pours a nice cloudy golden orange with a thick white head that slowly fades to nothing. There was no lace left on the glass

S: There is a little bit if fruitiness, some sweet grain and a tiny hint of chili, but you really have to look for it.

T: At first I get a nice sweet flavor with a nice chili bite that comes out of nowhere... The flavor lingers a while too.

M: Sometimes I find chili beers being way to acidic and burn, but this one goes down with ease. There is a nice crispness on the back of the tongue too.

O: Just an all around amazing beer. I was expecting for this to have a chocolate style flavor, but I really dont get any of that.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 03:12:41 | More by gtermi

GuyIncognito

Maine

3.65/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I was excited to try this beer since I love chocolate and spice, but it ended up being a little dissapointing. All I got initially was honey. A sweet, subtle beer, but the chile only came through as the beer got warmer. The chocolate never materialized. Glad I tried it once, but won't be getting it again.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 12:19:41 | More by GuyIncognito

negroobserver

New York

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dogfishhead's Theobroma

Color... Yellow with shades of pink and Amber. Hazy / cloudy appearance.

Smell... Wheat, malts, definitely a bit of tea

Taste.... Sweet, malty, a bit of alcohol, nutty. Slightly sour and bitter finish.

Mouthfeel... Light to medium body. Not much of a texture or depth to the beer. Good Carbonation.

Overall... A nice enjoyable beer, but it gets a bit overwhelming in its flavors after the first few sips. Although the individual components of the beer are great, they don't really come together to form a beer that you will relish. Sometimes simplcity is better than the highly complex nature of this beer. I think this beer needs more time and effort to be perfected or at least improved upon.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 18:24:15 | More by negroobserver

hustlesworth

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Clear honey amber with a thick cream colored head. Slowly rising bubbles give the impression of viscosity. Head retention is ok but there's about zero lace.

S- interesting aroma. Sweet and somewhat beery, pale grains and the slightest hint of spice. I want to say that I can smell a bit of cocoa, but if I didn't know it was in there I might not even suggest it. There's a deeply earthy note that falls somewhere between oats, soil, and mushrooms and as the beer warms I can definitely smell cocoa butter, not roasted cocoa. Floral, almost fruity honey notes play well against this. There's also whiff of alcohol but I can't detect any sort of nutmeg annatto aromas.

T- sweet and honeyed, initial notes of vanilla with fruit blossom hits first with more of a beer taste than I expected. The honey is complex and seems to shift in character as other flavors move in. The earthy aroma I described earlier is now translated as the fruity sweet heat of dried ancho chiles which is now unmistakable. Theobroma has the perfect amount of chile heat and flavor in my opinion. It's mildly mouth numbing and the chile's flavor is sensed mostly in the sinus. Finally we have these cocoa nibs. Not chocolatey as one would expect, but more of a creamy, fatty, earthy cocoa-butter type chocolate flavor that in a way is reminiscent of Christmas. A little research about the cocoa making process will tell ya that the beans are fermented before being dried and shipped, again laying foundation to this mysterious earthiness. I'm now certain it's a combination of the chile and the nibs with maybe some annatto, although I can't detect it in any other way. However, I never knew that shit even had a smell or taste. I always think munster cheese or something. Anyway, I'm gonna assume cocoa powder is what's giving this hint of bitterness in the finish, replacing hops. Also notable is that chiles and cocoa almost completely mask this 9% abv bruiser.

MF- not cloying or sticky. At all. Numb mouth and heartburn from the chiles although this beer is not at all "hot". The relationship that honey and the heart amount of booze have results in a beautiful dryness. Very clean, warming, and satisfying. The thought of carbonation never even crossed my mind until now but it's there, it's in charge, and comparable to a helles lager.

D- for a brew of such strength and odd nature, this is solidly drinkable. Between the alcohol, chile, and cocoa I'm feeling an absolute sense of euphoria right now. It's almost inspiring. The mesoamerican nobility must have been running around like crazy fools if they were gettin high on this stuff. It belongs in a snifter or narrow-mouthed tulip to concentrate the nuanced aroma and hell, quite frankly next time I'll treat it like scotch. I'm usually not a fan of DFH's recreation of ancient brews but this one is a straight banger.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 05:02:30 | More by hustlesworth

Fitwitchik

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass.

Lovely amber orange cloudy colouor. Head quickly disapates.

Smells of bready malt with slight chili. No cocoa flavor what so ever.

Taste is malty like a good strong ale but still can't figure out the flavor. Slight chili taste & where the hell is the cocoa?

Feels luscious to the mouth and quite flavorful although I can't seem to grab a chili/cocoa taste with this brew.

Overall a confusing brew. Nice taste but can think of so many other better strong ales/and or chocolate/cocoa brews I prefer. Won't buy again...

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 18:12:10 | More by Fitwitchik