Box Of Chocolate - Charleville Vineyard Microbrewery

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

dark brown color, mearly opaque with only the slightest bit of light on the bottom of the glass. Rich tan head of maybe an inch crept up along the sides and settled down nicely into a thin pillow like crown that broke up to nothing as the session wore on.

THe aroma was huge. Lots of chocolate, caramel, oak, hints of dark fruit and a touch of grain like smells. Lots of wood notes in here, had to be one of the oakiest aromas I have come across. Big flavor now as well. Lots of oak, vanilla, tons of chocolate but its soo well balanced with hints of raisins and a nice touch of light hops in the finish. One of the best feels I have come across as the carbonation was nearly spot on and the rich velvet like subtle feel was second to none.

Overall a wonderful beer that it was really a pleasure to get ahold of.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 02:24:51 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to mikeyv35 for sharing a bottle of this at the Rosso release. Thanks goes out to coryking for getting me a bottle as well; that'll get shared at a tasting soon. Served in a SAVOR snifter.

Pours a medium brown with short off-white head that sticks around for a bit before falling to a thin collar. Not too much lacing. The nose is fairly light with some nice notes of chocolate and a bit of dark fruits in the background. Very nice. The taste really explodes off of the base the nose had going. It's just as described: a very nice quad with layers of chocolate over the top. The chocolate character is really dominant, and the quad underneath is spot on as well. Nice mix of dark fruits, raisins, and semi-sweet malt. A bit of brown sugar as well. Mouthfeel is very, very smooth and doesn't reveal the 10.5% at all. Overall, a very solid beer and its acclaim is well-deserved.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 13:58:05 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

3.5/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to bsuedekum for sending me this one!

Pours a murky super dark brown with a 1 inch beige head that fades to an oily cap. No lacing with this beer. Smells of chocolate covered dark fruits (raisins), chocolate syrup, and chocolate taffy. Taste is pretty much the same with dark fruits in chocolate, chocolate syrup, and cocoa powder. The chocolate smells and tastes are a bit fake smelling for the most part even though the bottle says "brewed with natural chocolate flavor". Not too impressed with that aspect of the beer. Mouthfeel is a bit thin with a decent level of carbonation. Overall, this is fairly good but not as great as I was expecting it to be based on the hype. However, I know there was a low bottle count on this one so I feel lucky that I got to try it.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2011 06:04:21 | More by UCLABrewN84

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Lancaster shaker pint glass.

Big thanks to hannydawg for sharing this bottle!

It might suck to think you're getting this beer in a trade, only to find an actual box of chocolates come instead. Then again, tastiness will happen regardless... Anyway, this stuff pours a dark, murky black-brown topped by a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises cocoa, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, light Belgian yeast, vanilla, whipped cream, oats, and light walnut. The taste holds notes of dark chocolate, cocoa, very light mint, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, very light roasted malts, and clove. This stuff really lives up to its name tastewise, though the chocolate is extremely dominant, keeping most of the quad characteristics at bay. Damn tasty, though. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a smooth-ish feel. Overall, a very nice brew. The only negative I can really come up with is the seeming lack of most of the quad character. Having that mix with the chocolatiness would create a ridiculous beer, I think. Still, this is some tasty stuff, lemme tell ya!

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2011 19:43:57 | More by TMoney2591

drabmuh

Maryland

3.48/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle opened by Thorpe the other day. Thanks! Beer is brown with a tan head and some lacing. Carbonation appears low.

This beer smells like chocolate, like tootsie rolls, that sort of chocolate. I'm less excited about this now but will power on.

This beer is sweet like milk chocolate but has that artificial chocolate flavor all over it. I don't know if it is artificial chocolate or not but it tastes like milk chocolate and a tootsie roll the entire time. It has a wet finish and no aftertaste at least. It is super sweet and not my favorite.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 20:58:58 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan head. The aroma is full of chocolate, dark fruit and roasted malt. The chocolate is nearly overwhelming and really melds well with the dark fruit notes from the quadrupel. The flavor is more of the same. The chocolate tastes like malted milk balls, with some roasted malt and a little bit of raisins and figs mixed in. Thick mouthfeel and medium mouthfeel. Definitely a chocolate-heavy beer that somewhat surprisingly mixed well well with a traditional Belgian quad.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 16:06:40 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

3.08/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap a Bailey's Chocolate Bar in St. Louis.

A - Poured out a dark, dark brown color with a small, tan head of bubbly foam. It left minimal sudsy lacing.

S - Smelled of chocolate - sweet milk chocolate. There were no dried fruit aromas that I associate with a quad.

T - It tasted of sweet chocolate. If it were frozen I'd swear I was drinking a chocolate milk shake. There was no bitterness at all.

M - It was soft and creamy. A medium bodied ale with a very muted alcohol presence.

O - Did not live up to the hype. Just a sweet chocolate beer with no bitterness at all.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2011 19:06:42 | More by zeff80

MasterSki

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Chris (spycow) for sharing this one. Served in a Russian River tulip.

A - A moderate tan foam settles to a thin collar, some wisps on top, and minimal lace. Transparent dark brown body with reddish highlights.

S - Chocolate, cocoa nibs, sugar, and more sugar. There may be a quad in here somewhere, but the Hershey's syrup flavor just obliterates everything any peripheral flavors.

T - Tastes like chocolate and maple syrup. Holy crap this is sweet - getting a sugar high from this beer. Pleasant in small quantities, but isn't much of a quad - no Belgian yeast character to be found. That being said, the alcohol is masked extremely well by the immense sugar and chocolate content.

M - Body is somewhat thin and undersized for 10.5%. The carbonation is odd, as it initially seems low but then somehow burns my upper lips and tongue. Some mild alcohol warmth, but nothing unexpected.

D - The flavor and aroma is nice, albeit lacking in subtly. Quadrupel seems like an odd choice for a base beer and can't seem to compete with the overwhelming chocolate - I'm not sure I'd even know it was a quad if tasted blind. Like anything intensely sweet, this is best consumed in small quantities.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 21:04:06 | More by MasterSki

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This Quad poured out as a very dark brown color. There is a nice creamy looking head on top. The retention is moderate, some very light scattered lacing. The smell of the beer is sweet with a beautiful chocolate aroma in the mix. The taste of the beer has some cocoa flavors with the dark fruits and bready yeast. There is also a slight sourness in there also that fades into a creamy chocolate sweetness. The mouthfeel of the beer has a good carbonation with a medium body. Overall I thought this was really impressive. The balance in the flavor is really good. The chocolate comes and goes nicely leaving the base flavors on the tongue. Very happy I got to try this.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 01:50:38 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up in Fayetteville, AR

Pours brown/mahogany with a pinky of tan head.

S: Dark fruit with carob

T: Rich milk chcolate with, some cherry & figgy notes, with a touch of candied plum up front & a bit of booze warmth. Chocolate & cherry blend nicely as this warms, along with more figgyness, plus a touch of dryness, accented by faint woody hops. Finishes with some woody dry notes, a touch of dark & milk chocolate

MF: Slight body, slighter carbonation with a touch of slickness. Gains some warmth & depth after it warms up

This is very well done, an interesting take on a Quad with artfully blended chocolate. This is one I'll buy again to cellar

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 14:45:01 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Matt for sharing this first batch bottle.

Served in a tulip glass, it pours a tawny dark brown with some frothy foam on the surface that parts after a few minutes to a spiraling skim.

Bittersweet chocolate aroma, dry and nutty with lightly sweet traces. Flavors are similar, the chocolate is dry and bitter like dark chocolate, not overly sweet and one-dimensional like cocoa for example. Definitely some high quality chocolate involved here. The base Quad isn't easy to pin down, but lends some nutty sweetness and a hefty body.

Smooth feel, and full bodied but deceptively light considering the 10.5% abv. Overall a better chocolate beer than Boulevard's Chocolate Ale, for a comparable regional example.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 08:58:48 | More by emerge077

mdfb79

New York

4.48/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From 06/09/12 notes. Big thanks to nmann08 for sharing this one; was a big Want of mine.

a - Pours a very dark brown, almost black color, with one inch of off white head and low carbonation evident.

s - Smells of Hershey syrup, licorice, roasted malts, sweet chocolate, and tootsie rolls. Definitely a sweet smelling chocolatey beer, but I loved it.

t - Tastes of Hershey syrup, sweet chocolate malts, roasted malts, sweet vanilla. Like sweet liquid chocolate.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Body is super smooth and very easy to drink. Does not feel like 10.5% ABV at all.

o - Overall I thought this was an amazing beer; exactly what I was hoping it would be. I think the cloest thing I've had to this is Southern Tier's Choklat, which I also love. Definitely not for everyone but if you like very sweet chocolate and ST's Choklat, you'll love this one. Would love to have it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 18:21:20 | More by mdfb79

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to bsuedekum and dfclav for this one, and DrEntropy for cracking his.

Almost no head fizzy very dark molasses brown color.

Nose has tons of chocolate as expected, milk, dark, bit of bakers' choc, hint of cocoa nibs and cocoa powder even, then slight Belgian dark fruits, caramel, molsses, some light ale like malt aromas, and somewhat like a lighter chocolate ale.

Taste is lighter than expected, tons of chocolate though, more like a chocolate ale than stout or quad. Milk chocolate, hint of dark as well. Belgian yeast fruit and Belgian dark ale flavors, vanilla, a bit of molasses, no roast, booze is hidden well. Slightly creamy as well with a nice malty flavor. Dry finish, not sticky or syrupy like I expected, a dry bittersweet chocolate with a long chocolate finish, and a slight bit of brandy soaked raisins.

Mouth is med to a bit heavier bodied, thinner than I expected though, decent carb.

Overall nice, very drinkable with great chocolate flavors, no super bitter roasty or estery flavors, and not overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 01:46:32 | More by jlindros

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.47/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks goes out to beermeX2 for sharing this one during BASC! Served from bottle into a Duck-Rabbit snifter. Poured a massively dark brown with a minimal off-white head. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and a floral note. The flavor was of sweet malt, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cream, and subtle roasted malt. It had a heavy feel on the palate with mild carbonation. Overall this was an excellent brew. The chocolate notes on this one dominated and took NO prisoners! I would not have guessed that it was a Quad based on the flavor and aroma notes going on here at all. It was really well put together and easy to drink. Would have loved to sit down to a whole bottle, but I will take what I can get for sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 18:49:13 | More by thagr81us

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

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

Shared by Chris. Thanks man!

The beer appears dark chestnut brown with a broken head of tan bubbles. The aroma offers a lot of chocolate scents, along with a rich, dark roasted malt. Definitely a huge chocolate presence. Not sure I would identify this as a quad, but hey, it's good stuff. Heavy chocolate presence throughout. Overall, this is ok, but not something I would regularly crave. Now that I have had it, overcoming the anticipation of never having had it, I would choose any of the standard Belgian examples of the style over this. Bonus points for chocolate deliciousness, but counteracted by lack of depth and complexity.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 03:34:26 | More by Huhzubendah

gford217

Georgia

4.4/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to birchstick for this 22oz bottle.

Pours a dark murky mahogany that is really close to black in the glass underneath a tight creamy head that refuses to go away.

Aroma is fantastic with an initial milk chocolate aroma with roasted malts mixed together with candi sugar and dark fruits, especially raisins and plums.

I actually think the taste is even better than the aroma. It's a perfect mix of the milk chocolate, roasted chocolate malts and all the core parts of a great quad. So it's got some fruity esters from the Belgian yeast, booze-soaked overripe fruits and candi sugar. Finish is sweet and boozy with maybe a little bit of tart cherries.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a little lighter carbonation than I normally get in a quad but I think it compliments the flavors well.

This is a fantastic beer and I really like what the chocolate brings to the table. One of the most unique quads I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 01:49:31 | More by gford217

jrallen34

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

pours a dark brown that’s a bit watery, light tan head, ok ring... the aroma is outstanding, smells like a trappist quad mixed with Dr. Pepper and chocolate, additional notes of dark fruits, unique twist on a quad... the taste is not as successful, comes across a bit fake, summed up simply as chocolate soda, a little too carbonated, but drinkable incredibly so for something that is 10.5%, mostly chocolate... not up to the hype but very solid

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 22:53:46 | More by jrallen34

Tone

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a black color. 1/4 inch head of an off-tan color. Good retention and poor lacing. Smells of chocolate, alcohol (liquor), sweet malt, roasted malt, and a hint of coffee. Fits the style of a Quadruple. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Tastes of strong sweet chocolate, alcohol, slight roasted malt, and slight coffee. Overall, the alcohol is strong in aroma, but well blended in body.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 17:16:17 | More by Tone

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

How this beer gets the high scores is beyond me. This just isn't my interpretation of the style.

Black with a dark brown head with excellent retention and nice lacing, this is a gorgeous quad. The nose smelly like Hershey's Chocolate Syrup with some milk chocolate added. Belgian yeast character is present, mildly at that, with a little bit of spice. Apart from that, I smell chocolate, chocolate and some chocolate. The palate opens thin and chocolatey, while paradoxically tasting rather syrupy at the same time. Not very complex, there's chocolate and tootsie roll here. Sweet, this beer is light in body and has a noticeable caramel character. Not much yeast expression on the palate either. Not very complex, but moderately delicious, in small quantities.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 03:59:00 | More by DefenCorps

FosterJM

California

3.58/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

541st Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
22oz

Thanks to JeepCop for this one

App- Coming out of bottle was a darker crimson with a two finger quick receding head. No legs, no cling. As it settles a nice dark cola or darker whisky color.

Smell- Chocolate syrup, hot fudge, dark chocolate. Call it what you will. It was just one dimensional to me.

Taste- Very simple flavors of chocolate and some light malts. A bit lighter than I was hoping but still pretty tasty. The raisiny dark fruits are gone to me. Its again one dimentional where the syrupy chocolate take over.

Mouth- medium to light bodied with a fairly high carb level. The main chocolate note remains. Pretty fizzy really.

Drink- So low bottle count, high buzz. Nice flavors but I wasnt blown away. Its good but a unique take on a classic style.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2011 01:58:11 | More by FosterJM

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle into a La Chouffe tulip; sampled at the B3 Rosso release.

A: Hazy dark brown body with a fine layer of tan foam. Great retention and sticky lace. Quite nice.

S: Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Light fruit, dark cacao, and malty sweetness. Lovely.

T: Chocolate, vanilla, coffee, prunes, dark fruit, and booze. Pretty darn good, but not quite as enjoyable as the nose.

M: Medium body, high carbonation provides lively, fine effervescence. Great.

O: I really enjoyed this beer, but found the interplay of chocolate adjunct and traditional quad flavors to be a bit disjointed at times. I'm really glad I got to try it, and would definitely enjoy having it again. Great chocolate beer.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 14:08:18 | More by woosterbill

oline73

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a goblet.

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown that yields some red when the light hits it. There is a finger of tan head that leaves a ring around the glass.

Smell: Sweet mild chocolate. A bit roasty with some fruit hints as well.

Taste: Sweet with hints of dark fruit. There is a mild cherry taste. Lots of milk chocolate. A bit roasty with a bitter sweet finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with mild carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: Nice chocolate flavor. There were more other flavors in the mix than I expected. Really good and I would love to have more.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 19:12:44 | More by oline73

maximum12

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to kier for this bottle in an early summer trade just before my trading break. 22 oz. bomber broken open to celebrate my six days of trading in beer for north-country lake water (filtered for beaver fever, of course). Split with my thirsty wife.

Pour is black-on-black, rock dull. Brief glimmer of life atop the brew settles into a silvery ring. Nose has a lot of interests. Heavy on the chocolate, but a plenty of leathery chaps, a shot of Coca Cola, not much Belgish in evidence.

Box of Chocolate only reveals its Belgian folk roots in the taste. Chocolate is, of course, ascendant, but it's a silky smooth, semi-sweet chocolate, the antagonist of a mouth-bending sugar bomb like Boulevard's Chocolate Ale. It allows the other components of the beer up for air. More Coca Cola, & an unlikely sprightly mouthfeel for a big bad quad. Yeast & a sweetness that must be the underlying quad wriggle around in the middle. Chocolate masters all on the finish & sticks around for the munchies. Really easy to slug.

Comes close to a one-note charlie, but the beauty of the chocolate is that it's not sickeningly sweet, & allows the base beer to surface for a breath or two. Excellent beer & a must for chocolate lovers.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 02:27:41 | More by maximum12

ehammond1

California

4.16/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle (2012)

(Aged for 1+ year)

Dark brown in body with a short near-white white head. Leaves the glass messy and oily. Pretty and appropriate for a chocolate quad, I'd have to assume.

My favorite aspect of this beer is its wonderful aroma. This smells just like mom's freshly baked brownies with the slightly crispy, just nearly-burnt edges--which happen to be my favorite part! There are some complementary dark fruit as well, especially as it warms, but I'm in love with the crispy, freshly-baked brownie aroma.

The flavor follows the aroma, with chocolate brownie and dark fruits combining quite nicely. Minimal yeast character, which is surprising for a quad where that aspect really has the opportunity to shine. Some brown sugar/candy sugar sweetness complements as well.

Medium to near fully body with low carbonation.

Very nice. This was a great surprise for me at a tasting full of incredible beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 06:49:19 | More by ehammond1

srandycarter

California

4.4/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark cola brown, tan head, leaves slow to disk with heavy side ring. Not much cling.

S - Malty, melted chocolate.

T - The best part. This sucker tastes like a truffle without the sweet. So, fatty, chocolaty, delicious.

M - Balance ok. Not as good as hoped. A little to the sweet and under carbed for me. Still pretty tasty.

D - ABV pretty well hidden and I am a truffle FIEND! LOL.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 01:15:58 | More by srandycarter