Chocolate Stout - Rogue Ales

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

brewskifan55

Mississippi

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

Poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass

Appearance: rich, chocolate brown color. Tan, 2 finger head that hangs around. Thick, sparkly lacing.

Smell: malts, chocolate, oats. Kinda soapy, astringent.

Taste: Clean. Expresso-driven. More coffee than chocolate in the taste. Complex. Smokey. It does have a chocolate truffle finish with a bit of hops bitterness.

Mouthfeel: medium to thick. Powerful carbonation.

Overall: I was hoping for more chocolate taste, but it was a warm and inviting stout, nonetheless. Not overpowering. A fine sipper.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 15:43:09 | More by brewskifan55

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

2.1/5  rDev -49.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Bomber to pint glass. Sampled 8/26/11 - This bottle is about two years old at the time of this review.

A: Pours with a huge 5 finger head, foamy and bubbling, medium brown in color and very long lasting. The body is as dark as brown gets.

S: Chocolate, caramel and cookie. The nose is decent, but beyond the cocoa aromas, there is little left to be enjoyed.

T: Rather one dimensional - and offering nothing more than the simple nose.

M: The mouthfeel doesn't give the flavor a chance to shine. Very light and incredibly thin. Carbonation is lively and fizzy, but with the insubstantial body, it works as a detriment, lacking the fullness that is expected in a stout.

O: This will probably be my last review of a beer brewed by Rogue. Whether it's the quality of the brew, or the house yeast-strain, I know that they don't push my buttons.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 01:23:33 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

GardenWaters

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber into a dimpled mug.

A: Pours dark and heavy with a big, dense, tan head. Some lacing present, but nothing overly impressive.

S: Wow, this brew smells absolutely delicious! Big bursts of chocolate rounded off by toasted malts and finishes with a faint, but noticable, hoppy presence.

T: Chocolate, toasted oats, more chocolate, and vanilla with a hint of hazelnut. This beer is not nearly as sweet as I anticipated, which made it all the more appealing. This brew really hides it alcohol well, and is probably the best-balanced stout I've ever tasted.

M: Medium-full bodied with the creaminess that is characteristic of the style. This stout is much more pleasing on the palate than many of the other stouts I've recently had, being it's not over-carbonated and maintains it's depth.

O: This beer feels good and goes down smooth. I would definitely buy it again. Hats off to Rogue on this perfectly-balanced brew!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 08:16:05 | More by GardenWaters

GNWBC

Washington

4.22/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

SUPER TASTY STOUT!!!

P: pours a think dark chocolate brown with a tan head that leaves decent lacing

S: chocolate, toffee, carmel, malt.

T: total chocolate blast, followed by some carmel malt and nice residual sweetness hangs around.

M: is nice and think just how i like my stout.

O: super awesome stout. love the chocolate blast!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 23:43:37 | More by GNWBC

thedoubler55

New Jersey

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

A: A nice black color, with about two fingers of tan head at the top,a sticky lacing around the glass.

S: Chocolate every were, slight notes of coffee but very minimal.

T: Nothing but chocolate like the nose, with a hint of coffee but nothing wild

M: Very thick brew, almost no carbonation, sticky.

O: Delicious, delicious, awesome beer! Loved it!

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2012 22:41:59 | More by thedoubler55

Clowerweb

Ohio

4.85/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from a 22oz. bomber into a pint glass. No visible date on the bottle.

After just having two Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stouts and an entire Stone Double Bastard bomber, I don't know how well the palate is holding up tonight. Let's give this badboy a shot.

A: Black. Black as midnight. Hold it up to the light, still BLACK. Put a flashlight under it, BLACK! I like it! HUGE five finger ebony brown head with respectable retention that stays throughout the whole session, and an amazing sticky lacing spiraling down the glass.

S: Has an indisputable chocolate coffee scent. Sweet caramelized sugar. Not too weak or too strong either. Very slight hint of booze, hops and bittersweet cocoa.

T: Chocolate, dark roasted coffee, roasted malts, some subtly bitter cooking chocolate and hops laced throughout, earthy with a light hint of floral citrus, oats and buttered bread. Finishes sweet with that chocolate coffee goodness and leaves a perfectly subtle bitter hops and cooking cocoa aftertaste. Not too sweet, not too bitter, nice bold flavor and amazing balance. Couldn't ask for better!

M: Nice and full, moderate (perfect) carbonation tickles the tongue, slightly sticky and chewy, sticks to the tongue and walls of the mouth, never dry despite the bitter bite in the finish.

O: This leaves me speechless. It's perfect. It's almost like a dessert. I've been reviewing top beers according to reviews here, and buying what's available at the local stores around my area. I saw this one on the shelf and I'm glad I picked it up.

This stood up against tastings of Stone's Double Bastard and Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout today, and came out the best of these three titans of great beer today. A new favorite. I hope to experience many more times to come. I will buy this again and again. This will be nigh impossible to beat according to this palate.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2012 02:36:12 | More by Clowerweb

Hophead717

Pennsylvania

2.48/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A bomber, split with a friend, and poured into a CBS snifter.

A: Dark as the night, with a half finger mocha head that quickly dissipates.

S: Cocoa powder and more bitter chocolate malt dominate the nose.

T: A very sweet, light stout. Thin, fake chocolate flavor with bitter malts mid-sip. The finish is a very light chocolate, with a lingering bitterness.

M: Light, thin, highly carbonated...too carbonated.

O: Fairly unimpressive. It's pleasantly light if you're looking for a
light, sweet stout, but it pales in comparison to other chocolate stouts, such as SouthernTier Choklat.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 04:03:49 | More by Hophead717

sfprint

Germany

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

Reviewed Jan 8th, 2012

A: Engine Oil black/brown, thick, little visible rising carbontion but a solid 2 finger head, dark for ahead, tan w/ a tinge of crimson orange.
S: Chocolate soda, fairly sweet, I see they use real chocolate, thick creaminess.
T: A hair bitter, but certainly chocolately w. a milky sweetness, on the fence about the added chocolate. Feels like cheating, but I do appreciate it actually tasting like chocolate. Slightly strange chocolate flavor though.
M: Edge of tartness, carbonation gives it a sharper texture.
O: Good, nice balance.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 18:27:47 | More by sfprint

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into a pint glass. Reviewed alongside Harpoon Chocolate Stout.

A: Dark brown/black with two-finger, tan, creamy head that lasted a while. Fantastic lacing.

S: Chocolate and subtle roasted malt. Some hops too.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Chocolate and very nice roasted flavor. Somewhat spicy hop flavor too.

M: Medium bodied with soft carbonation. Smooth and creamy.

O: Love how the hops complement the chocolatey goodness. Good lacing and mouthfeel too. I preferred this over the Harpoon.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 05:01:33 | More by SolipsismalCat

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: on tap at Rogue, Portland, OR

Poured a dark brown-black with a minimal tan head; no lacing to speak of. Milk chocolate in the aroma and a bit of roastiness. Taste of bakers' chocolate, sweet, but powdery, more subtle hints of coffee and nutshells, with a little bitterness in the finish to offset the sweetness. Mouthfeel was smooth, but a little light for the style, I thought. Still a nice drinker overall.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2012 21:00:53 | More by Rifugium

Shadowzz4

Tennessee

3.9/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance- Pours dark as cola syrup out of the bottle. Put right up to a halogen bulb its hue is impenetrable. If you dont watch what your doing you could end up with a 5 inch head.

Smell- The smell of this beer is probably its best attribute, caramel, cream and chocolate come across quick and smooth.

Taste- The taste is the same as the smell with this beer, except it comes through very quickly, as if a massively complex array of malty chocolate flavors are packed into a microsecond, after which those flavors quickly give way to a bitterness that remains.

Overall- This beer smells like... heaven... I mean the delicate balance of malt, sugar and creamy chocolate is incredible. However, the taste of the beer is comparatively average in my opinion. All that wonderful flavor is overwhelmed with a bit too much bite for my taste. The Hazelnut Brown Nectar is the exact opposite, not as rich or full of a smell, but a much smoother finish. Id recommend that over the chocolate stout any day.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 22:59:35 | More by Shadowzz4

kchannel9

California

4.9/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is my new favorite beer, period. I absolutely love everything about it, it is a perfect chocolate stout. I usually favor high IBU India Pale Ales, specifically double IPAs. This beer has single handedly broadened my horizons and become my new favorite. Om Kali Ma

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 10:59:35 | More by kchannel9

newsage

California

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

ONE of the Best!! Anything by Rouge is quality, This is a once a week standard. :::))) :::)))>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 06:08:01 | More by newsage

Scotchboy

Idaho

4.38/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

From notes, sampled 12/30.

22oz bomber split into Perfect Pint glasses with the wife.

A: Pours stout dark and opaque, with a big fluffy tan head with tight bubbles and decent lace.

S: Tons of chocolate, some sweeter dark malts, and a touch of vanilla and caramel.

T: Genuine, not artificial, silky milk chocolate from start to finish. A touch of roast bitterness that lets you know its still beer, and maybe a touch of lactose/lactose sugar.

MF: A bit thin and watery if I had to complain about something.

O: This is a champ, right up there with Choklat as my favorites. Bourbon barrel age this thing and it might be all 5's.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 15:43:53 | More by Scotchboy

jkanavel

Texas

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

A: Jet black. Completely opaque. Mocha head but little retention. Nice sheets of bubbles clinging to the glass.

S: Swiss Miss.

T: Carob, ovaltine, roast barley. Really respectable. Not as candy toothed as I thought it would be. I sometimes shy away from flavored beers because I feel like I'm drinking a mediocre beer with some additives to mask it. This is a great stout, with chocolate in it.

M: Smooth and creamy, just the way a chocolate stout should be. Somewhat redolent of chocolate milk. A little sparkle of carbonation in there too, but not distracting from the silked out smoothness.

O: Very satisfying and steadying.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 21:59:51 | More by jkanavel

TheAlamoWrocker

Texas

3.28/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Reviewed January 1, 2012. Poured a 650 mL bottle into a mug.

A: This poured quite an interesting head, the head was thickly carbonated with over 4 fingers in size. This poured black, but it seemed almost like a black molasses color. Laces quite amazingly.

S: This has a strong chocolate malt smell. The head that stays strong is odd in the smell that it adds because its almost bubbly (to an extent soapy). The chocolate malt oddly comes in strongest during the swallow of the drink.

T: This carries an odd taste in that it's not really sweet. This was a drink that I've heard praise about its chocolatey goodness, but it's not at all what I was hoping for. This carries like a powdery chocolatey taste, extremely malty almost like a fountain malt shake.

M: This hits the tongue heavily carbonated (almost like a soda), but then it transforms into a full bodied thick drink. This definitely carries a nice creamy thickness.

O: I'm not quite sure that this is rated as high as it is. This as a decent taste and all, but it doesn't really feel like a beer. The taste are simply to simple in this.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 12:29:22 | More by TheAlamoWrocker

dansmcd

Australia

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

A - Black with dark brown at the edges, beneath two fingers of brown foamy head and then webs of lacing.

S - Milk chocolate, raisins and dark berries. Earthy and enticing.

T - Bitter dark chocolate on the palate with nuts and roasted malt. Quite smoky also.

M - Dry and dusty. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O - Thoroughly enjoyed after dinner with a snickers.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 05:09:07 | More by dansmcd

BeerMeInMS

Mississippi

4.72/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Drinking Date: 12/31/11

Glassware: Pint

Appearance: Pitch black with foamy, bubbly brown head that leaves thick lacing behind as sip through the brew.

Smell: At first sniff a zesty, floral/citrusy hop smell was the heart of the aroma. However, as the head got thinner, Milk chocolaty notes asserted themselves for a mild, but pleasing smell.

Taste: A sharp cocoa flavor was foremost that was immediately accompanied with a roasted character; hops shone through and provided a zesty but balanced bitterness; then sweet chocolate comes in that reminded me of desert; These flavors play around in every sip; As it comes up to room temperature, the sweetness and roasted notes become more pronounced; finishes surpisingly clean with some bitterness, which allows the next sip to be met with a fairly clean palate. Wonderful...

Mouthfeel: Velvety smooth and rich; crisp and clean on the end.

Overall: The taste is perfect...It's got variety, depth, and complexity all wrapped in deliciousness. Great Brew and Highly Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 23:33:33 | More by BeerMeInMS

ksimons

New York

4.47/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-a very dark chestnut brown with lots of visible carbonation bubbles and a fingers worth of rocky tan head

S-the smell is dominated by rich milk chocolate, roasted malts, and a light bitter hop bitterness

T-the taste is very rich and creamy. Very similar to the smell but the hops are more present than the smell. The chocolate still makes a large appearance along with some roasted coffee and caramel.

M-full body, medium carbonation, smooth and creamy

Overall this is a great beer and one of the best chocolate beers I have tasted.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2011 00:25:22 | More by ksimons

tvv375ia

Iowa

4.4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

poured from 22oz bottle into imperial pint glass

A-dark brown/black with no light even coming through the edges had about a 2 finger tan head that faded to a nice cap with a lot of lacing

S-chocolate dominates the smell not much else comes through unless you want to try to differentiate dark chocolate, milk chocolate and cocoa

T-much like the smell no room for any other flavors

M-a little thin but not bad if it was a little creamier it would be like a chocolate candy bar but not as sweet

O-this is pretty good and I will probably pick up some more when they are on sale

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 01:47:05 | More by tvv375ia