Zonker Stout - Snake River Brewing Company & Brewpub

MadScientist

New York

3.91/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

A: Black and opaque with a deep garnet showing on the edge when held to the light. The head is medium brown with mostly cream, compact bubble interspersed with some medium, soapy bubbles. it has an average retention period.

A: Rich roast, coffee and chocolate aromas at a medium-strong level along with a moderate caramel sweetness.

T: A great balance between medium-strong dark malt flavors, sweetness and medium hops bitterness. There are the dark malt flavors like in the nose with roast and coffee dominating, backed by some chocolate and caramel. There is a low citrus hops flavor. The balance is slightly towards the sweetness and the finish is medium. The aftertaste is of dark roast, a little bitterness and some slight charcoal.

M: A medium-full body and a slight creaminess with medium-strong carbonation.

O: A pretty tasty American Stout that I keep being inclined to call thin even though it isn't. It has good balance with a nice mix of dark malt flavors. Good enough that I'll seek out other beers from the brew when possible.

Serving type: can

05-26-2013 23:51:26 | More by MadScientist

plaid75

New York

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured a deep black hue with a one finger foamy off white head. There was decent retention and lacing.

The smell featured soft coffee and cocoa tones with a bit of charcoal.

The taste consisted of round roasted malts with notes of smoke and charcoal. Perhaps a slight lactose sweetness detected as well.

The mouthfeel was full with a dry finish.

Overall a very well made stout.

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 00:53:37 | More by plaid75

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a clear yet opaque jet black in color with some moderate amounts of gentle visible carbonation at the surface of the beer and some cola brown highlights. The beer has a two finger tall dense foamy dark tan head that slowly reduces to

S: Moderate aromas of roasted dark and chocolate malts along with a light amount of earthy hops.

T: Upfront there are moderate flavors of roasted malts with some slightly lighter flavors of chocolate malts. Light notes of earthy malts that contributed to the overall moderate amount of bitterness which lingers for quite a while.

M: Just shy of full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Light amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: This beer is very easy to drink, is well balanced, and has a moderate ABV making it pretty darn close to being sessionable for me. I like the roasted flavors of the malts and it is definitely an enjoyable brew.

Serving type: can

05-03-2013 02:54:28 | More by dbrauneis

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I just picked up all the cans from this brewery on a recent trip to NYC. I didn't know what I was getting.

Thick. Heavy molasses on this one. Wads of malts. Tons of 'em. Toasted tones on here as an accent. This is one thick and consistent beer that truly holds to style. Surprised to be getting what I did, and happy to have done so. Highly suggested.

Serving type: can

04-11-2013 03:23:44 | More by RblWthACoz

PhantasIPA

Delaware

4.16/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This brew is a thick, black color with a dark brown colored head. The head pours thick from a can into a glass and leave a heavy, pronounced lacing on the glass as you drink, leaving tell-tale rings along the glass.

The smell is heavy, thick coffee, caramel, chocolate and spice. Really nice, dark scent that you would hope and expect from a decent porter.

Taste is great! Smooth sweet flavor followed immediately by the bitter, coffee flavor and then ends with a dark chocolate-esque, heavy flavor. Great balance between the bitter coffee, chocolate and sweet barley (caramel and toffee) flavors!

Mouthfeel is nice, syrupy and smooth with little carbonation. Very good fro the winter!

Overall this beer is very nice. Balance and solid flavor. Could be heavier on the ABV but 6% is right down the middle and the flavor really comes through. Nice! Worth a try most definitely!

Serving type: can

03-25-2013 00:47:11 | More by PhantasIPA

katan

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12oz into a pint

A - Pours dark brown, almost black with just a few amber highlights. Strong mocha head formation, well retained.

S - A smooth nose of chocolate, lightly roasted, some hopping in the background.

T - Starts off lightly hoppy, not really accentuating the malt portion. Mid-stream brings in the bittersweet chocolate. Finishes with a little bitterness on the center of the tongue.

M - Moderate body - creamy and smooth. No alcohol warmth. A little sticky in the finish.

O/D - A well done stout - a very quaffable and easy drinking beer. Not very filling, abv is not out of line. Recommended.

Serving type: can

02-16-2013 15:49:47 | More by katan

RuckusDu

Colorado

4.01/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

2012 can into Tulip. Poured about a finger of good lookin mocha head. Body is black of course. Goes to about 5ml to see any light through it. The smell is very foreign/oatmeal stout like. Smooth chocolate is how I would describe it. Nutty. Not really my style. Flavor is full and easy drinking. Lots of coffee and chocolate. Slightly bitter. Some cream. The mouthfeel is great. Tons of carbonation (but works for the beer) and slightly thicker body.

Overall this is such a drinkable beer. I would compare it to Ten Fidy in that why wouldn't you pick some up when it is on the shelf?

Serving type: can

01-29-2013 06:52:23 | More by RuckusDu

metter98

New York

4.16/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is jet black in color. It poured with a thin tan head that quickly dissipated, leaving some lacing on the surface and a thin collar around the edge of the glass.
S: The smell has moderately strong aromas of roasted chocolate malts.
T: Moderate to strong flavors of roasted and chocolate malts are present in the taste, which also has a light amount of bitterness from the underlying hops. The chocolate malt flavors linger through the finish.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: For a beer that is quite easy to drink, this beer is really packed with flavors and has a nice balance so that the roasted malts are not too strong. I could easily drink several of these in one sitting or the beer year round.

Serving type: can

01-17-2013 04:30:37 | More by metter98

mdaschaf

Washington

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Snake River. Review from notes.

A: Zonker is dark black with a dark tan head on top, decent retention leaving a small cap on top, which eventually becomes just a ring. Nice lacing all the way down the glass.

S: Some rich cocoa and mocha mixed with plenty of roast. There is a faint hop kick that comes in after. The roasted/toasty malts dominate the aroma though.

T: Charred/Roasted malt mixed with chocolate and a little bit of coffee. Has a definite bitter flavor to it. There is a little caramel in there as well that helps to balance the roast.

M: Medium to full bodied with a smooth mouthfeel. Surprisingly easy drinking.

O: Liked this beer quite a bit. Well balanced in terms of flavors and very smooth on the palate.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2012 01:51:20 | More by mdaschaf

Dope

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a very dark brown with a huge fluffy medium brown head. Fades oh so slowly, leaving a funny sort of swiss-cheese effect on the head (lots of huge holes but it holds up the general shape for a long time). Great head retention, never really seems to fade. Lots of thick fluffy lacing everywhere.

S: Lots of bitter roasted malt character, primarily char and chocolate. Smoky too, almost a meaty type of smokiness.

T: Lots of smoke and bitter char up front. Loaded with it throughout the beer. Bitter dark chocolate in the middle and just a hint of caramel in there to sweeten it up. Finishes with more smoke and char. That dark chocolate lingers between sips nicely. Quite creamy and smooth despite the roasted malt harshness. Definitely let this one warm up to room temp for maximum enjoyment.

M: Creamy, smooth and medium bodied. Surprisingly robust for only 6%.

O: Certainly a stout that pushes to the extreme of smoke and char. It's pervasive in every aspect of the beer. They made it smooth enough and just sweet enough to keep it from tasting like a campfire, however which is a feat in itself. Definitely packs a big roasted malt character for such a "light" beer.

Serving type: can

09-30-2012 04:44:08 | More by Dope

match1112

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Once again big time thanks to bitterbill for sending this my way!

a: thick oily lookin body with a gigantic thick frothy brown cap. suds and lacing till the end.

s: big time roasted barley and malt goodness!

t: chocolate and caramel with a small hop bite and barley. very sweet, and a lot of roasted flavor.

m: lighter than it looks, still a heavy oily feel. carbonation is nice.

o: wow! this is one of the best regular stouts I have had. don't have anything bad to say, but think i need to seek out more in the future.

Serving type: can

09-19-2012 15:36:39 | More by match1112

jellikit

Washington

3.85/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: dark. Black. Red hue on edges when held to light. Thin head with small bubbles. Thin lacing clings to glass.

Smell: toasty, roasty, smokey.

Taste: chocolate malt and roasted barley are balanced well to give it a smoothe roasted and dark malt flavor. Hops match well with malts. Balanced well.

Mouthfeel: medium to medium-low carbonation. Dry with a slightly sweet beginning. Thick, big body. Think Kim Kardashian.

Overall: this is a good example of an American Stout. Not great, not bad. I would drink it again.

Serving type: can

09-12-2012 03:51:24 | More by jellikit

joefuzz

New York

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

12oz can poured into glass

This is one awesome looking beer pours pitch black with a finger and a half mocha head

Smells kind of like coco pebbles cereal

Some bitter dark chocolate and plenty of roasted malt...very well balanced

Mouthfeel is lighter...this beer doesn't feel heavy with all the flavor in it. carbonation on the lower side.

Overall I love lower abv stouts that are huge on flavor and this beer is perfect of that.

Serving type: can

08-26-2012 05:31:14 | More by joefuzz

cosmicevan

New York

4.4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

well, it has been more than 2 and a half years since i was blown away by this beer and finally got my grubby hands on some more...this time in a can!!! enjoyed from my kentucky bourbon barrel ale snifter. huge thanks to pokesbeerdude!!!

a - just as i remembered...black as night with a nice creamy tan head. lacing is relatively chunky and really coats the glass in thin foamy hunkys.

s - as i mentioned in the bottle all those moons ago, this one has tons of chocolate. don't pick up caramel, but do get a decent amount of roasted malts with a hint of char. thick and rich.

t - more roasted and less chocolate than the nose suggests, but a monster of a beer. more char too. kind of tows the line between stout and porter, but more on the stout side of things. then again, this is a foreign export stout...has you almost fooled into believing it is an american stout. the char gives it that foreign vibe, but it is subtle...so tasty. some coffee notes, but mostly soft roasted char.

m - AMAZING body. full bodied and rich in flavor, but drinks like a champ. not too heavy. smooth. balanced. even. great body for an export stout.

o - just as good as i remembered. still blown away by this beer. snake river needs to start getting beer on my shelf! really great example of the style...carries just a bit of that irish cream char thing that i love about the style. much richer than most others of the style that i've tried. really just a wonderful beer. glad to have a 6'er of these, but i don't envision them lasting long.

Serving type: can

08-21-2012 00:31:02 | More by cosmicevan

spark3148857

New York

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Snake River Brewing:

AP: Pitch black with almost no light on the edges. Frothy mocha head that sticks around.

AR: Bitter coffee and chocolate, great balanced roasted malts.

TS: Absolutely delicious. Roasted barley, chocolate, coffee, subtle dry bitter fruit.

MF: Above average mouthfeel, coats the mouth.

OV: One of the best foreign style stouts I've had. A treat to have. Definitely recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2012 17:42:20 | More by spark3148857

tronester

Oklahoma

4.23/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a coal black with a rich, dark brown head. Smells of dark chocolate and espresso. Taste begins with a semi-sweet chocolate beginning, followed by some rich toffee, and an herbal, dry bitter finish. Mouthfeel is rich, medium carbonation. An exceptional stout indeed. I wish this was available in my area to purchase.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 01:18:07 | More by tronester

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My man KC hooked me up with a few bottles after his recent trip to Jackson Hole! Thanks man!

The beer was poured from a brown 12oz bottle to a schooner glass.

A - The beer pours a deep black color with a deep dark brown on the edges. The head is a massive 2.5 finger brown fluffy head with great retention and lacing.

S - Great roasted malt character along with a mild hop character. Very pleasant.

T - Just the like nose the beer starts and finishes with a nice roasted malt character. Nice roast malt character with chocolate and coffee and toffee tones. The middle of the beer brings a moderate bitterness. Finishes with the roast on the tongue and lingers. Very very nice.

M - Nice full bodied well carbonated beer. Smooth. Good.

D - Extremely.

Overall, I was really blown away by this beer I had never heard of. Great flavor and mouthfeel. Very nice.

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 02-27-2011 02:48:51

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 14:27:58 | More by hopfacebrew

divineaudio

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle into my deschutes snifter. thanks to dcloeren for the trade on this one.

a - pours a greasy black, like used motor oil. only got a thin film of head and leaves a few small legs of lacing in my glass.

s - prunes, leather, molasses, smoked sausage or bacon maybe.

t - roasted malt right up front followed by faint molasses and dark fruity notes. finish is on the dry side with a light, coffee like bitterness.

m - medium in body and carbonation.

o - nothing amazing going on here, just a good, solid beer that drinks well. if they distributed to michigan i'd certainly buy more.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 04:21:05 | More by divineaudio

Pintofbrown

Iowa

4.2/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I poured this one into a glass stein.

Appearance- The maple colored head built to about two-fingers and is velvety smooth. A nice amount of bubbles in the cap and some sheet lacing as it degrades.

Carbonation columns can be seen in the side of the glass, but other than that, good luck seeing anything else in this black body.

Smell- I am not getting much through the foam cap. There is a little malt sweetness, caramel-like. I also sense some roasted quality going on.

Taste- This is a nice, balanced stout. Roast is certainly there, malt has been cooked almost to perfection. It is not overwhelming or lingering really long in the finish. There are also notes of tobacco and definitely anise adding some pepper to the finish.

There are also hints of vanilla under everything. Even a little tobacco makes its way into the lingering end of the drink. Milk chocolate is in the mix as this one warms.

Mouth feel- This is where Zonker really hits its stride. It coats the mouth really well. The body is full and perfectly creamy, super easy to drink stout.

Overall- Zonker has a lot of great things going on. The well balanced flavors on the palate, the almost perfect mouth feel are the great things about this beer. If only the nose was a little bit better.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 18:51:12 | More by Pintofbrown

Duff27

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

"Best Enjoyed By September"...who knows of what year hah.

A- Half-inch of medium mocha head that recedes over a minute or two to a thin layer. Beer is a black color. Some lacing left on the sides of my glass.

S- Extreme roastiness, okay with this kid! Bakers chocolate mmm.

T- More with the roasted malts, leaves the mouth watering for the next sip. Hint of coffee. Subtle sweetness nicely balances with hops.

M- Creamy mouthfeel, great carbonation.

D/O- "Damn, this is a good beer." Couldn't find one flaw while reviewing, all good things. Low(ish) ABV encourages drinkign more...my type-a-beer. Will be on the lookout for more of this...gotta get my people some!

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 01:05:51 | More by Duff27

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this bottle poured at a restaurant, so the total lack of head may not have been the fault of the beer. It is jet black with the slightest dirty-white lace.
The smell is amazing: a little black licorice, lots of molasses and ending with a little smoke.
Great tasting too, following the smell: molasses, mild hop bite and more molasses.
It seemed crisper than normal for its style and lots of carbonation.
Overall it is a great stout, though the mouthfeel was off-style.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 23:22:40 | More by Fatehunter

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Lows in the high thirties make me depressed in September! 12 oz bottle with a best by date notched at June. No year provided. Poured into a snifter.

Dark and mysterious pour allows no light penetration. Head roars to a fiery cinnamon colored full inch deep fluff. Upon settling thick puddles of the sticky cover pool and settle into substantial islands of big rich bubbles: quite enticing. Lace pummels the surrounding glass.

Smells of baker's dark chocolate, bark, hops and has a bitter creamy quality.

This is quite enjoyable. Rich and bitter dark chocolate segues to a creamy mocha with a sharp hop fade that oozes an oak quality despite the lack of any barrel presence. Nice and roasty with a welcomed bitterness that helps cleave into the roast and provide a nice balance in the flavors. Really damn smooth.

At 6% this drinks creamy and medium bodied. This does not fall prey to the shortcomings of some regular stouts that fail to have the body to carry the weight of the flavors and expectations. Carbonation is prickly but complimentary. Overall this is a damn fine stout.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 22:20:31 | More by BarrytheBear

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle, from a Safeway in Bozeman, MT.

This beer pours a solid black, with ever so slight cola edges, and two roly-poly fingers of Brown Cow head, which leaves a stellar loose honeycomb pattern of lace around the glass as it sinks away. It smells of roasted malt, chocolate shake, mild sour black fruit, and a somewhat metallic hoppiness. The taste is baker's chocolate duelling it out with the underlying singed malt, black fruit, mild cherry and overripe plum most prevalent, and earthy, mountainous (?), evergreen hops. The carbonation is average for the style, the body medium-full in weight, smooth, and aspiring to creamy. It finishes fairly sweet and malty, all assaulted at the core by a somehow gentle-seeming hoppiness.

I quite enjoyed my quick visit to the brewpub earlier this summer. Nice now to try one of their brews more tailored to a winter climate, as ours closes in. As for the beer - a lovely, dessert-tempting, booze obfuscating, Doonesbury-referencing(?), example of the style. Foreign to me, so, giddee-up!

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2011 02:29:01 | More by biboergosum

zhanson88

California

3.85/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a very dark brown color, appears black in the glass. About one inch of tan head forms, nice lacing and retention. Looks pretty appealing.

Smell: I get a lot of chocolate-like malts, with maybe a hint of roast. Light hops as well.

Taste: Chocolate malts,a hint of coffee, and light roast. Moderate amount of hops on the back end. Coffee on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Pretty light bodied with high carbonation. Fairly smooth drinking, but would like to see a bit more body. Not going to lie, when I drank this I was under the impression that it was a regular American stout, and wasn't overly impressed. Once I found out it was brewed as an export stout though, my estimation of it went up quite a ways. I ended up increasing my score a pretty decent amount. Overall, a pretty damn solid export stout that I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 20:36:56 | More by zhanson88

ditmier

Idaho

3.8/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2008 Bottle - Pours black with a small tan head...aroma is toasty malt, white chocolate, fruit...flavour is nicely bitter on the front end, very dry, char char bitter, dry fruit but not malty...smells bigger than it tastes, but is still very nice...way to go wyoming...

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 23:19:20 | More by ditmier