Cocoa Stout - Round Barn Brewery

Dope

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at BWWs, oddly enough.

A: Pitch black pour with a super dense and creamy medium brown head. Head retention is fantastic, it never faded throughout the entire tasting. Wall of thick lacing to boot.

S: Pretty much smells like pure cocoa and a little cream maybe?

T: Delicious sweet and creamy chocolate up front. Sweetness fades a bit making it almost a perfect cocoa flavor. Simple but tasty.

M: Thick, creamy, smooth and wonderful. Amazing for only 5.8%

O: An interesting brew. Super drinkable due to thick, creamy and smooth mouthfeel while having a deceptively low ABV. Wonderful chocolate/cocoa flavors really brings it home on this one. Can't rate it super high due to relatively simple flavor profile but it's really executed quite nicely and goes down so easily.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 05:05:17 | More by Dope

tectactoe

Michigan

3.33/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Cracked this one at Jeff's house the other night - thank to him for sharing. Pours slowly; deep, deep brown with dark ruby highlight all across it. A direct pour down the center results in no head - only a khaki colored ring that hangs around the edge. Surprised to see such seemingly low carbonation.

Taking a sniff and I get a big dose of chocolates; mildly creamy and mostly sweet with a bit of roast to back it up and bump up the robustness. Somewhere within the chocolate, I'm picking up a bit of a slight fruity tartness - almost like raspberries or grapes. Not so much strong in the fruit sense, but it gives the aroma a slight sour note and even maybe a mild astringency. Sweet overall. Sadly there isn't much else to the aroma profile - kind of a one-trick pony, and not necessarily a great one at that.

Cocoa Stout feels pretty thin on the palate - a little watery even, and certainly not as smooth and creamy as you'd expect from a milk stout. Carbonation is pretty damn low, too. There's a solid cocoa taste up front; milk chocolate, sweet and savory, with a small bit of ashy tones underneath. Not sure if the ash is coming from heavy roast or the hop profile, but it's fairly light overall anyway. In all honestly, this one doesn't have much flavor. The flavor that IS there is pretty good, but it's thin, watered down a bit, and again, pretty one-dimensional.

Not bad, and definitely drinkable, but sadly it's also pretty forgettable. A little boring and one-track minded. Not much going on here, and nothing that makes me want to come back for more. A little disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 05:27:48 | More by tectactoe

PorterLambic

Florida

3.99/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Fairly aggressively poured into a standard pint glass. A full 2" of creamy, cocoa colored foam now sits above an exceedingly dark brown liquid. It seemed to flow into the glass more than pour. Head settles to a solid 1/4" thick creamy layer and just stays there.
Smell is cocoa with toasted malts, some cardboard. Some dark fruit hint seems to be lurking deep in the back.
Taste is heavily roasted, no, toasted, almost burnt malts, baking chocolate, a very light hop note, a whiff of whiskey and some raisins (I think).
Fairly smooth, lightly drying. Warming especially after the temperature rises some. Smooth and mostly full bodied with a very light effervescence as one would expect. This is a really nice beer from a brewery I've never heeard of before. Go Blue.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 01:11:07 | More by PorterLambic

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Man, I need a pick-me-up from that last one... This stuff pours a very deep sienna-brown topped by a a finger of khaki foam. The nose comprises light coffee, roasted malts, mild baking cocoa, and a tiny, vague prick of mild vinyl. The taste brings in more of the same, with the vinyl cut out (always welcome). I may not have said it before, but things may not be bad, but they're definitely boring, if that makes any sense. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, a decent little stout, one that's not sure if it's coffee- or chocolate-forward, but, either way, one that ends up being decidedly forgettable and, like I said above, boring.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 08:26:40 | More by TMoney2591

MeowTom

3.25/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Dark dark beer with the dark brown head.

S- Light grains, eh, not very strong.

T- Nice barley and grains taste.

M- Carbonated lightly and smooth.

O- A good average beer that really isn't too much of anything. I feel like it should of been more then what it is. I'm not saying it's bad I just wish there was more of something distinctive in it.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 18:58:59 | More by MeowTom

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The last beer....the desert beer...on Christmas is the Cocoa Stout from The Round Barn Brewery. The beer pours a opaque color with 1/2" thick tan head. The scent carries sweet chocolate and roast. The flavor follows the scent with with good chocolate tones with a solid molassis and malt base. The mouthfeel is a medium to full body beer with ok carbonaiton. Overall this is a good beer and would recommend it to those that enjoy stouts.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 02:27:25 | More by WoodBrew

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark, nearly opaque chocolate brown beer with a sizable tan head on top. Very clean cocoa, dark chocolate with light roast and floral notes in the nose. Light coffee underneath, but very little. Lactose added to the brew (according to website) makes for a very smooth mouthfeel, sweet and somewhat luscious in spite of a rather thin body otherwise. Cream and malt early, and the roast and coffee hit harder in the end. Nice, well done stout, especially for someone who's learning the style and wants something more accessible. Good stout, if a bit thin is all.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2011 00:01:17 | More by FightingEntropy

jale

Michigan

2.58/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Had on tap at the tasting room exit 6 off I-94.
A: Pours a cloudy dark brown with typical nitro-tap head.

S: Chocolate and light roasted coffee.

T: Chocolate upfront followed by bitter chocolate and not much else.

M: Very thin for a stout and the carbonation does not last in this.

O: Bland taste and way to thin for a stout. One and done. Nitro tap can't save this.

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-09-2011 01:27:43 | More by jale

Kidfrogger

Indiana

3.78/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: Dark Dark Black....so black almost purple. Muddy brown head that vanished after the 1st taste.

SMELL: nothing at first, after it warmed a bit I could smell what I had been tasting Cocoa and something sweet

TASTE: cocoa cocoa cocoa....smooth w/ linger of coffee. Def more cocoa then chocolate (there is a difference IMO)

MOUTHFEEL: Thin not gritty or thick or fizzy

OVERALL: Easy to drink and great tasting Would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 02:10:29 | More by Kidfrogger

StoneTSR

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev +2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: Deep dark black color with a thin, brownish head that dissipated rather quickly. Lacing was present, throughout the glass, roughly 30% coverage.

SMELL: Intensely smoky and a bit burnt, with notes of coffee.

TASTE: Smoky, chocolate-like flavor with a backbone of coffee flavor and an very subtle hint of citrus towards the end of the sip. Very tasty overall with a smoky and hoppy aftertaste.

MOUTHFEEL: A bit thin on the front end, but smooth and a bit oily.

OVERALL: Solid, and flavorful stout. Easy to drink and an excellent choice if you find yourself in Southwest Michigan.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2011 02:25:57 | More by StoneTSR

bfflo

Michigan

3.23/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice even cool black, with a small cream head that fell quickly. Smell is cocoa, raisins, dark fruit notes, pruney, and something else I can't quite put my finger on, almost like wet brown sugar. Mouthfeel is light and smooth, drinkability is pretty high, but this one is kind of boring. Sort of toasted, pruney notes dominate, more than the cocoa, with some moderate carbonation which leaves you belching a bit. I actually like what's there with this one and it's easy to drink, but I just really don't pick up on much character or flavor profile overall. Its dullness is its main flaw, though it improves a little as it warms, at which time the cocoa comes out more, leaving it reminiscent of a porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2010 08:40:51 | More by bfflo

grub

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

thanks to abbddull for hooking me up with this one in the DLD in-person BIF this year.

12oz bottle. sampled oct 3/2010.

pours black but not quite opaque, showing crystal clear brown at the edges. the small fine light brown head quickly drops to a ring around the glass and leaves a bit of lace.

aroma is nice. licorice. cocoa and dark chocolate. biscuit and lightly toasted whole wheat bread. alcohol. light roast. fruity. the alcohol gets more prominent as it warms too.

taste is ok. dark chocolate. bit of licorice. roasty. toasted whole wheat bread. bit of biscuit. fruity. lots of alcohol. low bitterness level. bit of caramel.

mouthfeel is nice. medium body. medium carbonation level.

drinkability is ok. alcohol is a little hot. fairly one-dimensional. underwhelming.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 19:59:00 | More by grub

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle, thanks to grub for sharing.

Pours a pretty opaque dark brown/black, some dark orange highlights around the edges, thin big bubbled head forms and settles to a thin ring around the glass, a few lace spots stick.

Smell is weird, almost nothing there, sweet malt, a bit of caramel, very faint fruitiness and some grape, a touch of milkiness but chocolate.

Taste is weird as well, just not a whole lot there, a bit of dry cocoa, some caramel sweetness, lightly fruity, otherwise not much going on.

Mouthfeel is light bodied with low to medium carbonation. Nothing wrong with it but just not very much flavour. Thanks Russ!

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2010 19:47:16 | More by Viggo

mgbickel

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Perfect Pint glass from a 12oz bottle. A thick, 2 finger, tan head formed quickly and slowly dissipated down to a thin, but dense, layer of foam. The body is very dark brown, almost black, and allows some ruby edges when back-lit.

The nose is on the weak side...some roasted malts, watered down coffee and barley. Not much else present.

Good...the taste has more potency than what the nose indicated (but not much). Some roasted barley up front followed by a sweeter middle and another hit of roasted-ness at the finish.

The mouth feel is light and watery/creamy with moderate carbonation...not what you would expect from a stout of this style.

Meh...the drinkability is there, but nothing jumps out at you with this one. I probably will not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2010 02:20:09 | More by mgbickel

tpd975

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a dark black with a tall fizzy tan head. Prety nice retention with some large chunks of lace.

S: Aromas of roasted malt, lactose sugar, and light coffee.

T: Coffee up front for sure. Lightly roasted malts and a blast of lactose sugar come next. The finish has bakers chocolate and a light metallic tinge.

M: On the lighter side of body, the carbonation is to fizzy for the style.

D: Just average. Not alot of flavor here, and what is here just don't seem to mesh.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 17:39:26 | More by tpd975

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

3.13/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle into my favorite stout drinking glass

looks like a thin stout

smells predominantly like powdered cocoa, Nestle Quick maybe? Hints at underlying baker's chocolate, quite faint

powdered cocoa up front with a thin, sour, metallic finish....not the strong suit of this beer

mouthfeel is very thin and nearly watery at the finish..highly carbonated, wish this beer had a bit more body to round her out

thanks to the sister-in-law for thinking of me on her trip to Michigan. For me, a one a done.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2010 01:18:18 | More by BarrytheBear

malty

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Just as pictured.

Pours an opaque black with no lighter colored/hued hi-lites or edges - just plain black. Semi-creamy tan head that settles at 1/4". No lacework at all to speak of :( And YES, my glass is clean.

Sweet, syrupy milk chocolate and tangy dark fruits in the nose. I'm in the swirling mood, so why stop with this glassful? Now I get graham crackers and pecans. Not bad from a few swirls, right? A couple more and I get...that's pretty much it. Goos smeller though.

Sweet. definitely a sweet stout here. Not overly sweet though, just accurate to style. Chocolate - check. Malted milk - check. Maybe a little chocolate liqueur - I'd agree. A little roasty - heck yes. Good, simple flavors here.

Mouthfeel is definitely oily and just shy of medium bodoed. Carbonation is about perfect, fine and moderate. Flavors don't last long, but they're pretty solid though.

Drinkability is good. If you like sweet, (as I do) you will like this. Opposite if you don't.

Overall a good milk/sweet stout from a Michigan brewery I've not yet visited. That might have to change this summer. I'd like to try more of there offerings. With that said, this is a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2010 19:39:05 | More by malty

jampics2

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark brown with a tan head that dissipates but leaves moderate lacing.

Smells nice - cocoa sweetness, lactose, roasted malt. Nothing extraordinary but nice.

Taste is pleasant. Nothing crazy, but a nice mix of roasted malt, chocolate, and a slight coffee bitterness. There's just a flash of an unpleasant sharpness, but this is enjoyable after a few other MI beers I picked up on the same trip have been dissapointing.

Mouthfeel is good. Carb is spot-on and it's creamy w/o being syrupy or too viscous to be sessionable.

I enjoyed this - I'll seek out more of their offerings next time I'm in MI.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2010 02:14:28 | More by jampics2

Magpie14

Michigan

3.88/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: definite blackness with deep reds and crimson. A dirty marshmallow foam gathered atop and fizzled away to a thin tight ring. Body looks pretty nice for a milk stout and a healthy oily darkness is prominent. Nothing special in the way of lace and nothing out of the ordinary

S: dry cocoa powder, chocolate malts, and light sugary notes. What else is interesting is a soft tanginess enveloping every whiff. Overall the nose is mild

T: the flavors are pretty enjoyable. I like this stout. The dominant flavor is all creamed cocoa and a pinch of sugar with some shavings of bittersweet chocolates to round things out. Chocolate and crystal malts seem to be in the mix as well and the lactose does this beer right adding a light tang and lusciousness. Also to note, very mild coffee flavors are poking through

M: this was poured at a nice temp and accentuates the creaminess. The feel is medium plus and carbonation is near perfect as gulping continues

D: this beer holds a bit sweet but in the right way. Very drinkable and worth a try. This is my first Round Barn brew and I am happy. Not sure about any other brews done by RBB but this one does good and in the right direction.

Thanks to the Wesley's for the beer and hospitality in Dewitt.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2010 23:12:49 | More by Magpie14

WakeandBake

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A murky dark brown color body with a small frothy light tan head , lasting a bit then fading , some spotty lacing left , light carbonation. Aroma is very roasty , with some very bitter cocoa notes and a slight sour note , and a hint of oak in the background. Flavor is of light coffee , bitter chocolate and very dark roasted malt. Light body with a light mouthfeel for a stout, light bitterness more from cocoa or coffee than hops. an easy drinker, very sessionable . a roasty coffee finish , . A pretty good try and not a bad brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2009 22:08:37 | More by WakeandBake

Ineedabeerhere

Connecticut

2.48/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks for this one Dave!

Apparently this place used to be a winery... no ABV listed on the label. Let's give it a shot...

Pours a shade from black, a little brownish light peeking in on the edges. 1.5 finger tan head fading to film. No lacing or retention.

Smells sweet with a very fake, processed cocoa-powder thing going on here. Lactose and overly burnt roasted malt background.

Tastes of bittersweet chocolate and roasted malts with lactose sugar playing a big role. Bitter finish.

Creamy mouthfeel but the lactose sugar is oddly balanced. Not a huge fan of the style (note my bias), I struggled through the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2009 04:33:14 | More by Ineedabeerhere

prototypic

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Many thanks to hoppymeal for this one. Always look forward to trying Michigan beer.

Wow! Beware the cork on this one. It pops with force! Cocoa Stout pours a dark mahogany brown color. It's not quite opaque. A little light cuts through and reveals burgundy highlights. As expected, it is overcarbonated to an annoying degree. A tan head stretches about four fingers deep and takes its time dissipating. C'mon already. Lacing was rather light.

The nose is okay, but is a little weak in terms of strength. It's permeated with a cocoa-esque chocolate malt aroma. It falls a little on the sweet side, but not by much. An interesting sour-like aroma emerges. I'm not crazy about it, but it doesn't smell overtly bad. It smells a little yeasty late. Honestly, there's not a lot going on here. It's not a bad smelling beer. But, it's not good either. Average sounds right.

Cocoa Stout's flavor is a little better than the nose. It's above average, but isn't exciting by any stretch. Chocolate malt is easily the most prominent flavor. It is a little sweet, but has mostly a cocoa-like flavor. Surprise, surprise. There's a hint of coffee that's a nice surprise. It's not strong, but complements the cocoa and chocolate flavors well. It has a slight sour like flavor that really doesn't add anything. Doesn't hurt either. I don't know what the abv is, but it can't be that high. I don't notice at all. Finishes a little sour and chocolaty.

It has a lighter body and is plagued by overcarbonation. It needs more muscle and less bubbles. It doesn't have a bad feel, but it's not smooth. Drinkability is above average. Not great. The flavor is okay. I don't mind it, but I don't love it either. It goes down easy and doesn't feel too big. I'm happy to split the 750.

This is my first experience with Round Barn Brewery. The results are just alright. Cocoa Stout needs some work. It needs a little more of nearly everything honestly. Stronger aromatics, more flavor, more body. However, it does not need more bubbles. Carbonation needs to be dialed down somehow. It's an alright beer and is perhaps deserves a little more credit than I'm giving. It's worth a try, but I wouldn't suggest seeking it out. Glad I got to try it out nonetheless. Thanks, Derek.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2009 00:49:37 | More by prototypic

csmiley

Ohio

3.15/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Many thanks to prototypic for popping this beer out t try.

Removing the cork sounds like a cannon going off so I'd be careful with this one. That sound can be followed by a beer volcano but this one stayed under control.

A - This beer pours a very dark brown and comes close to black. There is some light that gets through to reveal some cola colors with maybe a red tint. The medium tan head is completely out of control. It's pretty easy to get more head than beer when pouring. Retention is very good but that is to be expected with too much carbonation. Head quickly turns rocky and leaves some gobs of lace after a considerable amount of time to let it recede.

S - Aroma is underwhelming. Some alcohol is noted first. There is a little bit of graininess in the middle. Some chocolate might show up on the tail end but I have a feeling that is just wishful thinking. It's not bad I suppose, just more non-existent.

T - Flavor is on the mild side as well. Starts out with a dry cocoa powder that seems to come and go throughout the brew. Alcohol is also noticeable but it really stays mild and pretty far out of the way of the other flavors. Decent amount of smokiness pops in toward the end and that really helps this beer out quite a bit. Cocoa eventually turns to milk chocolate as the beer starts to warm.

M - Lighter bodied with so much carbonation that it starts to hinder the enjoyment. Finish is dry and disappears pretty quickly. Pretty average overall.

D - Drinkability is decent. It would be much better with the carbonation dialed back a little. This beer does go down very easy but I would interpret that as a testament to the mild to bland nature of the brew. This one could use some tweaking in a few areas. Glad I got to try this one out but it's not something I'd seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2009 11:54:53 | More by csmiley

westweasel

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Given to me from my good friends the Daus as a birthday present. Poured from a 12-oz bottle into an actual Round Barn shaker glass.

Appearance - A dark brown almost opaque liquid with a lasting beige off-white head

Aroma - Dark roasted grains and coffee are most prevalent. Some dark chocolate notes also seem to be present.

MF - medium-full and creamy. Carbonation is on the low-side of medium. A bit of lingering astringency in the finish.

Taste - Roastiness, chocolate, and coffee are prominent. The finish is medium, bordering on sweet. I actually liked it a little more when it was colder. It had more of a prominent chocolate dessert-like quality.

Drinkability -This is a very drinkable beer. A slightly roasty example of a sweet stout. I found it best when it was cold.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2009 02:13:52 | More by westweasel

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.63/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dark mahogany with orange and bronze highlights. The caramel colored crown filled the upper third of the pint glass on the pour. It has a tight, sponge-like texture and a finely pitted upper surface. Pretty nice lace too.

Cocoa Stout smells like cocoa and stout. Go figure. It even has a little tanginess, due to the added lactose (milk sugar). Only a wee shortage of power keeps it from earning the next highest score. So far, this offering is ahead of Summer Wheat, the only other RBB brew to have entered my glass.

This isn't a bad little sweet stout. It tastes like the Round Barn brewers have done most things right, including adding enough chocolate malt and getting the milk stout tang just right. It even tastes like cocoa nibs, which is good because the name sort of sets up that expectation.

The flavor profile is on the simplistic side, but then show me a beer of this style that oozes complexity. Straightforward is often the right path to take. Specifics include sugared cocoa beans, dark caramel, splashes of coffee and sour milk, and a tea leafy bitterness that hits hardest (still a light jab) on the finish.

The ABV is probably somewhere in the vicinity of 5.0%. If so, then the body/mouthfeel is in the correct ballpark. Better quality bubbles would have helped, though it's hard to find too much fault.

Cocoa Stout is a solid, drinkable milk stout that should sell pretty well up Michigan way. It's a shame that these guys have to compete in one of the best craft beer states in America. Maybe it makes them try harder. In any case, this is pretty enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2009 12:32:17 | More by BuckeyeNation