Double Chocolate Stout - Rogue Ales

VoodooBear

Puerto Rico

3.23/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Presentation: 750mL bottle with a red coating. Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Two finger dark tan head that fizzles out rather quickly. It's pretty much black in color and it leaves some good lacing.

Smell: A sweet chocolate smell dominates, with some hints of roasted malt in the background.

Taste: Tastes of dark and milk chocolate, with some smokiness from the roasted malt. It's very sweet. There's some bitterness at the end but it's not really that noticeable.

Mouthfeel: There's very little carbonation. It's creamy, smooth, full bodied and rather strong. After drinking about half a glass it starts getting cloying because of the sweetness.

Overall: It's a sweet treat, best to have it in small doses. You'll enjoy it a lot more if you pair it with any chocolate dessert, because by itself it'll just feel like too much sweetness after a while.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2013 07:37:57 | More by VoodooBear

TBoneJones

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours deep black, caramel foamy head that starts off fluffy and recedes.
Smells great. Milky chocolate, dark fruit, a creamy vanilla hint.
Tastes like the smell, but now I'm getting that U-Bet chocolate syrup as it tastes in one of one of those soda shop egg creams. Great vanilla swirls around in here too. A slightly bitter but roasted aftertaste. That's it, simple but great.
Incredibly smooth and silky, carbonation is medium.
Great double stout, and although lacking complexity this one's now a new favorite of mine simply due to how Rogue makes use of what's in here.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2013 02:04:45 | More by TBoneJones

57md

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is a deep dark brown with a thin layer of head that still left some nice lacing behind. Chocolate and a little roast were present in the nose. Chocolate was very upfront in the flavor and the roasted bitterness took over on the finish. However, there was a lingering chocolatey sweetness throughout. Excellent effort and a true chocolate beer experience!

Serving type: on-tap

05-08-2013 05:18:06 | More by 57md

Misanthropy_Sipping

Nebraska

3.81/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Had this some time ago and really thought it was good. Picked one up, recently on a long trek.

Pours a nice rich dark brown and appears practically black in the glass. Has a thin and quickly fleeting deep brown head. Looks promising.

Smell is nice, definitely robust. Charred coffee and dark chocolate all the way. A tad sweet, hint of honey and some booze. Prominent chocolate and coffee though.

Taste is robust, big, strong dark coffee with the whole burnt char bitterness. There is a strong lingering essence of milky dark chocolate... kind of wavers. The chocolate kind of hangs over the whole stout like a veil. has some sweetness on the front but it set back by the roast and coffee malts. The hops kill it off as well and dry out the end with a woody and slightly piney hop profile. Tad bit of booze on the end as well among the hops.

Mouthfeel is a little weak for me. It seems a bit too light. I would prefer it have a bit more body or oiliness. The robust taste just doesn't seem to fit the bill. If this were a slightly bigger and even more aggressive beer it would be phenomenal for me.

Overall it grows on you. I am through my first glass and I feel ready for another and will be satisfied with a tad more. Glad I am sharing this one though. It is slightly reminiscent of Sam Smiths Chocolate Stout. Just more robust and bitter. At the price it is a bit hard to want another. The purpose for me taking another would be to age and see if I can knock down some of the bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 03:31:01 | More by Misanthropy_Sipping

hreb

Washington

4.18/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Red painted 750mL bottle served in imperial pint glass. Beer is pitch black in color with a healthy brown head. Big chocolate aroma, as expected... not too sweet, doesn't smell like candy or anything. Just cocoa.

Flavor is semi-sweet chocolate up front and bitter chocolate right through the middle. Mouthfeel is quite thick and creamy. Reminds me more of Stone bitter chocolate oatmeal stout that Brooklyn black chocolate stout, though both are favorites. There is a bit of tang from hops in here, though.

This beer is pure liquid chocolate brew. Relatively high ABV and the finite novelty of chocolate are the only things that limit the enjoyability of this Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 02:55:33 | More by hreb

Jacurdy60

Alabama

3.8/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

A-Pours a pitch black color with a toffee colored, towering 3 finger head with fair retention. Coast the whole glass as I sip but leaves little lacing. Stouts look fantastic.

S-Sweet, sweet chocolate. Toasted nuts, a hint of coffee and caramel. Smells a lot like chocolate milk.

T-Light chocolate cake and icing, chocolate milk, anything chocolate, really. Not as complex as I'd like it to be. It leaves nothing up to the imagination.

MF-Silky smooth. Damn it goes down easy. Probably the best aspect of the brew. Nice, thick body too

O-I drank the whole bomber myself, and the taste got redundant. I think if I just drank one 12 oz serving, I'd rate this higher. It gets repetitive because it is too simple, but I still enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 02:23:24 | More by Jacurdy60

LittleDon

Texas

4.51/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Consumed less than six months after purchase. Black, nice but short head, some lace. Chocolate, caramel, malt aroma. Very soft mouthfeel for a bottle. Big rich body. Chocolate and malted milk flavors. Pleasant sweet finish. A bit of alcohol is briefly present at the finish. Would go well with vanilla ice cream and blueberry/raspberry pie.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 21:26:59 | More by LittleDon

TheSixthRing

California

4.56/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Pours jet black with a pillowy 2 finger head. Great retention, leaving an impressive layer of bubbles on the surface. Strong lacing around the glass, with great stick.

Smell - Strong, multi-layered chocolate aroma. Milk chocolate, mocha, faint oatmeal.

Taste - Sweet milk chocolate, with lesser notes of Baker's, cocoa, and moderate coffee roast. Mocha. You know those chocolate muffins with the big chocolate chunks on top? Yeah, a bit of that too. Touch of molasses. Residual grapefruit pith bitterness in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Full body with soft carbonation. Creamy and silky. Velvety. Amazing smoothness.

Overall - It's been a few years since I've had this. I'd forgotten just how incredible it is. I paid $10 for the 750ML bottle. Pricey, but well worth it as a once a year purchase.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 00:47:53 | More by TheSixthRing

eric5bellies

Australia

4.09/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Drank from my Duvel tulip

A - Pours a deep deep ebony colour with a tanned head that reduces to a lacing film.

S - Sweet chocolate malts and plenty of it.

T - Up front some nice balanced malts followed by a range of different chocolate flavours eg cocoa, milk chocolate and dark chocolate. The finish is expresso and lingers

M - Thick body and low carb

O - Very smooth chocolate beer, reminds me of the ST Chocolat, but not quite as good with the residual bitterness as opposed to residual sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 14:08:18 | More by eric5bellies

SHODriver

California

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

A: pours deep black with a long lasting light tan head into an oversize wine glass. decent lacing
S: smells intensely chocolatey with notes of dark chocolate, cocoa powder and wisps of roasted malt
T: chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate with a bit of roasted malt and the faintest hint of coffee. very one note but the chocolateyness sways between bitter dark chocolate, cocoa powder and mild milk chocolate. swallow brings a huge blast of roasted malt and bitter dark chocolate that lingers for some time
M: full and thick on the mouth with good carbonation. a bit more carb than I'd like but it isn't overly abrasive or detracting but keeps the beer from being silky smooth and creamy.
O: a big beer with big flavors. well crafted and well done. It has good flavors and a decent complexity. I'd say it's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 04:28:52 | More by SHODriver

metter98

New York

4.16/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a finger and a half high dark tan head that died down and consistently left a thin head covering the surface.
S: Moderate aromas of cocoa nibs and chocolate malts are present in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the aste of the beer is very buch dominated by flavors of cocoa nibs plus bits of sweetness and has notes of darker chocolate malts.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is deceptively easy to drink because no traces of alcohol are perceptible in the taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 03:51:39 | More by metter98

Samuel906

California

4.49/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wow... This is simply a stunning beer. I have never been a huge fan of Rouge but this and the XS Imperial Stout are starting to change my mind. Pours an absolute, sheer black. Normally, when people say a beer is black, it is a dark, translucent mahogany, red, or amber. The double chocolate is black; even with a very bright light shining into it, no light gets through. Huge brown head, nice and clingy. As the name eludes too, chocolate is going to be the major player here. Smells like a cup of chocolate milk, with some toasted malt, some distant hints of coffee. Taste is huge and amazing: the smoothest, silkiest creamiest chocolate you've ever had with some espresso beans. The best part is, this is not terribly sweet. Very small booze at the end adds some warmth. Honestly, this is terrific; amazing dessert beer, not overly sweet... Robust and appealing.

As an addendum, drinking a 22oz. bomber of this is a hefty task. The last couple drops were a bit much.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 01:32:38 | More by Samuel906

kojevergas

California

3.4/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

750ml red-painted brown glass bottle with stylish unique label art (I mean, it's painted red...) and branded pressure cap acquired at a local SoCal beer store and served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high given current ratings. I've also liked stouts from this brewery before. 9% ABV according to my bottle; I guess the 2013 release is a little higher in ABV. Looking forward to this one.

Served straight from the fridge and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a three finger dark rich tan colour head of lovely cream, good thickness, and rather good (~5+ minute) retention for the high ABV. The head colour is appealing, but it isn't quite as rich as I expect for a truly great stout. Still, it's damn appealing. Body colour is a solid nontransparent opaque dark black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Thin lacing clings to the sides of the glass as the head slowly recedes. Overall, it's right on the money for a so-called "double chocolate stout." I'm excited to try it. It's not unique or special, but it's definitely appealing.

Sm: Milk chocolate - what a surprise. Chocolate malt. Oats. Cream. Dark malts. Any roasted character is buried by the heavy chocolate - which itself evocative and inviting. Not the best chocolate aroma I've encountered, but it's very natural and genuine. A moderate strength aroma. I'm a bit worried about the sweetness, but I'm quite excited to try it. No yeast character or alcohol comes through.

T/Mf: Lots of creamy milk chocolate - luscious and rich and anything but artificial. Reminds me a bit of Southern Tier's Choklat. Creamy and pleasant. Not overbearing in terms of body; it's full and enjoyable without really weighing heavy on the palate. Carbonation is almost ideal. Smooth and wet. I'd really love some roasted character here. It should be coarser and dryer, ideally from the roast - and the oats would balance it. Sadly, roast flavour is missing here. Depth of flavour is decent; it's not a horribly complex or subtle beer, but it is rather well balanced. They've succeeded in their aim; this delivers heavy enjoyable chocolate flavours up front with nothing else getting in the way. There's no booziness or yeast character here. Just a straightforward chocolate beer with no strings attached. I rather like it. Not too sweet like I suspected it might be. Any hop character is minimal and floral. Malt selection seems good for the most part (excepting the lack of roast). I'm curious what effect the honey listed as an ingredient had here; I imagine it helped smooth it out while lending body and cohesion. In any case the flavours work well, even if it does come off a bit one or two note. Tasty stuff.

Dr: Very drinkable; I'll have little trouble killing this bomber by myself. Hides its ABV quite well. The sweetness will start to bother me after a while, but I'll still enjoy this one. I'd get this again. Might make a great beer for easing newcomers into craft beer. A solid brew from Rogue, and one I might recommend to friends.

B-

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 04:28:04 | More by kojevergas

CrazyDavros

Australia

4.16/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.25

Pours pitch black with a dark tan head.
Potent chocolate in the aroma, along with some roasted malt, chocolate liqueur, honey and unroasted coffee.
Big coffee and roasted malt flavours, with a little chocolate underneath and a hit of smooth booze.
Could use more carbonation, seems a little flat.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 01:52:05 | More by CrazyDavros

Rbodacious

Virginia

4.68/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

This is my first review posted.
I feel obligated.
After first exposure to micro's in Portland , Oregon in 1985.
All time overall favorite brewery for producing great experiences in a bottle.
This one does justice.
Smell/Taste-Think Hershey's syrup , but higher quality,on oatmeal
and pretty abrupt hop-alcohol finish. ie :nice buzz from 1 bomber over a couple
of hours.
The premium ingredients produce a complete choc/stout journey.
I tried this ,appropriately ,on St. Patrick's Day 2013 , after being slightly
"over served" IPA's (yes I was the bartender) last night. Which I think tells
even more about the power of a beer well done.
Thank you , again.-Rouge.
Buy again?_Definitely

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 23:16:34 | More by Rbodacious

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

2.85/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Bottle says 9%. Portion of a 22 oz bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A: Pours an opaque black color. The head is a one finger tan shade that retains fairly poorly.

S: Though chocolaty, it perhaps lacks the vibrant intensity of, say, Choklat. Actually, the more it opens up, the stronger the chocolate note becomes. Hard to smell anything else here, as expected. I'm docking points because something here's rubbing me the wrong way - perhaps an artificial tone? Still a likable aroma.

T: Drier than the nose would lead me to believe. The opening is pure chocolate while the midtaste tries to balance it out with an upsurge of strong roasted barley and coffee. Finish has a bit of hoppiness to it, as well...and some strange chemical flavors. Honestly - and I say this as a HUGE fan of Choklat - the chocolaty flavors clash with the roasted and burnt bitterness. It's not fantastic, or even good, but it's easy to drink at least.

M: Like I said in the flavor, this is very dry. Seems like the aim here was for drinkability, and it does succeed here somewhat. Not as cloying as expected - maybe its because I'm not drinking a whole bottle of this solo.

O: This is NOT a true dessert beer, as any sweetness the chocolate provides (and it does provide a good deal) is scrubbed clean by the roasted and hop bitterness. And yet, it still comes off as being wildly out of whack. Cool bottle, meh beer, horrible price - basically, just another Rogue product.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 22:14:56 | More by ThisWangsChung

Spiegle

Mississippi

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

Pick this brew up yesterday after work.

A: Pours a nice dark black with a creamy brown one-finger head. The head dissipates to a brown ring around the glass.

S: My nose is kind of stuffy from allergies but definitely getting the chocolate and some fruits.

T: Kind of reminds me of a mocha coffee. Its sweet and has a mild chocolate taste.

M: Its full and sticky. Very syrup like.

O: Overall its a very good. Not one of my favorite stouts but i would buy it again. I think the bottle is pretty cool also. Just a side note, the beer is 9 % ABV not 8 like BA said it is.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 22:57:26 | More by Spiegle

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.59/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance. Pours a deep chestnut brown, almost black with 2+ fingers of thick tan head.

Smell. Sweet chocolate syrup, some roasted nuts, a very slight bit of fruitiness and a hint of metallic hops.

Taste. Milk chocolate and cocoa powder, those metallic hops I was smelling, some dark malts and a bit of mixed fruits.

Mouthfeel. On the lower side of full bodied with low+ carbonation. A little bit sticky.

Overall. A decent chocolate beer but I'm not finding it especially tasty. Good, but not amazing and not as desert-like as I was kind of hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 02:01:58 | More by Rutager

GONZALOYANNA

Spain

3.5/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap. ½ pt Glass. Enjoyed on mar´13. Pours pitch black headed by a brownish foam. Crown is creamy & lasting. Roasted malt, fudge chocolate & dried nut aromas. Creamy & malting sensation touched by dry bitterness. Full body. Soft to moderate carbonation. Sharp bitter cocoa in the middle gets along with dried nut astringency & linger into a long bitter finish. Chocolate hues on the aftertaste. ABV is shown by gentle warming sensation in the back. Very well balanced sweet vs bitter flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

03-11-2013 20:01:10 | More by GONZALOYANNA

Serge

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Clear dark black brown colour with a average to large, frothy, good lacing, mostly to fully lasting, light brown head. Aroma is heavy malty, roasted, chocolate, cacao, dark chocolate, milk chocolate. Flavour is moderate to heavy sweet and moderate bitter with a long duration, chocolate, peppery notes. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 07:57:01 | More by Serge

PaterMorse

Indiana

3.8/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Some beers are better than the sum of their individual parts; here, the individual parts were nice enough but, together, it just didn't work that well. Not very well balanced; and wreaking (literally and figuratively) of artificiality. OK, but not great.

A: Pours black, with tan/caramel head. Dissipates quickly, leaving some nice lacing and "bubble clusters." Crimson ring, red hue when held up to light; can see fingers through the glass. Suds stick to the sides of the glass well.

S: My initial thought was "WOW, this is tops!" It was like smelling a pack of Ho-Hos (RIP) -- chocolate fudge, cream filling. Some toffee notes as well. Rounds out to a frothy chocolate milk smell, bordering on the scent of a refrigerated tin of Hershey's Syrup. The challenge with this bear is that the nose misleads the mouth -- far too potent and sweet for the surprisingly bitter taste the follows. Discord.

T: This has some roasted/ashed bitterness to it, delivering some heat to the throat and gut. That's not bad at all; I like bold RIS and high ABS pours; this was just a bit of a disconnect because, with each sip, the nose was suggesting "cupcake" and the mouth was getting bitters.

M: Crisp, nce. Maybe it's because of the discord between the nose and the mouth that I actually preferred to quaff this brew, swish it around, and enjoy the taste for what it was -- WITHOUT the correspondng unharmonious scent that went with each sip. Smooth overall.

O: Again, each "part" was solid -- the smell was fun (at least initially; then it got old and tiresome); the taste & feel were good. They just didn't go together in my book. An exaggerated/forced "sweet" aroma, then bitter taste. Not "too" bitter, mind you; just disproportionate to the smell -- leaving what I would call a DISTRACTING experience.

Repeat? Sure, for a party, it would be fun to incorporate -- b/c the bottle is an eye-catcher and the scent is uniquely potent; but probably not agan for myself.

Two Word Recap: Bitter Ho-Ho (or Imbalanced Cupcake)

Open Question: I wonder if the "single" chocolate tones down the overbearing smell a bit and is more in line with the taste the beer actually delivers...

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 15:20:46 | More by PaterMorse

Therisse

California

3.78/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Beautiful appearance. The head was very small yet stayed nicely on top the entire time. The bubbles were small and there was a little cloud to it.

Aroma: Smell reminded me exactly of the smell of milk chocolate with aromas of vanilla. It had a little bit of a burnt smell as well as a little spiciness. Overall, the smell was subtle.

Flavor: Tasted just like it smelled - like milk chocolate! Roasty, lots of vanilla and cream, some nutiness as well as nutmeg. Like the smell, the flavor was also not very strong.

Mouthfeel: The one part of the beer that really brought it down for me. The beer tasted a little flat and I wished it could be a lot thicker.

Overall: Nice beer but I feel it could use some aging. It was slightly off balance it'd be nice for it to smoothen out.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2013 18:20:47 | More by Therisse

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured a good two fingers of tan head on a pitch black body.
The aroma is a huge dose of chocolate with some roasted malt.
The taste is roasted malt with some bitterness, chocolate throughout.
The texture is crisper, with moderate carbonation.
The chocolate maintains a nice low profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 04:43:48 | More by Fatehunter

LampertLand

British Columbia (Canada)

4.36/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Rogue Ales 'Double Chocolate Stout' @ 8.7% , served from a big red 750 ml bottle purchased for $13

A-pour is a very dark brown near black in the glass with a small tan head that is leaving a lot of spotty lace along the pint glass edge

S-liquer filled chocolates , smell is so similar to the regular choc stout

T-very similar to the regular choc stout instead of a bitter finish it's now a boozy chocolate finish

MF-good carbonation , full bodied , smooth on the palate

Ov-good/great beer , big price for a equally big bottle of beer , yes I will buy again

sampled alongside Spinnakers 'Chocoholic' Milk Choc Porter

prost LampertLand

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2013 21:02:23 | More by LampertLand

mdaschaf

Washington

4.19/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours black with a fizzy one finger brown head that reduces rather quickly, but reforms with some agitation. No lacing though.

S: As the name implies, lots of chocolate, mostly milk chocolate. There is a bit of cream, cocoa, and faint roast.

T: Rich chocolate dominates the flavor profile on this beer. More milk chocolate and some dark chocolate, a bit of licorice and anise as well.

M: Medium to full bodied with low carbonation, rather smooth.

O: A nice dessert beer, went well with molten chocolate cake. A little rich to be consumed all the time though.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 06:46:28 | More by mdaschaf