Chocolate Rain - The Bruery

Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.

BA SCORE
99
world-class
-
606 Ratings

rAvg: 4.5
pDev: 11.56%
Reviews: 191
Hads: 415

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
The Bruery

California, United States

Style | ABV
American Double / Imperial Stout | 19.50% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (149), cask (28), on-tap (14).

Notes:
Black Tuesday with Vanilla Bean & Cocoa Nibs.

2011: 18.5% ABV
2012: 19.5% ABV

View: Beers (69) | Reviews (50) | Events (0)

Reviews

Sort by: Latest | High | Low | Top Reviewers | Show Hads:

« first ‹ prev | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | next › last »

Reviews by jlindros:

jlindros

Massachusetts

4.85/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

In the Beer 2000 (the rest of this voice should sound like Conan O'brien)... Oh man, never thought I would reach 1000 let alone 2000, holy crap! To do it, one of my long (about 1 year) sought after beers, Chocolate Rain, "Some stay dry and others feel the pain" (Tay Zonday eat your heart out). Shared with rudzud as our shared RS membership dictates.

As it pours, it looks a bit lighter than I expected as it's flowing slowly out of the bottle. A light fizzy head forms, darker colored I think although hard to tell, fades almost instantly, although typical for ridiculous abv beer, over a very dark beer, not quite pitch black, with hints of light sneaking through the edges, and I mean HINTS. It also wants to have legs, but is more like a layered sleen of beer slowly sliding down the sides of the glass instead of legs.

Nose is just pure chocolate! Awesomeness! Tons of chocolate right out, oh and vanilla!. A big cocoa nib profile wafts out of the glass, not too aggressive at first, but then shows me up quickly, with some cocoa nibs, melted milk chocolate, a bit of baker's and some heavy dark chocolate. The fresh soaked vanilla beans, tons of caramel and molasses to add to the richness. A bit of booze, but doesn't seem like 19% yet. It brings that aroma of a brick of almost pure dark chocolate, there's so much chocolate! so many exclamation points!. A hint of cinnamon leads to some brandy and bourbon soaked raisin, vanilla, some oak and bourbon. The vanilla really builds as it warms.

Taste, ooohhh man, knee buckling, luckily I peed before I sipped this. it just erupts with pure chocolate! It reminds me a lot of the huge brick of the super dark chocolate I used to get at Trader Joe's which I would shave slices off, and let them just melt over my tongue, and the result is almost exactly like this experience. Various layers of chocolate melting all over my mouth, bakers', dark, milk, cocoa nibs, etc, etc, and also etc. Then comes vanilla, with all the descriptors I did for chocolate, vanilla is just behind it (well mostly after it warms). Some toasty oak barrel, vanilla, pure vanilla bean and richness. Some bourbon comes through as well, not strong, but enough to let you know, with a light bourbon soaked raisin like flavor. It drinks like 9% not 19%, smooth and rich, and just a light bitterness. A touch of biscuit adds some malted milk ball flavor. Finish is super long, mouth coating, tons of vanilla, chocolate, dark choc, light bourbon, oak, booze, and just a touch of bitterness, linger for what seems like forever, and even burps up flavor of awesomeness hours later.

Mouth... holy shit, this has to be the best mouth feel I've ever had in a beer!!! it doesn't even seem like a beer, more like velvet, velour, essence of pour silk, and everything in between, all having sex with the hottest chic in the world in heaven, wrapped in melted dark chocolate, and served on a naked hot Japanese woman, ala sushi, etc. There really isn't a word to describe the mouth feel. If I could vote for higher than 5, this mouth would go to 11. It even tickles my gums on each subsequent sip, literally tickles!

Overall... gggmmmsssshhhgggguguuuaaahhhgggrrrlllggguuh.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 02:05:15 | More by jlindros

More User Reviews:

taylor714914

Pennsylvania

3.5/5 rDev -22.2%

06-18-2013 23:07:11 | More by taylor714914

Hefewiseman

Florida

5/5 rDev +11.1%

06-16-2013 02:05:28 | More by Hefewiseman

MrNate

Florida

5/5 rDev +11.1%

06-16-2013 02:04:40 | More by MrNate

afallon86

California

4.25/5 rDev -5.6%

06-15-2013 09:15:54 | More by afallon86

zestar

California

4.5/5 rDev 0%

06-14-2013 08:09:51 | More by zestar

mhenson42

Texas

4.5/5 rDev 0%

06-13-2013 00:40:34 | More by mhenson42

DrJoe82

Illinois

4.75/5 rDev +5.6%

06-12-2013 21:37:54 | More by DrJoe82

Schlais

Minnesota

4.5/5 rDev 0%

06-12-2013 01:13:48 | More by Schlais

sarge27

California

4.5/5 rDev 0%

06-11-2013 04:56:01 | More by sarge27

jimmy82063

Connecticut

4.78/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2013 Version, poured into a Bruery Tulip.

A) - Jet black with a head that quickly dissipates. Small amount of foam rings the glass.

S) - Chocolate, vanilla, bourbon and Oak.

T) Really digging this the chocolate is semi sweet and it is complimented by the vanilla. The bourbon is very pronounced. This does not drink like an 18% beer. The alcohol heat is well muted and only shows up a bit at the end. Still though this is a sipper as you want to keep the experience going.

M) Velvety smooth.

O) An experience I was glad to have had!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 21:35:53 | More by jimmy82063

ezperkins2

California

4.5/5 rDev 0%

06-10-2013 19:46:00 | More by ezperkins2

homersapien619

California

4.5/5 rDev 0%

06-10-2013 19:44:25 | More by homersapien619

truthcontortion

Ohio

4.75/5 rDev +5.6%

06-10-2013 15:48:17 | More by truthcontortion

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.86/5 rDev +8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

750mL bottle acquired through the Reserve Society. The Bruery has apparently stopped bottle dating but this is the 2013 vintage just released in April. Served in a Red Brick snifter.

Pours jet black with about one finger of brown head. Head receds to a tiny halo which doesn't lace. Swirling my glass shows nice thick legs that fade slowly.

Smells incredible! Bourbon chocolate cake and vanilla dominate with oak, roast and booze thrown in.

The nose, while excellent, couldn't prepare me for how awesome this tastes. Rich chocolate cake, strong yet smooth bourbon, vanilla bean ice cream, sweet creamed coffee, booze soaked dark fruit, heavy roasted malts, that kind of funky sweet almost signature Bruery yeast character and a little alcohol burn. So freakin delicious with the rich flavors coating my tongue. The alcohol is present but this drinks so smooth like only half of it's 18% abv bill.

Thick, heavy, chewy, viscous feel with light carbonation. Coats the mouth for a long, sweet bourbon chocolate cake aftertaste.

Truly outstanding! This was one of the main reasons I joined the Reserve Society and I couldn't be happier. So rich and full. Even better than the already stellar Black Tuesday. Very highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2013 13:30:39 | More by ThickNStout