Dark Hollow Chocolate & Coffee Aged - Blue Mountain Brewery

blankust

Oklahoma

2.98/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Poured into Delirium Tremens snifter

Appearance: Very Dark, thinnish head for style
Aroma: Coffee and Chocolate
Flavor: Day old coffee flavor dominates, muted bitter chocolate, smooth mouth feel, hides alcohol content well, finishes sweet, not overly balanced.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 00:39:08 | More by blankust

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.06/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

750 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Black body. A few wisps on the surface. Chunky collar.

Smell - Raw coffee flavor. Very green and almost peppery. Chocolate. But coffee is dominant.

Taste - Extremely sharp coffee flavor. Same raw, green coffee. Still tastes like green peppers. I don't get much barrel out of this. Some chocolate though.

Mouthfeel - Medium high carbonation. Rough bitter coffee finish.

Overall - Eh. Very average and too much coffee. I have a regular version of this and I hope it doesn't have this offensive coffee flavor.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 01:07:48 | More by Alieniloquium

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.41/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Portion of a 750ml bottle into a Hunahpu's snifter. From notes.

A: Pours a dark brown color. The head is a thin white-shaded collar.

S: Chocolaty, with a bit of coffee. I also notice slight caramel and roasted qualities.

T: At first, faint chocolate gives way to a vegetal, stale coffee profile. After a couple of sips, it balances out fairly well. The finish has a bit of 'saltiness' that I enjoy somewhat, too. Barrel influences are very subtle here.

M: Rather thin, and not really creamy, either. Still, the sweet/bitter balance is nice.

O: Ramp up the body, use better coffee; and we could really be talking about something kickass here. As it stands, it's a pretty good imperial stout with quite a few glaring flaws.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 08:32:29 | More by ThisWangsChung

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Batch #2

A- pours thick black, no head or lacing.

S- roast, dark fruits, and chocolate.

T- big dark chocolate, dark fruits and some roast.

M- medium body and low carbonation. Low carbonation makes it very drinkable.

O- goo RIS but the barrel aging is non existent for some reason.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 03:09:20 | More by kawilliams81

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

750ml bottle. best before May 2013.

A: dark brown. tightly bubbled off-white head. retention is good, not great. lacing is spotted. some lacing.

S: dark French roast. some cocoa sweetness. coffee is definitely the dominating aroma here.

T: bitter coffee. bitter dark chocolate. some sweet notes make their way in towards the middle but they are very also very similar to a bitter dark chocolate. finish is plenty of coffee. wish there was some bourbon barrel aging flavors here in addition to the coffee.

M: a rather moderate carbonization. wish it was a bit more mellow. also wish the body was a bit bigger.

D: good, not great, wish some flavors of the barrel aging were more prevalent. also wish the body had some more meat on it. otherwise I enjoy the way the coffee and chocolate interact. both present but not overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 07:17:22 | More by Jimmys

billab914

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750ml bottle into my CBS snifter. Close to black in color with a thin sticky head to it. Decent retention and good lacing, but a little thin and light looking for the style.

Aroma has a strong coffee presence to it. Dark, bitter sweet chocolate plays big role as well. It's a pretty nice aroma, but unfortunately the barrel aged flavors are what seems to be missing. Pretty good coffee and chocolate stout aroma though.

The taste brings out more of the oak barrel, but the bourbon flavors are still lacking for a barrel aged beer. The coffee and dark chocolate are both very nice in it though. The coffee in the finish is particularly nice.

The mouthfeel is about average for the style with carbonation being above average. Overall, I really liked the coffee and chocolate stout flavors but was disappointed in the lack of barrel influence. A nice bourbon presence could have really made this an awesome beer. As is, it was still a very solid coffee stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 01:51:11 | More by billab914

vfgccp

New York

3.83/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark cola with deep brown highlights. Light khaki head with par retention and retention.

S - Super roasty. Dry grains, fresh wood, light raisin, vanilla, soft bourbon, dry cocoa, red wine.

T - Wow, awesome integration and super smooth. Think milkshake meets chocolate stout. Chocolate, vanilla, cake batter, cream, molasses, caramel, butterscotch, bitter cocoa. Soft oak backdrop

M - Smooth, medium body to style.

O - The flavor profile is net sweet, but is still fantastic. Great drinkability at 10%.

P - Pairs excellent with Mallomars; the bitter cocoa and sweet marshmallow is a match made in heaven.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 05:43:06 | More by vfgccp

mtbdonn

United Kingdom (England)

3.93/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Specially thanks to JMW of WVA for the bottle.
Reading through some of the other reviews, had to laugh as I also had major problems with the cork; lots of fight and a little pop.
A-poured a nice dark, mocha brown with a small, khaki head; appears slightly thin, not as thick as I would have expected. Nice lace rings, though don't stick around too long.
S-Heavy notes of cocoa powder, maybe dark chocolate, coffee (obviously), roast malt, but the
of bourbon scent is almost absent.
T-Strong notes of chocolate, fresh ground coffee, roasted malts, hints of oak, slight bitterness and a hint of smooth bourbon providing a little heat on the finish.
M-Again, thin-light feel, smooth, full bodied, very light carbonation and a lingering finish of dry, mocha coffee.
O-Definitely very nice, a light Imperial Stout, a very balanced brew, nothing overhelming or over the top; would love to try this again!

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 20:26:58 | More by mtbdonn

FleetwoodMatt

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Mostly black with dark mahogany at the glass edges. Poured with about a half to full finger of medium tan head that dissipated rather quickly. Fair bit of lacing.

S: Definitely got the coffee first followed by bittersweet chocolate and then oak notes. Was hoping for a stronger bourbon presence but the roasty/chocolate/coffee notes are at the forefront.

T: Very much like the smell in that I thought the bourbon would come through but was mostly roasted, coffee and bitter chocolate. The coffee taste hangs around a bit without leaving a bad aftertaste.

M: Not very viscous but considering the lack of strong bourbon notes, I think the thinness goes well with the rest of the beer. I did get some residual stickiness on the lips but not so much to be a turn-off.

O: For a coffee/chocolate stout, I would say it's definitely a winner. For a bourbon barrel-aged, it leaves a little bit to be desired. Overall, very enjoyable and would definitely have again.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 04:36:43 | More by FleetwoodMatt

rapidsequence

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750 ml corked bottle, $12 from Ned's.

Appearance: Dark brown as its poured, but sits completely black and opaque in the glass. Medium brown head retains OK, but quite a bit of nice lacing.

Smell: Sweet with chocolate, almost like a cupcake. NIce cold coffee aroma, not too bitter. Bourbon barely there.

Taste: Very good, balanced flavor. Sweet and bitter. Chocolate and coffee upfront. Not a huge, chewy malt flavor, but good. Some bitterness and bourbon flavor in the end-- much more bourbon taste than flavor.

Mouthfeel: Honestly its a little on the thin side. I think that ups the ability to drink it fast, which isn't good.

Overall: Its quite a good imperial coffee stout, and I may buy it again to share with out of towners, but its not as good as either Wake n Bake or KBS, both of wich are cheaper. The packaging is nice, but I'd rather have a cheaper bottle and cheaper beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 02:22:31 | More by rapidsequence

Hex92

Virginia

3.99/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bourbon, chocolate, coffee it's a pretty good mix. Throw in a good dose of alcohol and you have something even better. The limiting factor on this beer is the carbonation and mouth feel. It was difficult to get any head on the beer. Had to pour it from several inches above the glass to get any head on it. The mouth feel is pretty thin for the type of beer.

As it warmed up I liked it less. Unfortunate, since beers usually taste better as they warm up.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 03:35:17 | More by Hex92

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

many thanks to my beer club for this gem. what an interesting barrel aged stout. the pour is jet black, midnight, no light in at all. the head is about an inch tall and mocha colored. it fades fast but it easily rejuvenated with a swirl of the glass. it almost smells like it has chili peppers in it, anaheims or pablanos, vegetative and spicy. of course it also smells like a barrel aged stout, with super roasty dark bitter malts, cold drip coffee, and raw dark chocolate. the booze level is curiously absent from the smell. the flavor is also a little vegetable heavy, but not so much peppers anymore. its a funny flavor to have in a beer like this, I have no idea where it comes from, but it somehow doesn't seem out of place. some light vanilla notes, and the coffee is a lot more heavy than the chocolate. maybe a tad out of balance here, but the chocolate is raw and unsweetened, really nice bitterness it adds to the finish, and is the last flavor to be left on the tongue after the swallow. nice mouthfeel, mellow but adequate carbonation and a full body that retains some runny element. dangerously drinkable as the alcohol doesn't really come out very intensely. overall an exceptional beer, in need of a tiny bit of fine tuning, but easily the best thing ive had out of the state of Virginia!

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 17:55:06 | More by StonedTrippin

claspada

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an almost completly black with dark brown along the edges. There is a smallish tan head that dissipated rather quickl leaving a decent amount of lacing.

Aromas begin quite roasty and coffee forward. Dark roasted maltiness, espresso, dark bitter baker's chocolate. Some light oak and vanilla emerges as it warms.

The tastes follow the nose with lots of roasty dark espresso, dark chocolate bitterness and lesser baker's cocoa. The roast is quite intense and really masks most of the sweeter vanilla and bready sweetness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. I expected a bit more chewiness in the finish but the roasted flavors really own the show.

Overall this was a pretty decent beer, the roast is a bit overbearing for my liking but I have definitely had roastier and less drinkable. Could use a bit more barrel induced flavors/sweetness to balance for my preference but worth a go if you come across it.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 14:48:13 | More by claspada

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.06/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber, split with my wife, and poured into an Olde Hickory glass.

A: Poured black as night, but didn't appear that oil-like in terms of pouring viscosity. Slight mocha head that stuck around for a while.

S: Really not that potent... maybe so wet barley with a tinge of roast.

T: Some sweet, candy notes, not much bourbon, but quite good. The candy and barrel-aging washed over the potential "coffee ground" quality that I usually hate (ala. Bell's "Java Stout"). Really tasty.

M: Sweeter and more dessert-like than a lot of coffee brews on the market, a good bit of splotchy lacing, and milk chocolate staining of the palate.

O: Much more in the "Nestle's" realm in terms of chocolate than in the dark, bitter, Dagoba-esque one. Still, this was pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 20:39:03 | More by Chaney

Dope

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Best by June 2014.

A: Opens with barely the lightest hiss. Pours a very dark brown with a midsized light brown fluffy head. Head fades slowly, leaving substantial and almost solid lacing behind.

S: Lots of coffee and chocolate, that's for sure. Nice fresh roasted coffee. No sign of the bourbon.

T: Again, no sign of bourbon at all that I can pick up. Maybe the lightest hint of caramel and vanilla sweetening everything up? Very nice mixture of mellow chocolate and coffee up front regardless. No sharp flavors, just well-integrated and smooth. Like this beer has been aged for 5 years already. Flavors turn a touch bitter (barely) in the finish, lending more of an acrid coffee and bitter baker's chocolate taste instead. Maybe a little drying oak in the finish? Zero alcohol burn.

M: Low carbonation, fairly thick and VERY smooth.

O: Hmph, I was not expecting much with the mediocre reviews on this one. But damn, I was pleasantly surprised. Coffee and chocolate flavors are very tasty and super smooth, mellow and well-integrated. No real barrel presence which is a bummer but I feel there may be a slight bit of sweetness from the caramel/vanilla flavors that usually accompany bourbon. Beer is very sweet in general; not cloying but definitely a dessert beer. Smooth mouthfeel, silky flavors and no alcohol tastes leads to an incredibly drinkable 10% barrel-aged stout. Only thing I would have liked to have seen is a little more prominent roasted malt to add some complexity, and/or more bourbon character for the same reason. But make no mistake, this was very nice.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 03:53:39 | More by Dope

hornsup

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Served in a cigar city snifter.
Best by date: may 201

Let me start by saying the Dark Hollow was a lot better than I had anticipated and this one delivers even more. Pours pitch black with a nice lacing and minimal head. The carbonation level is sufficient for me although some may like a little more. Tastes like tobacco, dark chocolate, licorice and a little bourbony alcohol on the back end. The mouthfeel was good, not overly satisfying though. The smell is what's the real winner. Just perfect balance of cocoa, bourbon, oak, and dirt (in a good way).

I love this stout, it was given to me as the last bottle from a local store and I'll forever be grateful.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 04:05:40 | More by hornsup

obywan59

Virginia

4.33/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The cork was a bitch to get off. I had to resort to a pair of pliers to get it started. Then I was able to work it off the rest of the way using my thumb. Pretty measly pop when it finally went. The cork flew a full lfoot.

Pours a very dark brown with ruby edges into my oversized wine glass .A 2 finger brownish head rises above, leaving some sticky lacing for awhile before dissipating into a ring around the glass and a bit of swirling haze on the surface.

The aroma, not surprisingly, is of coffee and dark chocolate with a hint of bourbon and sweet malts.

The taste is rather sweet, but fairly tart as well, especially at first. Dark chocolate and coffee again. The bourbon is more pronounced here, with the addition of dark fruits and tart cherries. Some light bitterness in the end and a definite taste of alcohol,.

Medium thick bodied. Syrupy and fairly smooth with light carbonation and a nice burn from the alcohol.

This is a vesry enjoyable brew. More tart than what I am used to in this style, but it's well balanced. Even the alcohol, though it's noticable, is not over the top. A good winter warmer.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 06:36:01 | More by obywan59

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.45/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours black, with a finger of dark tan head. Leaves a little bit of lacing.

The initial aroma is nothing other than chocolate and roasted coffee beans. It moves to a mellow vanilla, oak and bourbon note, with a hint of burnt, roasted malts. Quite impressed with the aroma as the barrel doesn't overwhelm, is still very much there, but allows the chocolate and coffee to still play significant roles.

Again, lots of sweet cocoa notes and slightly bitter roasted coffee. The chocolate leaves a sweet linger. There's a hint of vanilla, and the charred wood and subtle bourbon-y notes are great.

The feel is good, and it's full bodied, but not as thick and chewy as a big stout like this could be. Minor flaw, really.

This drinks incredibly smooth, with no noticeably alcohol. I haven't had the normal Dark Hollow, but this is nothing short of an absolute treat!

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 01:16:26 | More by EgadBananas

Broanoke

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A - Black, not quite motor oil. Deepest brown on edges. Looks of a big stout.

S - Coffee. Cold coffee followed by bakers chocolate. If you really dig in there you get the oak barrel notes.

T - Again with the coffee dominating with some dark chocolate to accompany. Very delicious. You get some light bourbon flavors when you really seek them out. No presence of alcohol.

M - Medium.

O - I thought this would be a boozey mess, but was extremely surprised at how well the 10% is hidden. Mouth feel is only medium but that's not necessarily a bad thing either. Delicious coffee and chocolate notes, this has become one of my favorite stouts.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 06:23:34 | More by Broanoke

mwilbur

Minnesota

4.49/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter. Cork stamped best by Jun 2014.
A: Pours an extremely dark black with 1/4 inch dark tan head. Good retention.
S: Chocolate malt, soft bourbon, mild boozy alcohol note, and dark roast coffee. Good depth and complexity to the aroma...very appealing.
T: Wonderfully crafted dark roast coffee with cream hits first, molasses, dark (and slightly bitter) chocolate, and a mildly boozy bourbon note rounds it out. With warming, dark dried fruit emerges. Extremely tasty!
M: Extremely smooth...silkly smooth. Soft and sweet. Slightly creamy feel. Medium body (lighter than ABV would suggest). Nice lingering and maturing on the palate.
D: ABV is extremely well hidden which makes this tasty brew quite drinkable. Coffee note is stronger than the bourbon and the amalgam of tastes works well. Sometimes I worry about things getting too jumbled...not the case here. Excellent coffee and cacao nib components.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 03:39:52 | More by mwilbur