Theobroma - Dogfish Head Brewery

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

woosterbill

Connecticut

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

On-tap at Prime 16.

A: Clear gold body with a finger of fine white head. Ok retention, spotty lace. Not bad.

S: Smells like a nice strong lager. Clean herbalness, mild bready malt, and only a faint hint of spice. Enjoyable, but unexpectedly boring.

T: Follows the nose. All chile is relegated to the aftertaste, with breadiness, minerality, and herbal notes being much more prominent. In any case, it's darn tasty.

M: Medium body with moderate, delicate, creamy carbonation. Nice.

O: I expected craziness, and instead got competence. Fine by me.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2012 12:24:17 | More by woosterbill

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

BigTuna

4.13/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap.

Light in color, which I thought was interesting considering it's a "cocoa" beer. Smell is nothing to write home about. It smells sweet, with a latent tingle that I'm guessing comes from the chilies.

The taste is superb. Muted, subtle, but still impressive. Just the smallest hint of chocolate makes the beer sweet. Mid-palate it I caught some orange-peel and more sweetness, and it finishes with a hotness from the chilies that I loved.

Overall: these ancient ales are hit or miss but I think Dogfish pulled it off on this one. It's a grower though; don't expect Theobroma to blow you away. Let it appreciate.

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2012 20:13:18 | More by BigTuna

vicsju1991

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

poured from 22 oz bomber into pint glass
A - see through, honey colouredhead dies down quickly
S - smells like chili and a little chocolatey
T - pretty bland, but the chili comes in at the end
M - pretty thin, not much there
O - decent beer, not gonna get it again though

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 23:16:38 | More by vicsju1991

IvoryFoxhole

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

25 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Slow pour results in moderate head, dissipates quickly leaving a small amount of lacing. Beer is a somewhat clouded amber color.

S: Cocoa and chili predominate, some honey, some roasted malt. Pretty good.

T: Chocolate and honey with a chili finish. Definite heat from the chili, some from the high ABV as well. Reasonably well balanced but it's hotter than a normal chili beer.

M: Pretty thick and syrupy and somewhat alcoholic. Not too carbonated, but it's there. Almost mead-like with the honey, but the chili takes care of that pretty quickly.

O: Recommend sharing unless you like heat, because this brings it more than a Stone offering, for example. Always like to try out whatever new idea Dogfish Head is offering.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 02:33:06 | More by IvoryFoxhole

JustinQ

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great beer.

Not neccesarily a review, more of a note

Got my hands on a bottle from 2008, Think it may be from the original bottling. Much much better then I expected it to be. Never had it fresh so I dont know the comparison.

Can only sense chili or spice slightly in the aroma. No taste or spice at all. Just a bit of a background character. Never experienced raw Annatto seeds but I think thats what Im getting in the aroma

Tastes like straight Natural cacao. Sweet, Chcoloate but not roasty. Thick and luscious. Great beer. Really enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 04:54:00 | More by JustinQ

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice deep golden/orange color to it. It has a nice thick off-white head that dies down somewhat fast and leaves next to no lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of honey, spices, chocolate along with some floral and fruity notes.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a nice sweet honey character to it with some cocoa, slight chili spiciness and some light floral/fruity notes.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with good flavors and aromas. Not quite what I expected from a Chile beer but it's my first time trying it, plus it's Dogfish so you know it wasn't brewed to standards.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 20:31:42 | More by SebD

jtierney89

New Jersey

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

Sounds unique. Just poured the bottle into my snifter here. The room filled with such a unique yet pleasant smell. Clear dark gold color with a craggy bright white head. Chocolate covered chili's on the nose. Spicy chili's too. Other than that there's not much else to the nose.

Initial chili taste up front followed by rich cocoa powder. Sweet honey rides underneath it all over the tongue balancing the chili heat. Full slick mouthfeel with moderate carbonation. Alcohol content no where to be perceived. Tastes like you're eating an exotic dish. Drinks more like a meal than a beer. Dry finish with lingering cocoa powder drying the mouth. A beer that truly makes you salivate. Heat builds in the throat with each sip.

Good beer but something ya gotta share, it's a stomach ache waiting to happen.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 03:11:31 | More by jtierney89