Stone 12th Anniversary Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout - Stone Brewing Co.

Sigmund

Norway

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cask, gravity dispense, at the Great British Beer Festival 2008. ABV was said to be 9.5%. Pitch black colour, minimal head. Complex roasted aroma with notes of oak, dark chocolate, liquorice and tar. Intense flavour of cocoa / chocolate, figs(?) and coffee(?) - I have some difficulties reading my own handwriting here .... Warming mouthfeel, oaky and alcoholic notes. A great sipping beer."

Serving type: cask

11-03-2008 17:15:59 | More by Sigmund

Treebs

Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

22 oz. bottle served in a Deschutes snifter. Thanks stxSS07 for the share.

A: Pours a dark black color with a dark mocha head forming on the pour. It recedes quickly to a thin ring that leaves some splotchy lace down the glass.

S: Some oxidation as you would expect, but in a sherry kind of way. No real paper or cardboard notes, but slightly dark and pretty fruity. Dark chocolate bitterness with some dried oats.

T: Much like the nose. Bitter dark chocolate, steel cut oats, light dark fruit with minimal oxidation. The booze is well hidden behind a touch a char.

M: Medium thick bodied with a lower carbonation level. Smooth and creamy finish.

O: This held up very nicely and the slight oxidation gave it a dark fruit character that complimented the bitter dark chocolate nicely.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 01:40:06 | More by Treebs

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to angrybabboon for sharing the bottle. 4 years aged.

Appearance: Near black. Tiny dark reddish tan collar. No head. Minimal carbonation. Pours still and creamy.

Smell: Sweet roasted malts. Some toasted d edges buried under it all. Dark worn leather, oxidized.sherry, dark fruit mainly cherry and plum. Big hits of cocoa and milk chocolate. Chocolate covered cherry. Some touches of coffee, old and raw. Bitter edge of cocoa. Some thing akin to marshmallow. Deep rich chocolate dessert.

Taste: Bitter chocolate. Rough edge of baker's chocolate. Some cocoa. Nice edges of old coffee. Big roasted profile. Vaguely burnt with some lingering char. Deeply bitter in the baking way. Dark fruit, some nice hints of ripe cherry and plum. Even some raisin. Oxidation has given this a nice sherry/boozy edge. Less rough.

Mouthfeel: Moderate to heavy body. No carbonation. Very creamy and smooth.

Overall: 4 years later it's still solid.

I had this new and fresh and I've had it a few more times since then. It's always good and always worth drinking. Stone can do stouts without overdoing it. Age has made this a new beer and it's worth it.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2012 05:52:53 | More by Goblinmunkey7

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

An essay on the back of the bottle...just talks about how the hop shortage affected the 12th anniversary beer in that they were somewhat forced to brew a more malt forward beer and utilize something else for "bitterness."

Poured into a large tulip glass. A very long and viscous pour developed a dense, creamy, tight brown head on top of an extremely dark brown body, verging on black.

This serious looking beer has a bold aroma. Many of the usual suspects: dark chocolate, coffee, raisins, Bailey's Irish cream and some sweet booze.

A dynamic beer to say the least. When it was chilled, I got more of the roast barley malt and a wonderful, rich chocolate aftertaste. As it has warmed, more aromas and flavors start to pop, and as the beer approaches room temperature, the booziness becomes enhanced, though never becomes "hot." Just does end up with an almost solvent character. Bitter chocolate, coffee, creamy...

Flavors were similar to aroma. Now at room temperature (just below) it actually becomes slightly unpleasant, though I wonder if that was because I poured in the "chunks" at the bottom of the bottle...should have left that out.

The body of the beer is medium heavy with a very smooth texture and plenty of carbonation for the style.

This was an enjoyable beer. I am glad I aged it for four years, because apparently it used to be "hot" and that's never good. I think the age mellowed the beer's alcohol burn, added a layer of complexity with maybe a touch of oxidation, and allowed the chocolate to come through better. Definitely though it needs to be chilled before consumption.

I would suggest this with any dense, rich, chocolate dessert, like lava cake or flourless chocolate torte.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 03:48:19 | More by MusicaleMike

azdback

Arizona

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter. Dark jet black, no highlights. Small one finger head that is cocoa colored and creamy in appearance. Lace is fairly minimal at this point but as to be expected for this being 5 years old.

Smell is still sweet like I remember. Chocolate, dark fruits like fig or cherries, kind of jammy but remarkable.

Taste is not much like I remember that lazy night at the hotel across from Disneyland. The chocolate is for the most part gone and all that is left is the tart of the fruit and alcohol. Still quite tasty but a shell of it's former self.

Mouth is smooth and creamy, carbonation is on the bright side (especially for it's age) and the finish is short and on the dry side.

Overall I should thank dgb3 first, for sending me this last year so I would have a six year vertical anniversary. This isn't as good as I remember and probably past it's time but still a solid Oatmeal Stout. I think if you ran across this it is a must buy but to spend the money to trade for this at this point isn't a great idea.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 06:58:02 | More by azdback

Naugros

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received in a cellar-to-cellar trade. I figured this was probably near the end of its shelf life and I didn't wait too long to open it. I was rewarded with a wonderful beer that delivered so many tasting elements.

The beer developed very little head at, but many stouts at this ABV level don't. The smell gave off the promised bitter chocolate along with vanillin and boozy wood tones.

The first, and strongest, element in the taste was strong roasted malts, followed immediately by whiskey. Chocolate and vanilla lingered behind, making a weaker showing than I would have liked. Strongly bitter up front, like espresso without too much of a coffee flavor, with clean chocolate notes in the wash and aftertaste.

Silky and viscous with a touch of chalkiness. Really nice to take down slowly.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 19:16:18 | More by Naugros

drabmuh

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a Stone 15th Anniversary snifter, this is a really nice beer. Beer is black with a one finger dark brown head of small bubbles, good retention, nice lacing, looks great.

Aroma is strong and chocolaty, with a mild roast.

Beer is medium in body and sweet with a nice late bitterness from the roast of the grains, the finish is clean and the midpalate is sweet with a nice chocolate flavor and a medium body. I really like it. I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 15:24:25 | More by drabmuh

AndyAvalanche

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22 oz. bomber poured into a Duvel Tulip style glass. Liquid comes out extremely dark brown with deep amber to brown highlights on the side. Head is a bit smaller than one finger thick, lots of different sized bubbles, slight glass retention from the head. The color of the head is sort of a mahogany/black cherry color to dark brown. The liquid itself provides some glass retention.

Smell is a huge malt bomb. Provides a dark, bitter chocolate smell, but not completely bitter. Some milk chocolate as well, even smells creamy, if that makes sense. Sort of a decadent chocolate sauce. Some dark coffee to espresso aromas as well, but sort of a back lash of it. The blend of all the aromas is absolutely great.

Taste is just as good, as perfect as it gets. Like the bottle says, plenty of dark bitter chocolate. Super dark fudge and some dark grains somewhere in the mix. There is some sweetness as well, sort of like espresso with hints of sugar. Milk chocolate as well. I can't quite figure it out, but there's almost a bourbon flavor and I don't think this is barrel aged.

Mouthfeel is perfect. Strong, full bodied. Great carbonation level, that's held up great since the aging. Smooth, creamy, thick to almost chewy mouthfeel, it's great. Hop presence detected in the mouthfeel. Great drinkability too, nice sipper, but way to easy to drink if you don't want to. On top of that, the value is perfect. I think this was like $7 when it was out as a seasonal. So bummed this beer is retired. I could drink it year round. Just a perfect beer to have around. I miss you Stone 12th! Huge props to everyone who traded with me for this beer over the last 3 years!

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 01:57:12 | More by AndyAvalanche

PatrickSwayze

California

4.15/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled July 2008 & enjoyed on March 21st 2012

A: Pours a deep thick oily black. Seriously so damn dark with a dark beige brown head

S: You really get the roasty booze scent with lingering chocolate up front

T: The flavor has really held up in this beer with wonderful light carbonation with an almond nuttiness blend with roast and sweet chocolate. Raisins and figs fall through and are more noticeable at the finish

M: Very full bodies with light carbonation a medium sweetness that allows one to indulge in the entire bottle solo.

O: Has been cellared in proper conditions and it really shows. Flavors are bold & rich, complementing of each other with  every sip. Very pleased with this, and i still have 3 more tucked away. 

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 01:58:03 | More by PatrickSwayze

jsanford

Georgia

4.18/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark motor-oil black with a dense mocha head that settles to a slight ring and haze.
S - Big aromas of bitter dark chocolate, roasted malt, and dark berries with a touch of soy sauce and smoke. Tiny bit of oxidation has crept in, but it's not a big deal.
T - Similar to the nose, lots of dark chocolate and roasted malt with some burnt toast, smoke, and soy sauce. Finish is long and bitter, similar to a 90% cocoa chocolate bar.
M - Smooth and more then a bit sticky, with a full mouthfeel and low carbonation. Quite decadent, but still surprisingly drinkable.
O - Such a great anniversary beer from Stone. Found this in an out-of-the-way liquor store and grabbed it in a heartbeat. One of the best investments I've made considering how well this has held up after 3 1/2 years.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 15:22:36 | More by jsanford

dogfishandi

New York

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

big thanks to trxxpaxxs for sharing this retired gem!

JULY 2008 Vintage- 22oz bottle at about fridge temp poured into a boulevard tulip.

pours out opaque black with about one fingers worth of tan, light mocha colored head that eventually faded to a paper thin retentive layer. some spotty lace and a little bit of legs apparent from a swirl of the glass.

sweet toasted malts, bitter roasted malts are at the forefront. some hints of smokiness and some light cocoa as well.

slightly fruity toasted, roasted malts, a little bit of sweetness and a hint of smoke. some bitter dark cocoa towards the finish.

the lighter side of heavy bodied, carbonation is about right on for the style. maybe expected a little more oiliness from the oatmeal?

although i have had this fresh, i only vaguely remember what it tasted like. it was right when i was starting to get serious with craft beer and right before i began taking notes on what i was drinking. although this stood up to the age very well, a part of me wants to say this was better fresh.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 18:14:28 | More by dogfishandi

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.03/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle split with dogfishandi...

A: Pours out a deep motor oil black with about a half finger of mocha colored head. There is only a tiny bit of lacing left on the glass as it drinks. This beer has some serious legs. It's incredibly viscous and sticky.

S: I'm picking up sweet malt, bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, and caramel. There is also a bit of a burnt toast note in there as well, but it's subtle beneath the bittersweet chocolate.

T: The taste is on par with the smell. It starts off with a bit of earthiness, chocolate, and vanilla. The finish is more chocolate, with notes of caramel and burnt toast. It's really solid.

M: Full bodied beer. This is a thick and sticky beer, but the flavors are spot on, and nothing lingers on the palate for too long. It's silky and smooth going down.

O: This is a really nice stout and age has treated this beer well. I feel very lucky to have tried this beer well past it's retirement. I'd drink it again if I could find another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 21:15:31 | More by trxxpaxxs

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

3.53/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for sharing, Ryan. Poured from 22 into stemless chardonnay glass.

A- Pours deep black, very vert dark. Doesn't really produce much head- about a cm of nice khaki colored foam, no lacing or stability.

S- Definitely get a soy component and milk chocolate. A little oxidized, but overall a slightly sweet and moderately roasty aroma- nothing stands out.

T/M- Nice, it's not oxidized in taste. Has a rubbery, roasted malt component with some slight heat. Dark chocolate as well and a slight smokiness. Age has really melded the flavors, because not one aspect of it pops or overshadows the others. Very slick feel with moderate, almost low carbonation.

O- Pretty good, not amazing, but would definitely drink again. Its 4 years old and it has held up well. Not complex, but balanced and smooth, even with a touch of heat on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 21:28:13 | More by TheGordianKnot

MasterSki

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up at Discount Liquor a while back. Served in a Bell's tulip.

A - A finger of tan foam settles to a thin collar, some wisps, and a bit of spotty lace. Black body with a glint of brown at the edges of the glass.

S - Definitely lots of bitter chocolate. Lightly roasted grains, caramel, and perhaps a faint bit of oxidation creeping in. Needs to warm up a bit, but otherwise fairly enjoyable.

T - Taste is also heavy on the mildly bitter baker's chocolate, with some notes of vanilla, anise, and caramel. Unfortunately it seems a bit hollow mid-palate and perhaps is showing its age here.

M - Medium body, velvety melted chocolate bar texture, lower carbonation, and a lightly dry finish. None of the listed 9.2% shows up after 3+ years of aging.

D - While this is was still pretty decent I feeling this one is on the decline, although mileage may vary based on cellar conditions. Still, an enjoyable tick.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 00:36:26 | More by MasterSki

DannyS

New York

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a 1.5 liter beer boot.

A - Pours a thick, silky, pitch black with about a quarter inch of dark, heavy foam that clings mightily to the glass. A sexy brew.

S - Powerful roasted malt with lots of chocolate and coffee aroma, with a smattering of vanilla and sweet, grainy oats. Par for the course for a big bombastic stout, but still really good.

T - The alcohol is a little apparent in the aftertaste, but otherwise, it's a smooth, oily, bitter, roasty beast of a stout.

M - Heavy, oily, mouth-coating, bordering on syrupy with how dense it is.

Overall - Share this one. The booze goes right to your head. I'm currently halfway through it and already feeling it. Also let it warm up a little. the chocolate and oats really awaken if consumed at around cellar temperature. Either way, I'd highly recommend seeking this one out. Too bad it was only brewed once, I'd totally buy this one more often.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 02:52:40 | More by DannyS

tsauce2

Indiana

4.6/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes on 1-1-12

P: 22 fl oz bottle in to a Brooklyn Brewery snifter.

A: SRM is black. Opaque. Head is off white, 1 in, dissipates completely. Medium carbonation. Heavy lacing.

S: Big oat and chocolate notes. A hint of alcohol.

T: Huge oat flavor, melded with a semi-sweet chocolate presence. Dark roast malt and a touch of booziness. All flavors have blended together harmoniously.

M: Full body. Viscous and chewy, with a very smooth and velvety feel. A semi bitter feel is also apparent. Dry finish.

O: This is the best oatmeal stout I have ever tasted. Huge oats are complimented excellently by semi-bittered chocolate and big dark roast malts, with a light hop presence. The back of the bottle, while more verbose than most stone offerings, describes the setting behind which this beer was crafted. There was a hop shortage when it was time to make the 12th anniversary, so they made this. Not that I don't like what Stone normally does, but can't there be a hop shortage more often? I guess God is not an oat stout fan.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 11:16:11 | More by tsauce2

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I forgot that I had this bottle and haven't had it fresh, so unfortunately I can't comment on how well this has or has not held up over the past couple of years.

Poured in to CBS Snifter.

A - Poured a thick, dark inky black colour with 1/4" of bubbly light brown head that quickly reduced to a few bubbles.

S - Bitter dark roasted chocolate, licorice and sweet molasses with a touch of coffee and vanilla. A very robust nose and not overly sweet.

T - Roasted malts, dark chocolate, sweet molasses and a very good bitterness that has somehow survived the past couple of years as it sat in my cellar. The background adds hints of licorice and coffee. The finish is dry and bitter with a touch of alcohol noticeable.

M - A little thin, especially after the thick inky pour. Medium body that is somewhat watery and thin at times yet also somewhat sludgy and viscous at other times. Light to moderate carbonation.

O - Didn't have this fresh to compare this 3 year old bottle to, but this seemed to hold up pretty well.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 17:05:26 | More by TheSevenDuffs

MexicanSkittel

California

3.95/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep black, a very thin rusted dark brown head dissipated very very fast. Leaving a rim of the dark brown ring around top of the beer.

Some roared sweet oats on the nose, barley. A bit of smokey camp fire, there was a small amount of bitter chocolate in the nose but on the back end.

There was more chocolate on the pallet along with a hint of coffee. The oats are still present. The sweetness certainly takes over the alc.

Very light carbonation, and surprisingly thin in texture for how dark the beer poured. Great finish which lingered for a decent amount of time. Started sweet but leans to a dryer bitter cocoa finish.

I'm really liking the beer, and wish the stone aniversary ales would head back this direction.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 05:29:03 | More by MexicanSkittel

ikantspel

California

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle served into a pint glass

pours a hellish black with a reddish tan head.. bubbles are staying put

slight alcohol in the nose. chocolate,malty toastyness, belgian yeast in the nose

heavy chocolate, espresso hits right away, toasted malts soon follow it up, finished up clean

kinda acidic in the mouthfeel but pretty heavy.

i was kinda scared at first pouring this, got it at a pretty seedy liquor store for about 6 bucks. well worth it. broke my oatmeal stout cherry

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 04:03:34 | More by ikantspel

whatthehull

California

4.22/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted sept. 21rst 2011 (from notes)

Tulip

A - deep dark black, half finger super dark tan head and minimal lacing

S - bourbon, dark chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla. Tons of malts, earth and wood, smells like winter time. Smell maybe better than the taste

T - super malty, lots of dark chocolate, toasted oats, toasted everything, very earthy, some wood notes, alcohol is prevalent but tastes of a sweet bourbon, slight brown sugar, vanilla and a slight wet tobacco

M - full bodied, low acidity, huge complexity, well balanced and long finish

D - man, this has so many Flavors but is also so simple. Great stout with a huge but awesome bitterness twist. Very nice toastiness, awesome bourbon flavor and a great vanilla and sugar. if you like stouts, you like this beer

Final thought - $7 a pop and very hard to find, nice 9+ abv. Gotta get some!

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 08:02:47 | More by whatthehull

kingcrowing

Vermont

4.1/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber poured into a Duvel tulip.

Pours a nice dark oily black color with a very small black head with light lacing. Nose is mellow, chocolate and oatmeal come out very well.

Taste is sweet and creamy, mellow and rich. Dark bitter chocolate really comes through. The Mouthfeel is crisp and full with quite a bs thing to do alcohol coming through.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 23:36:08 | More by kingcrowing

Florida9

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Black. Flat dark black, with a minimal dark tan head that barely forms a ring around the edges. No lacing.

S: Aroma is mostly baking chocolate and cocoa. Some vanilla and a little alcohol in the background.

T: More baking chocolate with an appreciable bitterness. Lots of dark chocolate and a light sweetness. Roasted malts in the background.

M: Full bodied with lower carbonation.

O: A nice beer. Lots of chocolate flavor, but not much else.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 00:34:36 | More by Florida9

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.9/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bomber courtesy of DaveHS in a summertime trade. Thanks man!

From a bomber into a snifter.
Brewed in July 2008

APPEARANCE: A very dark black pour, and relatively thick as well. A one finger, medium-thin, noisy, tan head with lousy retention forms and quickly crackles down to a slight wisp and ring. Jet black body, opaque, with no carbonation evident. Only a slight ring remains leaving no lacing down the sides, and it looks a little flat by the end. Thick, dark pour and body, but lousy head.

SMELL: Milder nose of roasted malts, dark chocolate and light caramel notes. Faint oats in there as well, but the chocolate is still the more dominating part of the nose. Nice, but needs to be a little bigger.

TASTE: Milder flavors up front again. Some roasted and light caramel perhaps, but the flavors come out much more after the swallow. Roasted and burnt malts, oats are there, and some definite and obvious dark, pure chocolate. Chocolate is very nice and goes really well with the base beer. Perhaps the age has helped the flavors come together so nicely. A touch of alcohol is still there at the swallow. Aftertaste is medium but lingers nicely with notes of roasted and caramel malts, bitter chocolate and some nice sweet molasses. Good balanced finish.

PALATE: Very nice here. Medium body and medium carbonation. Very creamy and smooth on the palate, goes down smooth and finishes mouth-coating. Good weight for sure, and no bite. Very smooth stuff.

OVERALL: This was really good; definitely better than their normal Imperial Stout. The chocolate flavors worked really well in this, meshing really nicely with the roasted base beer. Though I’d never had the beer fresh, it seems like the three years in the bottle have done this beer well. The taste profile was well integrated and mellow, and the feel very creamy and smooth for the style. Good stuff and I’m glad I had the chance to try it. Thanks again DaveHS.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 20:09:14 | More by Jeffo

ToddT

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Black topped with a thin tan head, even a hard pour failed to produce much of a head. The head fades quickly to a ring but leaves some nice wispy lace on the glass.

S- Roasted malt, caramel, molasses, oak, and a hint of coffee and chocolate. As it warms the aroma becomes even more complex with a hint of hops making an appearance.

T- Sweet chocolate and roasted malt at first that soon turns to a semi-sweet bitter coffee/chocolate note. There is a hint of hops at the finish and more than enough complexity in the middle to make this a very interesting brew. A little warmth brings out some molasses and oak, as well as some heat from alcohol. The finish is bone dry and with a lingering note of coffee/bitter chocolate.

M- Feels a little thin for the style but not too thin to detract from the enjoyment of this one. A little bit more than medium with almost no carbonation. For all of the bold notes in it the palate is left pretty clean.

O- Great beer, three years in the cellar have only made this one more enjoyable. The heat of the alcohol, 9.2%ABV, has tamed down and even more complex and subtle characters have come out in it. If you can find it buy it.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 03:26:58 | More by ToddT

dmsohyea

California

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle scored at a random liquor store in Riverside, CA. Pretty sweet. Served in a Stone 15th anny glass, just for kicks.

A - Pitch black with one finger dark tan head. Looks a good bit like motor oil.

S - Chocolate, brown sugar, alcohol. Since this brew is so old, not a lot of hops are left if there were any to start with.

T - Really tastes great. Super chocolately, but not milk chocolate, a really tasty dark chocolate flavor. Tastes like biting into a 80% cacao chocolate bar (yum). The beer is a little hot, but that didn't stop me from downing the entire bomber. As it warmed the alcohol on the nose reduced, but got less hot on the palate (or I just got more drunk...).

M - again hot for the under 10%. Mouthfeel otherwise is nice with low carbonation and upper medium body.

O - Very tasty, but pretty one dimensional. It's all chocolate and the few other players are very muted. I would have thought over three years of aging would have lowered the heat, but that certainly isn't the case. Still drinking great and not a lot of oxidation going on here.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 05:57:26 | More by dmsohyea