Chocolate Stout - Rogue Ales

skilaxin1088

Vermont

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured this from a bomber into a "drink vermont beer" pint glass. had a nice tan 2 finger head that receded to about a quarter inch. not very aromatic, but black as night. feel is good, medium bodied for a stout in my opinion. the taste is what really gets me. it tastes like a chocolate milk with far more chocolate than necessary. its fantastic. but really all chocolate and quite delicious definitely a chocoholics dream.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 22:34:54 | More by skilaxin1088

ABisonEgo

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a 14 ounce snifter

Appearance - pitch black with a 2 finger tan head. no lacing on glass, head retention is quite lasting.

Aroma - dark chocolate and roasted malts. A sweeter milk chocolate does somewhat cut through on the nose with hints of vanilla making its mark.

Taste - I am more impressed with the aroma on this one. A bittersweet chocolate taste comes through with a semi lingering roasty finish. You do get some hints of vanilla in the middle of the tongue, but the aroma does come off a little sweeter. Not too overpowering of a roasted note to this one, and the bitterness in the finish is balanced enough with the malts that it does not plague the tongue with an overly bitter flavor.

Mouthfeel - Medium carbonation on this one. Not silky smooth by any means, but with a medium body and a semi creaminess to it, its not bad. Wish it were a little lighter on the carbonation and had a little bit more of a heavier/creamier mouthfeel.

Overall - Not bad. This is rated higher than southern tiers "choklat", but overall, i think choklat does a better job of nailing what i would want out of a chocolate beer. This is definitely better than a lot of stouts advertised as chocolate stouts, and for the price, its pretty damn solid. I do love the vanilla flavor that compliments the chocolate and the lack of overly bitter malts to give it that easy drinking feel. All in all, I would say this is definitely one to take a stab at.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 01:32:31 | More by ABisonEgo

Serge

Alberta (Canada)

4.65/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle. Pours dark brown to black with a dense chocolate brown head. Aroma is dense chocolate with a strange yet nice fruity note - towards berries. I pick up the same distinct berry note in the flavor too. Nicely roasted malt, bitter hops flavor and smooth yet slight dusty chocolate powdery flavor. Solid bitter and roasted finish. Strange with this distinct berry flavor, yet it is very pleasing.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 09:18:12 | More by Serge

dbell23

Tennessee

4.68/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a tulip from a growler. Black in color with a light brown head of about two fingers. The head quickly dissipates and there is good lacing. Looks like a stout.

Smell is light sweet chocolate. It smells like hot cocoa mix. Maybe a hint of vanilla. Really nice.

Taste is a blast of bittersweet chocolate. Kind of crisp in the middle with a lingering malt bitter chocolate finish. There is a mild hop undertone throughout. Delicious.

The only problem I have with this beer is mouthfeel. It's certainly not bad but I would like it with more smoothness. It's a little crisp for a stout.

Overall a really good beer. One of my favorite Rogues. Perfect on a cold day in front of the fire. A definite winter warmer.

Serving type: growler

10-20-2012 21:48:16 | More by dbell23

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.53/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Consumed 10/18/12

Appearance: Dark dark brown, almost black - minimal, off white head, fades to nothing, leaves some steaks of lacing

Smell: Lightly roasty, lightly burnt, with chocolate, as the name would imply - both chocolate malts and cocoa - typical Rogue yeast as well

Taste: Yup, chocolate - dark, roasty chocolate malts and dark chocolate - sweet chocolate, too, like Tootsie Rolls - mildly bitter - malt base is a bit one dimensional and oddly mild - some weak coffee notes

Mouthfeel: On the light side of medium, on the thin side for a stout, but nicely carbonated and drinkable

Overall: Yeah, it has chocolate but not much else

This is a decent offering from Rogue, but not their best, and not outstanding overall. It's a nice use of chocolate, not too sweet. But the overall body could be more interesting.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 04:07:01 | More by angrybabboon

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

2.4/5  rDev -42.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to angrybabboon for sharing the bottle.

Appearance: Super dark brown, almost black. Non-existent head. Wisps of khaki colored foam ghost as cap and collar. Some tiny streaks of lacing.

Smell: Huge chocolate. Chocolate malts and tons of milk chocolate. Some darker chocolate, but it's mainly and massively sweet milk chocolate. Some roasted malts underneath. Tons of roasted barley. It's a melted Hershey bar. Low-grade chocolate. Distinct Rogue Pacman yeast. Sweet and roasty.

Taste: Roasty dark chocolate and chocolate malts. Bitter cocoa edge. Tannic. Tons of milk chocolate and the missing cocoa powder from the nose. Mildly earthy and distinctly Rogue. Yeasty undertone. roasted barley with an undercurrent of oats. So much chocolate and not necessarily in a good way.

Mouthfeel: Vague notions of carbonation. Body has hints of creamy and smooth. Medium body overall.

Overall: Oh Rogue, you so silly with your gamble chocolate.

Acrid in its roast and sweet in its chocolate. Add to that some Pacman yeast and it falls apart at the seams. Lots of flavor that feels thin and flat.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 04:06:47 | More by Goblinmunkey7

scratch69

Missouri

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

I poured a bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance- Very dark brown with a fingers worth of brown head. Nice amount of sticky lacing.

Smell- Milk chocolate aroma dominates with a hint of dark roasted malt.

Taste- Strong chocolate flavor balanced out with a bitter hop finish.

Mouthfeel- Full bodied, creamy, and smooth. Lightly carbonated.

Overall- Very good stout with lots of chocolate flavor. Just a tad too bitter at the finish but still very delicious.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 23:30:50 | More by scratch69

Breen

Kansas

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

Pour/Appearance: A black pour without much change in light; velvety tan, 1 finger, head that dissipates slowly with moderate glass lacing.

Smell: Strong smell of milky chocolate pretty much overpowers any other notes. I initially perceived some cherries, but think it was the chocolate malt.

Mouthfeel: A creamy and smooth stout that isn't too heavy, yet retains a full-bodied character.

Taste: The chocolate flavor is evident, and it is balanced with a bitter finish from the hops and subtle spicy notes in-between.

Overall: This is an excellent stout overall. It's a bit too bitter of a finish for my liking, but still quite drinkable nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 22:22:37 | More by Breen

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This stout pours really dark, velveety black. The head is tall and deep beige in color. Fading head leaves wispy curains of lace.

Very malty aromatics. A hint of roasted malts a big dose of chocolate, bittersweet.

Taste is very good with an excellent malt profile. Chocolate malts are rich and bittersweet.
It first I thought the chocolate might be over the top but this is not the case for as it warms, it mellows and compliments.

Drinks smooth but not a full body brew. Some bitterness in the finish.

Everything here works in harmony to create a highly drinkable beer. My only regret is I wish it had more roasted malt bite.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 21:35:39 | More by micromaniac129

tdm168

North Carolina

4.48/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - pitch black, almost oil-like with a soft, brown head that has decent retention

S - rich, bittersweet chocolate, very faint roasted malts

T - rich, sweet chocolate, faint roasted malts, a little bitterness in the finish

M - full bodied, smooth, lightly carbonated

This is a fantastic dessert beer. It's like drinking Hershey's chocolate. The body and mouthfeel are spot on, and the flavor is almost perfect. The only drawback here is that I probably wouldn't want more than one bottle for myself at a time. That one bottle however will be plenty delicious.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 08:02:57 | More by tdm168

Jemonster

California

4.7/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A: THIS is what a stout should look like. Deep, deep, brown. Pours like motor oil that is way overdue for a change. Light brown head with heavy lacing. Dense. Don't even bother holding it up to a light.

S: Pretty good but lighter than expected. Milk chocolate, caramel and malt. Was expecting roasty/nutty but didn't get much, maybe some light almonds.

T: Chocolate all the way through. Some tangy zest right after the beginning, bitter cocoa, and a little bit of hop bitterness at the finish. Straightforward and no nonsense, even though it does have chocolate in it. Makes up for its lack of complexity with balanced chocolate and malt flavor. Some nuttiness in there.

M: Just like a good stout should be. Creamy, almost milky. A decent amount of carbonation that doesn't quite make it through because of the rich body, but it's perfectly "there."

O: This isn't just a novelty beer like I assumed at first, but it's really good and solid. Although chocolate and stout isn't the most creative combination in the world, it is definitely done well in this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2012 03:57:41 | More by Jemonster

GMB

Japan

4.93/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

The bottle tells us that this beer is made with "imported chocolate." If ever there were a beer to give us reason to consider the Reinheitsgebot as outdated, this beer is it.

Rogue Chocolate Stout pours a very deep, ebony body with a cappuccino head. When this beer is held up against a strong light source, orange and red hues are only barely visible at the top and bottom of the glass.

The nose is outstanding. Intense aromas of dark-roasted malt and dark chocolate mingle with floral notes that are both spicy and resinous.

The taste of this beer something that I'll crave in the coming weeks. As the nose suggested, the dark-roasted malt are at the fore, and come together in perfect balance with the bittering hops to create the flavor of coffee. Moreover, a perfect balance of hoppy bitterness, roasted malt and chocolate flavor, produces the distinct flavor of a mocha. This is the beer's main flavor base, in relief against which floral, peppery, and citrusy notes dance on the palate. The alcohol content is key here. It warms the palate just enough to complete the sensation of a warm mocha, and complements the hoppy aromatics with notes of dried fruits (e.g., raisins, figs, dried apricots, and prunes) without confusing or neutralizing them.

The mouthfeel is a just a bit gassier, which is to say sharper, than I would like. Its body is full and luscious; a perfect complement to its chocolatey taste. If only the foam on my tongue were as luscious and creamy as the beer's flavor demands...

I was fortunate to have had a handful of roasted nuts, dark and golden raisins, and a couple of chipotle chocolate almonds on hand as I enjoyed this beer. If you feel so inclined, I urge you to try any (or all) of these as snack pairings.

Why the perfect overall score despite the imperfect mouthfeel? Because the imperfection is so slight, and because Rogue's Chocolate Stout is not only among the best Chocolate Stouts out there, it is also among the best beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2012 01:25:07 | More by GMB

mattbk

New York

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a brewmaster's stout glass.

A- Deep black, huge cascading head, tan, very long retention.
S- Chocolate, roast, slight hop bitterness, slight vanilla. Good.
T- Very nice. Roast for sure, followed by a solid, but not overwheleming chocolate flavor. Bitterness, likely from the dark malts. Creamy, almost milkshake like. The roast malt teeters on the edge of acidic, but not quite offensive. Maybe a bit more bitter than expected, the chocolate is a dark bitter chocolate rather than a sweet milk chocolate. Nothing amazing here, but very solid.
M- Love the mouthfeel here, so creamy, full, but not too full. Nice head, but not too carbonated.
O- A solid Amercan stout, not overwhelmingly good, but a very safe choice for any occasion calling for a dark beer. Would go great in the winter while watching the hockey game.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 00:47:54 | More by mattbk

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 22 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is strong of chocolate,a bit of malts. Taste is also very chocolatey, some malts, a touch of hop bitterness. Feels full bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2012 16:04:55 | More by tone77

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

4.15/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

650ml bottle poured in a Gulden Draak tulip glass.

Appearance- Pitch black almost like a coca cola with little brownish head that has a decent lacing.

Smell- Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.

Taste- Dark chocolate with roasted malts and a piney hop balance. My only gripe is that I wish the chocolate flavor was a little bit sweeter.

Mouthfeel- Nice thick mouthfeel with easy drinkability.

Overall- A very tasty stout that hits the mark. My only nit pick is that since it's called chocolate stout that it could be just a smidge sweeter.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2012 00:27:32 | More by BrownAleMale

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-dark brown black color with a small tan head and slight lacing

S-dark malt, chocolate, hints of bitterness

T-roasted barley, chocolate, nice bitter notes

F-medium body with light to moderate carbonation, smooth and creamy

O-delicious! Nice for sipping with dessert.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 16:23:59 | More by MDDMD

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some notes of dark brown and amber when held up to the light and some moderate amounts of visible carbonation near the surface. The beer has a quarter finger tall dark mocha head that quickly reduces to a thin film covering about 50% of the surface of the beer with a small patch of larger bubbles and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and cocoa powder. There are some subtler hints of dark roasted malts as well.

T: Very similar to the smell, the taste of this beer is dominated by the flavors of chocolate - both milk chocolate and cocoa powder. There is an underlying flavor of dark roasted malt which imparts a light amount of bitterness, which lingers slightly.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth and creamy.

O: Easy to drink and very enjoyable, one of the more sessionable chocolate stouts I have tried. There is a very pleasant flavor with just enough complexity. A very enticing aroma to bring you in.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 01:30:25 | More by dbrauneis

Patrick2012

California

4.63/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in 16 oz. tulip glass

A: Pitch black with great big dark mocha colored head.

S: All I can honestly really smell is a strong cocoa aroma and maybe a little bit of hops. most of the scents are overpowered by the chocolate. its like smelling a bottle of hersheys syrup. not very complex but very good aroma

T: Bitter and hoppy that counters with a little sweetnes. the blend with chocolate gives it a bit of an espresso taste to it. Very nice. smooth and creamy. Love this a lot.

M: Hoppy bitterness and a bit of chocolate linger on my tongue. tastes very good.

O: delicious beer that I see myself picking up at bevmo every now and again. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 02:00:01 | More by Patrick2012

Falcon91Wolvrn03

California

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – Opaque super dark blackish brown, with a thick, creamy, chocolaty brown head. Spotted lacing.

Smell – Chocolate and cocoa powder - that pretty much sums it up. Sweet chocolate rather than bitter; kind of reminds me of Nestle quick (in a good way).

Taste – Chocolate and malts; a bittersweet chocolate taste that I didn’t pick up in the nose.

Mouthfeel – Lightly carbonated, a little thin (not a bad thing), silky, with a nice chocolaty aftertaste.

Drinkability – This is a highly drinkable beer. A great American stout!

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 05:18:24 | More by Falcon91Wolvrn03

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap into a shaker glass at the Rogue Public House in Eugene

A- Poured almost black (some red hues shining though, small frothy head that left no lace

S- Big hershey's syrup aroma, some roasted coffee, bittersweet and dark chocolate notes

T- Big hershey's syrup flavor, bittersweet chocolate, mineral flavor, and that taste that is in every Rogue beer (I guess it is the Pacman yeast). Not really any roasty notes. A sweet stout with some nice bitterness to balance out the sweetness

M- Like chocolate syrup, smooth, prickly carbonation, finished dry, medium to full bodied

O- Nice sweet stout with different chocolate notes in the taste and aroma. Great smooth mouthfeel too.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2012 04:39:23 | More by Hoptometrist

Hopswagger

Oklahoma

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

P:  Dark black body with brown amber edges crowned with thick chocolate milk head that fades fast. 

S:  The nose comes through with rich chocolate silk pie aroma, bittersweet dark cocoa and milk chocolate. Oreos, non dairy creamer, no bake cookies, and roasted barley. 

T/M:  Medium-full body that is sticky and has a sting of carbonation on the tip of the tongue. The taste is more bitter chocolate than the sweet creamy nose.  The roasted barley, and rolled oats welcome the dark cocoa bitterness, while room temp coffee layers the roof of my mouth. The barley may actually be overpowering the cocoa. The finish is dry and after some time leaves a faint cinnamon biscotti presence. 

O:  Rogue has created a nice chocolate stout that I could smell all day. The upsetting part is that it is not transferred to the taste so much. Heavy roasted barley fades the rich cocoa flavor. This does not create a total loss however for this stout is still rather tasty. This would be a great stout to have around Christmas time next to a crackling fire. 

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 21:16:02 | More by Hopswagger

TheRealBigC

Nevada

3.9/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Kind of surprised with this one. Was expecting a creamier brew. This one is a standard American stout, done very well, but for me it doesn't totally live up to the name. The chocolate is there, but it's very bittersweet. I say baker's chocolate and really high percentage cacao bars. A whole different kind of bitter compared to hops, but quite bitter. No doubt it's a unique one, and a very good one, but as far as chocolate stouts go, Young's handily beats this one because it is brewed in the milk/sweet style, which I think lends itself better to the chocolate. I feel like I'm kind of underscoring it, but you get my point.

Serving type: on-tap

08-18-2012 06:53:37 | More by TheRealBigC

mjtiernan

New York

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

22oz bottle poured into a short-stemmed tulip. No idea on the date, but should be a fairly recent bottle.

A: Super black body with a frothy dark brown one-finger head. Good head retention.

S: Heavy chocolate...more of the milk variety than dark or semi-sweet. Cafe au lait. Faint alcohol. Maybe a tiny bit of pepper or anise.

T: A modest dose of chocolate up front. Not as much as you might think from the aroma. Mid palate has a pronounced smoke, pepper and woody/tobacco profile. Some bitter hoppiness in the finish.

M: A little on the thin side, but there’s just barely enough creamy mouthfeel to pull it off. Actually pretty easy to drink if you aren’t put off by the earthiness aspect (which I’m not).

O: This was quite a bit different than I expected. Not really a chocolate bomb like Choklat. I’d be more likely to pair it with a cigar than a dessert. I’m not in love with it, but I could easily see myself craving aspects of the flavor profile at some point down the road.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 02:23:10 | More by mjtiernan

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Ba Review #210
Served On: 08/15/2012
Glassware: Pint Glass
Labeled ABV: -
Date/ Code: -

Grabbed this one at Wegmans in Mechanicsburg, PA back on my birthday last year (December). The 22oz. bomber has been in my cellar until today.

Look: Poured a pitch black with a huge 3-finger rocky tan head. Carbonation level was undetectable through the black color. Overall appearance was fantastic.

Smell: Notes of roasted coffee and dark chocolate. Some earthy hops came through with some hints of juniper. A maple scent was also noticeable.

Taste: First was a sweet rustic character reminiscent of a burning pile of dry fall leaves. The middle was a smooth black coffee with a semisweet dark chocolate that lead into a dull roasted finish that eventually became more of a charred oak note.

This was a wonderful stout. I was expecting a little more sweetness, but the charred character was actually rather interesting. I can’t speak to what the cellar actually did for the beer, but it certainly didn’t seem to hurt anything.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 17:19:51 | More by CraftBeerTastic

TBoneJones

Texas

4.55/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Nearly pitch-black with a robust slightly tan head. 
Smells of chocolate, roasty. 
Creamy feel with a cocoa taste that lingers slighty bitter. Lacing just clings to the pint glass. Carbonation and the silk, i enjoy the mouthfeel. High drinkability even as it warms a bit. Not bad paired up with chocolate frozen yogurt and dark chocolate coffee beans, in this case (the latter especially blends in with the aftertaste, which seems of chocolaty coffee grinds to me). In the end, a burnt cocoa brew that is not too sweet and is very easy to drink. I want to try Rogue's double of this. 

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 04:06:54 | More by TBoneJones