Chocolate Stout - Rogue Ales

Drinkerofales

California

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

A black beer, with brown and red on the edges, no light passes. A dense medium mocha head leaves plenty of lacing.

Smell is as advertised, milk chocolate up front and bitter chocolate in the end.

Tastes of roasted malt, bitter chocolate, with a hint of the sweet in the middle. Well balanced.

Feels creamy and smooth, with a touch of bite on the tongue.

Very up front about the chocolate, and it delivers. Nice beer, I am planning a cake to be made from this stuff.

DOA

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 02:56:29 | More by Drinkerofales

divineaudio

Michigan

2.68/5  rDev -36%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1

bomber shared with my gf. snifter.

a - pours a deep dark brown with a thin cap of sudsy, tan foam. head calms slowly, leaving thick rings of lacing in the glass.

s - cocoa powder, sourdough bread, grassy hops.

t - cocoa powder with an herbal bitterness that totally dominates the flavor profile. has an off putting chemical aftertaste that gets really nasty as the beer warms, i'm assuming from the added flavoring.

m - full bodied with lots of carbonation. finer co2 profile.

o - meh. would be enjoyable if it weren't for the weird chemical flavors. one of the few beers i have ever drainpoured. probably won't be buying anything from rogue again.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 06:03:59 | More by divineaudio

inacht10

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pretty amazing beer.
Nice pour, nice color, great smell. Tastes great. Great great great etc etc
I'm not sure how many of these I'd want to have in one sitting, but this is really one of the be(tter?)(est?) stouts I've had.
They're not kidding about the chocolate taste, btw. I've had lots of stouts that were labeled as chocolate but tasted overwhelmingly like coffee. Not so with this one. As a lover of both chocolate and stouts, this one is right up my alley.
Excellent beer

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 03:34:52 | More by inacht10

BillH200174

California

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

A beautiful pour, rich deep color with chocolate brown head that laced and cling to the glass. The aroma was of a chocolate malt and the taste began chocolate and then had a cofee/tofee flavor. Nice hop balance and a delicious coffee aftertaste. Just a touch dry at the very end.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2012 14:34:18 | More by BillH200174

Swim424

Florida

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

poured into chalice

A-pours a dark deep brown/black. can't see any light through. has a chocolate brown head

S-smells of chocolate and a bit of oatmeal. Smells very thick.

T-tastes of a nice rich chocolate with a bit of oatmeal worked in. has sort of a bitterness to it, not very sweet. Not really any coffee to it either.

MF-Thick and creamy. balanced carbonation. pretty smooth.

O-this is delicious. I have had it once before and it was just as good. I highly recommend this, one of the best chocolate stouts I have had.

This one is better after it gets a bit warmer because the cold numbs alot of the flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 01:59:11 | More by Swim424

Number45forever

Vermont

3.93/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Excited for this one, Rogue is great and this beer comes highly recommended.

A gentle pour into my 2012 KATE THE GREAT SNIFTER gave a one finger dark hkaki head. Faded to a nice coating of tan bubbles on top of a black beer.

Smell is a hint of dark chocolate, some floral hops too. Very nice, a bit sharper than I expected. But nice.

Taste immediately hits you with VERY dark chocolate accentuated by a slight burst of hops. Fades into a creamy, milky chocolate. There is NO DOUBT that this is a chocolate stout. I'm currently drinking this one a bit too cold...

After letting this thing warm in the glass for 15 minutes, it's slightly creamier with a milkier chocolate finish. Goes down easy.

Moutfeel is slightly lighter than ideal. If this was thicker, I'd be in love. Still, for a 6% ABV beer this is what it is: easy to drink and quite choco-riffic.

This was a good beer. It's not the best thing I've ever had, but I'd be happy to drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 03:48:22 | More by Number45forever

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep brown cola color with a two finger frothy khaki colored head. The head stays for a decent amount of time and leaves some lines of lace on the glass. The aroma is of a roasty malt backbone with the aroma of bitter chocolate coming through as well. The taste has a roasty malt backbone with a bitter chocolate taste up front and in the middle. The back end has a milk chocolate sweetness to it. The mouthfeel is smooth and lowly carbonated. Overall it is a decent stout, not best in class but it is good for what it is suppose to be.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2012 22:48:06 | More by goblue3509

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a 2" head of nice deep mocha, and with longer lifespan than you usually see in a dark beer. The body is black as coffee. Smell had roasted malt up front and chocolate more in the back. Taste was the reverse, rich on cocoa. There's a long bitter aftertaste more akin to unsweetened dark chocolate than bitters or roasted malt. All in all a quality chocolate product, and a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 09:33:27 | More by MoreThanWine

Josh

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

A - Dark, silky looking, two fingers of thick brown head. It takes several minutes for the head to subside, but a residual "slick" of head stays on the top. As you drink, head-like residue coats the side you are not sipping.

S - The smell came in waves for me. First I smelled bitter unsweetened chocolate, followed by a sweet smell that reminded me of thick drinking cocoa, and finished with a slight burn of alcohol.

T - Starts out slightly bitter, which is quickly overpowered by slightly sweet chocolate (not too sweet for a beer though), then slowly fades to a perfect bitter.

M - It starts out with slight carbonation, and goes down silky smooth like 2% milk.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 01:10:09 | More by Josh

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

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

A- Pours a deep, deep brown, essentially black color with a very small, chocolate brown head that is quickly gone. Head leaves a little foam patch that is there the whole drink.

S- All sweet malts and chocolate on the nose. Deep malted grains with possibly a hint of a black licorice scent in there. This smells simply delicious.

T- Huge dark chocolate and malt flavors. Chocolate tones are all very dark and deep with little sweetness to them. Maybe slight hints of coffee intermingled with all the burnt malts. Slight tart bite on the end from the not-so-sweet chocolate. Gets better with every drink. Not terribly complex, but very delicious.

M- Relatively light and easy to drink. Somewhat high carbonation for a stout, but doesn't detract from the beer.

Overall, a very good chocolate stout. A little sweeter flavor would be preferable, but a very enjoyable brew. Great way to venture into Rogue's offerings.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 01:00:45 | More by boilermakerbrew

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

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

With some brews, Rogue is overpriced. But a $7 bomber? That doesn’t seem too bad for a pretty big beer. I hope it has the quality of other $0.30/ounce beers I’ve had, at least. Let’s find out…

A: Deep, rich brown with a silky, oily chestnut head. The body is opaque, but looks light and a tad shiny. Possibly due to the fizzy nature of the retention, the bottom of the head looks darker than the top; it’s as if the head is a soft piece of bread, with a soggy darkening on half of it after it’s been dipped into soup. Lacing is here-and-there, webbed and chunky.

S: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, and just the way I had hoped: no waxy, chalky cocoa powder, just rich brownie fudge, chocolate pie filling, and German milk chocolate (Kinder bars come to mind). Hazelnut, caramel, and toffee ooze from the malts, whose sweetness is only put off by a slight crisp aroma of oat. Smells a lot like a chocolate/hazelnut wafer (like Knoppers, overall, going back to German candy).

T: Familiar Rogue malts are right up front, showing their light spice and mouthfuls of grain. The chocolate is just like the nose: palpably sweet, but not chalky at all. It grounds the palate in earthiness, but not in a sugary, overwhelming way. The hops are like nothing I’ve ever had: they come off as lemon-rind bitterness and some cools bitter, like peppermint. Thank you Rogue Micro Hopyard for the new flavors! They work well in this palate. It finishes with more hazelnut and chocolate syrup, and even a smoky hint of mocha. Smooth flavors all around.

M: Mouth-coating, but not to an obnoxious extent. It still has that wateriness of a 6% brew, which does well to keep it drinkable. Very little fizz to be found.

O: This is one of the best uses of chocolate in a beer I’ve had, especially in the nose. Though light and smooth, this stout is as rich and filling as ever. $0.30/ounce? I’d say that’s the perfect price for beer like this.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 21:53:43 | More by BarryMFBurton

frogships

Minnesota

3.43/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a standard pilsner glass.

A: Pours a jet black with a hue on the bottom where light barely gets through of the darkest brown possible. there is a 2 finger foamy/bubbly head that goes down after about a minute or two but does retain a small half finger of bubbly head for a few more minutes. Minimal lacing, but some circulated throughout the glass.

S: Sweet chocolate, like sticking your nose in a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Rather pleasant.

T: Dark chocolate. Sweet but a tad bitter, like dark chocolate. It is a nice tasting stout that is dominant in the chocolate taste of course, but tastes like a stout nonetheless.

Mouthfeel: pretty full bodied with moderate carbonation. Very smooth like a stout should be but heavier than anything i would call medium bodied.

O: I am not overly impressed with the stout. It is a nice chocolate stout, a sweet smell and dark chocolate taste provides some complexity and uniqueness, but it lacks something that I can't quite put my finger on. I just didn't love it and I would consider it a tad overrated given the scores on this site, but I would recommend giving it a try for sure.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 07:03:07 | More by frogships

BeardedRiker

Texas

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

I don't often drink Rogue beers. I'm...not really sure why. Maybe because they're just a tad more expensive than other beers and I've had most of what they've had to offer. However, I've not had their Chocolate Stout. All of Rogue's stouts are rated very highly. I found their Shakespeare Stout to be fantastic. It's Fat Tuesday so I will indulge myself in something chocolate. Now it's time to see how this beer fares.

This beer pours out the darkest of brown. Only when held up to the light can you make out the faintest of transparency and a slight ruby color. The head forms slowly and thick, about three fingers high. It's creamy and a light brown. Though it fizzes out pretty quickly, it does leave some good lacing.

This smells delicious. Rich chocolate, like smelling a bag of cocoa powder almost. It's definitely on the milk chocolate side, however, instead of a cocoa-rich dark chocolate smell. Oats and some coffee bitterness make themselves known as well. Sugary sweet chocolate. Honestly, this is just straight up chocolate. Chocolate bomb! The smell isn't complex...but damn does it smell awesome.

This is definitely a beer that tastes much better when let warm a bit. At first mostly what I got was cocoa and coffee bitterness, but now all of the flavors have showed up for the chocolate party. First to the tongue is the sugary sweetness and luxurious chocolate flavors. There's some noticeable hoppiness that adds some bitterness but it's not too strong. Following the milk chocolate goodness, although I wouldn't say this beer has a lactose taste to it, is cocoa and coffee that bring more of a full flavor and bitterness of their own. In the end roasted oats show up that lingers well with the cocoa and chocolate.

This is on the heavier side of medium-bodied...or on the lighter side of full-bodied with medium carbonation. Although I wish it had a bit more body, it's exceptionally smooth and creamy as well as drinkable. It's a bit dry overall but I'd say it's just a tad sticky from the sweetness.

If you like chocolate then this is an obvious choice for a beer to drink. It's so chocolatey that it's almost like drinking some milk chocolate, though without the lactose taste. This beer just screams, "Delicious chocolate!" I do prefer stouts to have more body and more complexity in smell and taste but in this case the Chocolate Stout excels so well in being a CHOCOLATE stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 05:41:56 | More by BeardedRiker

Pexkool

Mexico

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes, second time tasting it but first time reviewing.

A - Completely dark, as you cannot see any light through it. Pours a little dark brown head with no lace afterwards.

S - Delicious chocolate, like smelling a freshly unwrapped bar of fine chocolate. Sweet chocolate, raisins and dark fruits.

T - Coffee, toffee, dark chocolate (unlike the chocolate you can smell, it may be kind of surprising it tastes like dark chocolate), roasted malts and smoked flavors.

M - Carbonation is the first thing that comes to my mind, then the bitterness in the back of your mouth and tongue. Nonetheless, it also feels smooth.

Overall, an excellent stout with the kind of chocolate taste I like: Smooth and quite a complete body while not being too complex. I would have it again and again, but it's still not the top on my list.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 07:42:37 | More by Pexkool

Mantooth

North Carolina

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

On recommendation from JdoubleA, I picked up a bomber of this fine beverage - poured it into a Samichlaus tulip glass.

A: Inky black body wearing a massive mocha-crown hat & superglue-sticky lacing.

S: Straight up coco - malted milk ball, y'all.

T: Ex-wife bitter coco explosion, good bit of roasted malt as well but the coco dominates, think of the bitterness of powdered hot coco.

M: Rogue brews all seem a little thin to me - this one is no exception, but the classic dry stout mouthfeel takes over quickly and pretty much makes up for it.

O: A damn good chocolate stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 16:00:38 | More by Mantooth

Arborescence

Finland

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pitch black, pours a massive, creamy head.

Aroma: Chocolate, unsurprisingly. Malt, light toasty notes. And some more chocolate!

Taste: Well, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I taste some chocolate… It’s a rather milky combination of chocolate and malt though, rather than the very dark, roasted chocolate flavour that you get with some Chocolate Stouts (I have Young’s Double Chocolate Stout in mind in particular). The beer supposedly packs a lot of hops as well, but I can’t really taste them, the chocolate and malt are overwhelming. Perhaps there is a hint of bitterness in the aftertaste, but that as well is dominated by notes of roasted malt.

Mouthfeel: Full and quite soupy.

Overall: This is my first sampling of the Chocolate Stout, and I was expecting not to be disappointed — I wasn’t! The beer is rated extremely highly, but there are some very valid competitors in this category...

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 21:40:50 | More by Arborescence

muskiesman

New Jersey

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

from my notes:
22 oz bottle poured into tulip glass
Poured a dark coffee with a mocha head of two fingers that slowly fades to a heavy patchwork lacing through out the experience. Dark chocolate and roasted coffee on the nose followed by taste of expresso beans in dark chocolate surprisingly not very sweet but a dry cocoa and rich maltyness. Also present in the mouth very rich with out the unnecessary sugars. One of the best overall chocolate stouts.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 23:51:06 | More by muskiesman

iabeerbaron

Iowa

3.8/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Very excited to try this beer and it didn’t disappoint. Black, thick pour with a thick tan head. Aroma of chocolate, smoke, coffee. Chocolate flavor with some coffee and it is very smooth. Highly enjoyable! This is a mainstay in my fridge; enjoy it on all occasions.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 19:10:18 | More by iabeerbaron

barnzy78

Illinois

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

22oz bottle, pours jet black with a milk chocolatey head that holds good retention and leaves tons of lacing on the glass. Aromas are cocoa, chocolate Twizzlers, kind of musty, with hot chocolate powder. Tastes are chocolatey again, with molasses, oatmeal cookie, chocolate Twizzler again, with some hop on the finish that prickles the tongue. Mouth-feel is full-bodied, smooth and creamy, with a slight dryness on the finish with some dark cocoa powder. Overall, I have wanted to try this for years, but never did. It's good, but I'm not big on the artificial chocolate flavors I'm picking up here. Luckily it has so many other things going for it, that they can be ignored to a degree.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 03:37:18 | More by barnzy78

hogrider

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured in a clear glass goblet, very dark and the stout developed a half in head, very good lacing all around the glass; sniffed and got a strong scent of chocolate milk and roasted coffee beans and alcohol, this is a very inviting brew. Sipped a small amount and swirled around my mouth, I got a full range of complex flavors; bitter but very drinkable, a bitter taste remains in back of my mouth. I drank the first half glass and paired with a mild cheese. Delicious! HOG

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BREWERY…DRINK BEER.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2012 18:04:46 | More by hogrider

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black with some brown chocolate/coffee highlights, with a caramel colored head.

Big chocolate smell backed by roasted malt and bitter coffee.

Taste is bitter chocolate up front reminiscent of cocoa powder, followed by roasted malt with some sweet caramel notes. Bitter coffee is subtle and there is some bitter herb flavor from the hops. Finishes dry and crisp. An excellent beer, it has big chocolate flavor without being sickly sweet. Very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

02-04-2012 20:24:59 | More by Chickenhawk9932

Dools9

Massachusetts

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

Poured into a standard pint...

A: Dark black in color, produces a creamy two finger light brown head. Leaves patchy lacing and retains very well.

S: Milk chocoalte, roasty malts, slightest coffee smell but predominantly sugary chocoalte. Smell is more pronounced as the beer warms.

T: Bittersweet bakers chocolate, roasted malts, hop bitterness in the finish.

M: Medium bodied with good carbonation. Extremly smooth and creamy.
.
O: Wonderful tasting beer. Drinks more like a desert. A bit filling but very, very tasty. Definitely reccommended if you like your stouts

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 03:31:11 | More by Dools9

kylehay2004

Florida

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

.A: 1.5 finger head with tons of circumferential lacing on a jet black body.

S: excellent chocolate aroma, one of the best. Vanilla notes

T: lots of chocolate and vanilla on a roasted malt background.

M: full body, smooth, light to modErate carbonation.

Overall one of the best chocolate stouts I have had. Very drinkable and very smooth.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2012 03:34:27 | More by kylehay2004

suspect

New York

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

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a Dogfish Head Signature glass.

A: Super dark brown beer. Aggressive pour leads to a full 2-finger fluffy espresso colored head that fades to a ring in about 5 minutes. Lacing seems thick and plenty.

S: Lots of chocolate. Not as much sweet-chocolate as Choklat but a lot of nice, bitter, good dark chocolate and nice cocoa flavors shine through. Roasted malts are well represented here as well.

T: Chocolate backs down a bit as the roasted malts step up their game. Definitely can pick up the different malts used as I breathe back out after the swallow. Very nice tasting beer. Cocoa makes its presence known in dark bitter cocoa flavor as well as lending bitterness.

M: Very nice creamy feel. Big bodied American Stout. A touch overcarbonated for my liking but not terribly so.

O: This is a solid chocolate stout. This happens to also be my first offering from Rogue. I'm not sure why I've not tried anything from them until now but that's how it goes. At $4.99, this is a good buy.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 02:13:57 | More by suspect

Siriusfisherman

Montana

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

Appearance: Very dark, black with red tints coming through at the edges when held up to light. A thin brownish, creamy head that disappeared fairly quickly and left a thin ring with a few bubbles.

Smell: A very recognizable chocolate character, a kind of milk chocolate with a definite roast barley smell as well. The blend of malts and barley is very well balanced, but as to expect with a chocolate stout the chocolate is the main character.

Taste: The chocolate again is leading the pack, although in taste it is much more similar to a dark chocolate than in the smell. The roast barley adds some balance as well, probably leading the pack in the flavor from the grain bill. A hop bitterness is present as well, it does feel a little separate from the chocolate and this beer would probably benefit from some limited aging, helping to merge the two into a nice bitter chocolate character. A very well balanced chocolate ale though.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation is a little bit in your face in this beer, I feel it could benefit being toned down a bit. It gives the beer a thin feel, which does not compliment a desert style chocolate stout. The oatmeal does add some lovely smoothness however, and after the beer warms and loses some carbonation in my snifter, it does open up a lot more.

Overall: This is a very good stout, the chocolate character is superb, and overall it is quite balanced. I will say however that the mouthfeel does not compliment the chocolate as well as it could. Perhaps a beer like this would benefit more by having a thicker body, maybe even getting the Imperial Stout upgrade. That is getting picky though, I could drink a bomber of this no problem, and would surely be sad when I see the bottom.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 03:43:21 | More by Siriusfisherman