Collaboration Series: Chocosaurus Rye - The Bruery

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a dark black color with a hint of brown mixed in and a finger of frothy chocolate colored head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some thick lace.

S - Aroma is mix of cocoa nibs, burnt chocolate malts, vanilla, and rye. There is a touch of smoke, lager esters, and sweetness.

T - Starts off with some bitter chocolate, vanilla sweetness, and some burnt chocolate malts. Through the middle, some roasted chocolate and coffee flavors come through with some rye spiciness. The finish adds a touch of smoke, with some bitter chocolate, vanilla sweetness, and some rye, and a touch of lager esters that linger.

M - Medium bodied with mild carbonation. Smooth with sweet roasted chocolatey and and dry finish.

D - Very drinkable. I really like the mix of the chocolate and rye with the black lager base. The vanilla is also a nice touch that is not overdone.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 05:19:07 | More by ngeunit1

Gobzilla

California

4.35/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: poured a very dark brown in color and had brown highlights when held to the light with a finger of frothy head which left plenty of lacing sticking to the glass.

S: there definitely was tons of chocolate character in the aroma with some roastiness, a touch of vanilla, and lots of malty sweetness as well.

T: the chocolate character was also the star attraction on the flavor alongside a slight rye spice, lots of sweetness, and a touch of vanilla.

M: the brew was full to medium in body with a good amount of carbonation which had a sweet, chocolatey, slight spice, and silky finish.

O: thought it was a damn good beer and was really impressed with collaboration.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 01:28:05 | More by Gobzilla

mcallister

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep brown with a large tan head light and fluffy. Things hurting the appearance are thick chunky particulates roaming about.

Lovely aromas of chocolate, rye, vanilla, rustic breads, that clean carbonation like aroma of a lager. Light roast as well.

Very nice. Layered chocolate with vanilla and marshmallow. Rye spice and cinnamon bread. Some dark fruit flavors in the finish with moderate bitterness. Clean with fairly light carbonation. I like.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 18:50:07 | More by mcallister

brystmar

New York

4.08/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Wasn't expecting much because: 1) It's a lager, and 2) Bootleggers has a terrible reputation in my tasting group (minus the exceptional Knuckle Sandwich). Pleasantly surprised to discover this nice little beer.

Tons of chocolate in the nose, hints of vanilla and rye right behind. There's another sharp aroma here that I honestly cannot finger.

Strong chocolate & vanilla flavors; very bready too. Tastes like drinking a s'more. Still a touch watery in the taste because, again, it's a lager. Lingering milk chocolate aftertaste.

Light to medium body. A pretty good beer; MUCH better than I expected, to be honest. The previous reviews don't do this brew justice: it's an above-average brew that, at $8.50, I'd happily buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 05:47:35 | More by brystmar

DovaliHops

California

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very dark black color that appears to be more reddish-brown when held up to light. A very large, light-tan color head on this one. Scent is very sweet. A ton of vanilla with some rye spiciness and just a hint of black licorice. A bit of coriander with some banana pudding aroma. Taste is initially sweet milk chocolate with a TON of vanilla. A hint of coconut with a lot of banana and bread pudding flavor. Very interesting and appealing flavors here. Not as much rye as I was expecting, but a delicious beer. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and crispy at first, but ends creamy. Drinkability is high. Overall, I'm pretty surprised the ratings so far aren't higher...I really enjoy this collaboration.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 06:45:25 | More by DovaliHops

cosmicevan

New York

4.03/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Notes from tasting on 11/16. thanks to jon for sharing this surprisingly tasty brew. enjoyed from a brewery snifter.

a - poured a watery black with a thin greyish milky head. swirling the glass brings things back to life.

s - some smoke, some rye, and some cocoa and vanilla...the rye is there too and quite nice.

t - wow, this is pretty good. nice chocolate and rye mix. very impressive.

m - super smooth. a bit watery. goes down unbelievably easy.

o - overall this is really nice. a very big surprise. super easy drinker. lager with rye and cocoa nibs really works. extremely enjoyable and delicious.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 03:05:07 | More by cosmicevan

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Bruery tulip just because I can. Beer is black with a nice one finger tan head of small bubbles, lacing on the glass, moderate to low retention.

Aroma is a little weak, mildly chocolate, a little malt.

Beer is medium in body, a little bitter, nice chocolate bitterness on the end, a little sweet leadoff, a decent beer overall. I won't go out of my way to have another but it was a decent beer overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2012 15:07:37 | More by drabmuh

kjyost

Manitoba (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bottle sampled at recent bottle share. Poured into 6 oz sampling glass, fridge cold and allowed to warm slightly.

Pours an opaque tan head with a dark body. Notes of sweet chocolate on the nose, hiding the roasted flavours that should be present. A surprising amount of booziness on both the nose and in the body, yet in the end oddly smooth. Light roasted notes in the body with light cocoa. flavours. The mouthfeel is disturbingly watery, and the beer in no way evidences the rye that was used in terms of flavour or viscosity. A little disappointing, though an enjoyable beer to start the night with.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 15:31:03 | More by kjyost

thagr81us

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from bottle into a Bruery tulip (proper!). Poured black with a one finger light tan head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, vanilla, dark chocolate, spice, rye, and milk chocolate. The flavor was of sweet malt, vanilla, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, smoke, and subtle spice. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a good brew. I really like how much was going on in this one while still maintaining a fairly nice balanced aroma and flavor. It wasn’t the best I have experienced in my ticking career, but definitely up there. This fact made it quite easy to drink and fairly enjoyable. No sign of booze anywhere at all. Definitely a must try if you get the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 10:51:45 | More by thagr81us

Beerenauslese

California

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Dark brown body with a tan head that dissipates to a ring. Not much lacing.

Nose of chocolate and rye, some prunes/dark stone fruit.

Tastes of dark chocolate and rye, with a little prune/dark stone fruit and a hint of cola. Not much hops come through in this. Sort of two dimensional.

Body is light and carbonation is light as well.

A good drinking beer, but some more complexity would make it more interesting.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 02:18:46 | More by Beerenauslese

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.98/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a solid black with a decent sized tan head that slowly dissipates to a cap on top. Smells of chocolate and pilsner malt with a slightly spicy edge to it. The aroma is fairly simple, but very pleasing. The flavor is not what I expected from the aroma. I get a solid punch of milk chocolate with almost too much vanilla and bit of a smokey edge with the spice coming off the rye as well as a bit of oxidation. Silky creamy mouthfeel with a solid medium on the body and a light level of carbonation. Very nice brew that threw me for a second but got a lot better as I eased into it.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 23:14:47 | More by johnnnniee

Beerontwowheels

Maryland

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

750ml bottle into a dfh signature glass.

A: Dark as night with about a half finger of light brown head. Caramel colored edges when held up to light.

S: Chocomalt malt way up front. Light rye with a touch of vanilla bean.

T: Chocolate and vanilla laced together. The nibs really shine through. The rye provides a spiciness that fits well.

M: Medium bodied. Nice carbonation level that provides a creaminess that works well with the choco-vanilla flavors.

O: A fine collab with Bootlegger's. Very porter-like which I like. Would be interesting to see this bourbon barrel aged. I'd definitely buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 01:08:35 | More by Beerontwowheels

mdfb79

New York

3.95/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got a few bottles of this being in the RS this year. 750ml bottle poured into my Bruery tulip because I can.

a - Pours a very dark brown, almost black color, with two fingers of dark tan head and moderate carbonation evident. Head lasts for one to two minutes and leaves an inch throughout drinking it, no lacing or real retention.

s - Smells of roasted malts, rye, sweet dark fruits, cocoa, bitter chocolate, and light coffee. The cocoa and chocolate are definitely there, as is the rye, but not getting any vanilla. Still pretty nice.

t - Tastes of roasted malts, sweet dark fruits, cocoa, rye, vanilla, cream, fruity malts, light coffee, sweet and dark chocolate. Some vanilla in the taste, overall pretty nice and better than the nose.

m - Medium body and low to moderate carbonation. Super smooth and creamy body, and no alcohol to it at all. Very nice body.

o - Overall a pretty solid beer. The nose has some nice roasty notes, fruit, rye, and chocolate mixing together, while the taste ties in some vanilla. More sweet dark fruits then I was expecting, and a little of everything, with nothing dominating or being too strong. Very nice body, would have it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 00:25:05 | More by mdfb79

UCLABrewN84

California

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the ColLAboration beer fest at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, CA.

Pours an opaque super dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to an oily film. Thin streaks of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, vanilla, and cocoa. Taste is of malt, cocoa, vanilla, and some cherry cola flavors. There is a mild bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some interesting smells and flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2012 04:34:52 | More by UCLABrewN84

GregSVT

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

750ml capped bottle into a tulip

A: Pours a dark brown with a decent off-brown head that fades to a ring and leaves no lacing on the glass.

S: The nose starts with cocoa powder and bakers chocolate but quickly turns to chocolate syrup and dark fruits as it warms. There is a hint of rye in the background or maybe it's just the power of suggestion.

T: The taste is similar to the nose with nice flavors of chocolate, malt, a little rye, and a touch of vanilla. The vanilla is not as pronounced as I thought it would be.

M: The feel is medium bodied and a bit bubbly...not a huge fan of big bubbles in a dark beer like this.

O: I wish the Vanilla was more towards the forefront but the chocolate is definitely great. Recommended if you like chocolate beers...not so much if you are looking for vanilla or rye.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 06:29:52 | More by GregSVT

gford217

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle.

Pours dark chocolate brown with a big creamy beige head that recedes very slowly leaving nice lacing.

Lots of chocolate malts in the nose. Bit of spicy rye though it's subtle and dominated by the roasty chocolate malts.

Taste is much spicier than the nose with a strong kick up front before the roasted malts and milk chocolate take over. The finish is smooth and tastes like liquid rye bread with milk chocolate.

Mouthfeel is smooth with the rye supporting the thick feel which is balanced by the lively carbonation.

As a fan of rye beers, this one doesn't disappoint. It's not overly complex but still tasty if you like chocolate and rye.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 03:11:24 | More by gford217

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle split with Thorpette. Served in a Bruery tulip.

Pours near black with a nice off-white head. Fairly rocky with good retention. Some spotty lacing on the way down and then a thin cap and collar throughout.

The nose carries some nice notes of chocolate behind a good dosing of vanilla, though neither is overpowering. A faint bit of roast in the background. The flavor focuses heavily on the vanilla with some smooth milk chocolate in the background. Not really getting much of the rye out of this in the flavor or feel, but still quite enjoyable. Medium-full body with low-ish carbonation. Quite chewy.

Overall, nothing too snazzy, just a nice vanilla beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 00:47:07 | More by Thorpe429

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

750 mL bottle, sent out to me by JRSD. I let it sit out of the fridge for a bit before I poured it into my Bruery tulip.

The Bruery/Bootlegger's Chocosaurus Rye pours stout-like in appearance. It's solid black, with three fingers of caramel foam. Head retention is good, and there's some lacing, but it is a little spotty. The nose is very chocolate forward, with the vanilla giving the impression of milk chocolate rather than dark. It's supported by a secondary dry spiciness from the rye. Similarly, the flavor profile opens up with big notes of roast and chocolate. As someone who's a fan of chili peppers being used in beer (and especially stouts), I dig the earthy, delicate spicy character I get from the rye. It's not as intensely hot as when actual peppers are used, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The body is just a tad on the full/hefty side. The carbonation its paired with though is definitely dull. The beer's not big/rich enough to come across as syrupy, but it really just sits lifeless on my tongue. Chocosaurus Rye pulls together a lot into a beer that you wouldn't think to combine, and the result a solid, pleasantly surprising beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 06:42:54 | More by axeman9182

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a Lost Abbey chalice.

A- pours a dark brown, near black, with a 3" beige head. Big clumps of lacing cling to the glass.

S- chocolate, dark fruits, and spices.

T- dark fruits with some chocolate mixed in. So,e light spice and nice roast from the rye.

M- medium body and carbonation. Very easy drinking with slight acidity.

O- very tasty for a lager. Not spectacular but unique beer with nice flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2012 05:17:20 | More by kawilliams81

rtaps

California

3.88/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours pitch black with about a 1 finger frothy khaki head, that has decent retention leaving spotty lacing

nice aroma, chocolate with the rye spice.

taste fallows the nose, although the rye wasn't as strong as I expected.

medium bodied and carbonated, creamy and leaves the mouth wet

overall real nice brew, balanced well smooth and easy to drink

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 00:45:15 | More by rtaps

jsanford

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours dark black with a dense khaki head that settles to a thin cap, leaving a few spots of lacing. Moderate aromas of chocolate, vanilla beans, a touch of grainy rye, and some clean Lager yeast. Not bad. Lots more chocolate in the taste, almost a chocolate syrup thing going on, along with more vanilla bean. Chocosaurus indeed. Mouthfeel is smooth, with a medium-full body and ample carbonation. Pretty tasty beer, really digging the chcocolate.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 01:40:26 | More by jsanford

merc7186

New York

3.88/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Bomber into tasting.

A: Dark Opaque Hue, Passes No Light, Brown Head Ring, Some Lacing

S: Chocolate, Rye, Mild Roasted Malts

T: Rye, Chocolate, Roasted Malts

M: Average Carbonation, Medium to Full Bodied, Semi Grainy

Overall, a pretty nice blend of rye and chocolate...nothing more, nothing less

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 05:11:17 | More by merc7186

ms11781

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to cbeer88 for giving me access to this one. 750ml bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Pours a deep brown color but looks black once it settles in the glass. Towards the end of the beer some reddish tinges showed up at the sides and the bottom of the glass but it was mostly opaque throughout. A big, foamy off-white heads provides a nice contrast to the darker body. The head has decent retention, leaving spotty lacing down the sides of the glass.

The nose isn't very potent but there is a bit going on. Some light chocolate is matched by a bit of spicy rye. There is also a subtle sweetness, almost vanilla-like, and a bit of a smoky character. Some of it tough to pick out and some comes on stronger as the beer warms.

The taste is a huge step of from the nose. It starts with a nice touch of some mellow chocolate that is met by the same spicy rye character that was in the nose. Both are stronger and more pleasant than they were in the nose. The striking difference is an excellent hit of sweet vanilla at the finish. The taste is pretty straightforward but the vanilla pulls it through and makes it interesting.

Medium body with lower carbonation. The lower carbonation probably gives the beer the illusion a bit of a fuller mouthfeel than it has. It drinks in the range of a decent sized porter.

This beer was surprisingly enjoyable. I personally enjoy rye a lot and the vanilla on the finish of this sip was excellent. That being said, it's probably not a beer for everybody and is something that I may or may not seek out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2012 02:22:05 | More by ms11781

claaark13

Indiana

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown, nearly black with a low head that turns into lacing. Sticks better than expected.

S - Cocoa, grain, touch of sweetness. Vanilla comes out a little after a few whiffs.

T - Rye flavor with grains, sweetness pulling through and then cocoa turning into chocolate. The chocolate finish is quite impressive, actually. Vanilla becomes evident as well. If the beginning flavor was better, this would be a home run. Roast comes out in the transition into the chocolate flavor.

M - Medium going on low.

O - I like it and don't like it at the same time. I think the back part of the flavor is beyond fantastic. The beginning, though, is par. A thicker body on this one would've done wonders.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 01:41:00 | More by claaark13

Phelps

Arizona

3.85/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle into a tulip.

Deep, absorbing black. Blacker than space, this brew. Atop the foreboding liquid sits about an inch of dense, cocoa-colored foam that descends very slowly. VERY slowly.

Lightly smoky nose. Some sweet cocoa plays of more bitter dark chocolate, a touch of toasted bread, and perhaps some earthy hops.

In the front of the flavor, we have a blend of soft cocoa powder and sweet vanilla beans. The swallow is like a dive into deeper waters: smoke, raisins and spicy rye. As it warms, I get more fruity sweetness — figs, mostly. The smokiness seems to be all Bootlegger’s — it reminds a little of their Black Phoenix. French vanilla lingers long after the swallow.

A winner in the mouthfeel, creamy and light like whipped cream. Very light, tingly carbonation. A rich body.

The Chocosaurus is a surprisingly tasty brew. Nice complexity of flavor, great body. I shouldn’t have expected any less from the marriage of Bootlegger’s and the Bruery.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 04:25:45 | More by Phelps