Chocolate Camaro - Half Acre Beer Company

Brewasaurus

Illinois

3.89/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Very dark brown, one finger head that is very light

S: Roasted malts, coffee, lactose. Doesn't really smell that great, to be honest.

T: Roasted coffee, hints of some sort of nut. Despite being brewed with chocolate, I only really notice the bitterness of it, not a particularly strong flavor.

M: NIce thick body, smooth in the mouth and going down. Ends a bit dry.

O: Very good beer. I was surprised by the amount of coffee flavor, but in a good way. Very smooth, nice amount of sweetness, and for the style, it's really quite good.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 01:18:21 | More by Brewasaurus

robwestcott

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Big thanks to ppohio for this one. Poured cold from the bottle a deep cola black with a short lasting foamy tan head to an against the grain dimpled pint mug.

Aroma of cocoa powder and roasted malts.

Light bodied, medium carbonation, big roasty cocoa, super drinkable.

Great chocolate stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 21:35:36 | More by robwestcott

macrosmatic

Florida

4.11/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to augustg for this one! Reviewed from notes. Poured from bomber into a Russian River pint glass.

A: Very dark brown, opaque, with a one-finger brown head, and no visible carbonation.

S: Heavily roasted malts, creamy lactose, coffee, leather, and just hints of dark fruit. Smells bitter overall, but not in a bad way.

T: Roasty bitter coffee, milky, some hazelnut, hints of baker's unsweet cacao in the mouth - gives the beer a mouth-drying bitter aspect. Seems a bit nutty as well.

M: Thick body, smooth creamy mouthfeel, moderate carbonation for style, alcohol more noticeable than expected for such a low ABV but doesn't detract.

O: This was a quality beer. More roasty and bitter than most of the other examples of style, but I think it works here in context. I wouldn't hesitate to drink another.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2013 23:01:40 | More by macrosmatic

Florida9

Illinois

4.01/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A: Very dark brown, though appears black in the glass. Forms a minimal dark tan head that quickly reduces to nothing but a ring around the edge of the glass. No lacing.

S: Very nice. Chocolate forward. Some deeply roasted malts, brown bread, and a touch of molasses. But really, the chocolate is the dominant smell.

T: Taste is likewise dominated by the chocolate flavor. It's certainly a milk-chocolate type flavor, not as strong, complex, or "dark" as the good stuff. But considering this is a milk-stout, I guess the milk chocolate reference is to be expected. Mild to moderate sweetness. Some weak coffee notes and a little earthy, woody on the finish. Finish is quick.

M: Medium bodied, but would have appreciated a bit more "chew" on this. Mild to moderate sweetness. Low bitterness, though there does seem to be a hint of tannic astringency, possibly from the cocoa nibs. Medium carbonation.

O: Glad they finally put this one in bottles as I've been wanting to try this beer for the last two years, but was unwilling to commit to an entire growler. A nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 01:47:30 | More by Florida9

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at Churchkey during the Craft Beer Conference 2013.

A: Poured out pretty much black as night, with somewhat of a thick consistency, yet still fairly light looking overall. Slight head, but nothing too foamy.

S: Definitely hints of cocoa and some toasted grains. That's about it.

T: Ha! This brew resembles Coca-Cola more than any I've ever tasted. My wife and I both sample this at the same time and said that exact same thing! Yep, Coke is it (80s pun intended) along with some subtle hints of cocoa.

M: Grainy, almost the same texture I get when I sample many Black IPA. Still, that was a nice, memorable characteristic, along with the smooth cocoa finish which was fun.

O: I see a collaboration with the a carbonated beverage company in Half Acre's future. At the very least, I'd love for them to brew a root beer sometime.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2013 14:17:31 | More by Chaney

Vonerichs

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

On nitro-tap in the tasting room.

Nice cascading carbonation from the nitro pour. The only downside was waiting a few minutes for it to set.

The smell is faint hints of milk chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt.

The chocolate has a light bakers chocolate bitterness to it. There's a mild sweetness from the lactose. The roast is almost a woody smoke, but faint.

The mouthfeel on nitro knocks it out of the park. I imagine this is smooth from the bottle and nitro compounds that. It's amazingly smooth, soft, and velvety.

I'm looking forward to trying this out of the bottle.

Edit:
Tried out of the bottle. It's still a fantastic and extremely drinkable milk stout but the mouthfeel is a bit less smooth, for obvious reasons. It has the same flavors but the sweetness tastes a little more like artificial sweetener than I remembered it being on nitro. Out of a bottle I give this 4s across the board.

Serving type: nitro-tap

03-22-2013 02:33:16 | More by Vonerichs

corby112

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at Devil's Den in Philadelphia, PA.

Pours a dark chocolate brown color with a one finger beige head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Sporadic spots of lace left behind.

Complex malt aroma with a nice balance of sweet and roasted notes.  Hints of sweet and dark chocolate, oatmeal, coffee bean and toffee along with lactic sugar/cream.  Smells like a chocolate milk shake.

Slightly chewy medium body with a nice balance of sweet and roasted chocolate malt along with earthy, bitter hops and lactic sugar.  Really chocolate-y with hints of caramel, toffee and nut.  Some roasted dark malt notes and hops contribute bitterness.  Hits of oatmeal, coffee and toast but the silky chocolate and lactic sugar notes dominate making this beer silky smooth and easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2012 00:59:43 | More by corby112

Tobe

4.28/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a deep black with a tan head that dissipated fast. In its defense I was outside in the rain enjoying this during Philly Beer Week. so I can forgive the head.

The aroma offers a ton of milk chocolate. The flavor is the same, deep milk chocolate notes with a bit of carbonation and a very soft mouthfeel. Very drinkable, an easy drinker, but also a great desert beer. Wonderful finish and a great intro to a new brewery that I have never previously tried.

This was definitely one of the top two beers I tried at that evenings event. I am now organizing a trip to Chicago so I can visit the brewery and indulge in some more.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2012 21:05:15 | More by Tobe

rmcnealy

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served from a growler filled at the brewery.

Poured a dark, non-translucent brown that appeared to be totally filtered. Produced a thin light mocha head that faded to a mere ring around the glass. Smells are of roast, sweetened coffee, dark chocolate and caramel. Tastes mirror that with a definite milk/cream taste. A sweetened coffee taste is highly present. After I had a piece of chocolate, the tastes seemed more woodsy and roasty. The mouthfeel is decent but it seems too crisp for me. Needs a bit more body, perhaps. It leaves a mere milky aftertaste. Overall, a solid brew. Another good offering from Half Acre.

Cheers!

Serving type: growler

04-14-2012 23:23:05 | More by rmcnealy

WankelEngine

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a growler into a mug

A: Pours opaque black with a touch of dark brown. There is a foamy tan head of two fingers with decent retention. Layered curtains of lacing.

S: The aroma is deep and malty. Chocolate and roasted malts are key. There are some notes of toffee and brown sugar sweetness as well.

T: Bittersweet chocolate is the first flavor I detect, followed closely by a light brewed coffee. Toffee and faint vanilla give the flavor some good depth. Finishes clean with some mild lingering chocolate bitterness.

M: Smooth and creamy. Medium bodied for a stout. Pretty damn enjoyable. Medium-light carbonation.

O: Good chocolate notes with a sweet backbone and creamy mouthfeel. Tasty and drinkable.

Serving type: growler

04-08-2012 03:32:33 | More by WankelEngine

robbyc1

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Deep black, tan head, disappates fast, looks like a Stout. Nose is subdude, not alot of malt, but lots of milk chocolate. The flavor is the same, deep milk chocolate notes with a bit of carbonation and a very soft mouthfeel. No big Stout backbone, don't need it. Very drinkable, at the brewery they said the ABV was closer to 4%, I believe that is true, hard to tell. This is an easy drinker, but also a great desert beer, have it closer to 60 degrees if you really want to get all the flavor. A sessionable stout, yes please, keep it coming.

Serving type: growler

03-20-2012 18:44:09 | More by robbyc1

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from Growler into Jester King pint.

A- Pours a dark black with a 1 finger light tan head. Some small blotches of lacing.

S- Chocolate, roasted malts, coffee.

T- Chocolate right upfront with roasted malts quickly behind. Some coffee and very faint hop bitterness.

M- Light body, medium carbonation. Very easy drinking with some creaminess from the lactose.

O- Very good flavor and easy to drink. One of the better milk stout's that I have had.

Serving type: growler

03-11-2012 23:56:00 | More by kawilliams81

Jaycase

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: very dark brown, almost black. mocha colored head.

s: creamy, dark chocolate. bit of espresso and roasted malts

t: sweet milk chocolate. roasted malts and a finish of coffee bitterness

m: medium body. creamy and smooth. a bit dry

o: incredibly easy to drink. good flavor but I wish there was just a bit more of a chocolate presence in the taste. A solid stout to try, however.

Serving type: growler

03-11-2012 22:52:23 | More by Jaycase

312HopBomb

Illinois

5/5  rDev +23.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a deep, dark brown almost black. No light shines through. Three finger head overflows the pint glass. Mocha colored foam. Slowly settles leaves great lacing. Aroma of cocoa, coffee and dark malts. Taste is sweet milk chocolate and chocolate malts...wonderful. Mouthfeel is like velvet. Creamy and smooth with fine carbonation.

A great session beer this is an awesome chocolate milk stout, one of my favorite styles. This is by far the best of Half Acre's many departures from their world-class hoppy beers. Don't get me wrong, I like Baume Rye stout and Chub Step porter but this blows them away. Again, I am partial to sweet stouts. Reminds me of Mackeson Triple Stout back in the 80's. A grand slam from my friends at Half Acre...cheers!

Serving type: growler

03-10-2012 06:07:48 | More by 312HopBomb

KDawg

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured from growler into a half acre tulip. Pours a nice dark chocolate color with a nice roasty head

very well balanced and aromatic with notes of dark chocolate, cacao nibs, roasted coffee beans and malts.

Full bodied with a real nice and smooth feel. Very drinkable with flavors of coffee beans, roasted malts and dark chocolate

Though it slightly lacks in the middle, this is a great stout at 5%. Brings real good depth and flavor while being at a lower abv.

Serving type: growler

03-10-2012 05:10:37 | More by KDawg

vespahulb

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm normally not a huge fan of the sweet stouts, but this one changed my mind. Upon first whiff, a huge explosion of espresso, dark chocolate, a bit of smoke or burnt log aroma.

In the mouth, it's liquid fudge. Chocolatey, sweet, but still quite dry. Don't get me wrong, though, this beer is gulpable. A really enjoyable stout; one that you could stand to have a couple of.

Serving type: growler

04-26-2011 01:35:15 | More by vespahulb

fear025

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Growler fill.

Aroma:Roasted malts with some of the sour dark roasted malts smell. There's a little bit of caramel and coffee.

Appearance:Black with espresso colored head.

Taste:Dark malts on the foretaste. Chocolate, caramel, and vanilla flavors come through more on the midtaste. The aftertaste has the slightly sour dark roasted malt flavors.

Mouthfeel:Medium body, not particularly heavy. Ok carbonation.

Drinkability:This is an easy drinking chocolate stout, pleasant and sessionable.

Serving type: growler

03-02-2011 19:02:08 | More by fear025

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

64 oz growler into a couple of pint glasses. Big thanks go to my Half Acre hook-up goodstrongbeer for procuring this one for me.

Pours a straight black in the glass, with a finger of smooth milk chocolate colored head. This retains with a creamy richness on the edges (which looks a bit more burnt and angry here) that drenches the sides with thick foamy swathes of lacing and brown oils. The aroma has a well done and quite flavorful roasted coffee presence, but it isn't too overly assertive, as it melds well with a formidable smelling combo of bitter chocolate and creamy lactose. Spicy and earthy hop character runs along the back of the nose, adding some extra gritty complexity to the proceedings.

The taste, thanks to that mix of chocolate and cream, almost has a beer milkshake thing going on with it in the flavor profile. Bittersweet chocolate and lactic sugars give this a sticky sweetness up front that is well balanced by a fairly sturdy wave of spicy citric bitterness. Roasted coffee notes come out across the back and lingers in the finish with some earthy bitter dryness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a tiny bit fuller, and is well carbonated with a lively feeling prickly sharpness. This is layered on top of some thicker underlying chewiness, which is where a lot of that rich sweetness of the profile dwells. I wasn't expecting a whole lot of alcohol presence out of this at only 6% but it's always appreciated when it stays strictly to some light heft in the body.

This was another good Half Acre offering. Lots of full flavors (that hop profile really did lot in keeping this balanced, crisp, and interesting) and a good drinkibility really helped made this quite tasty and satisfying. This is definitely a solid one to have around for those seeking a chocolate beer fix during the usual Valentines Day hype.

Serving type: growler

02-16-2011 17:37:19 | More by Kegatron

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a glass mug.

Thanks to VDubb86 for sharing this growler during the boil!

It seems like a chocolate car would fair about as well as SNL's classic Adobe. But maybe it's just me. The namesake brew pours a sleek obsidian topped by a finger of light brown foam. The nose comprises dark chocolate, roasted malts, light molasses, very light vanilla, and a light sense of vague wood. The taste drudges up these very fresh memories for a second remembrance, though the wood has dropped out, and the dark chocolate has grown closer to the bitter end of the chocolate-y spectrum. The body is a hefty medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta dry finish. Overall, a very nice bit o' stout, though I was sorta hoping for some more chocolate character. Oh well, it still tastes pretty damn good to me.

Serving type: growler

02-13-2011 23:03:07 | More by TMoney2591

nkersten

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Chris for bringing this one over the other night. Poured into NB globe, beer is black with some dark brown hues at the edges with a mocha head that fades to a collar. Smell is malty and sweet at first, slight hop aroma, lots and lots of bitter chocolate, slightly syrupy. Taste is bitter dark roasted malts, some coffee, bitter dark chocolate, very sweet and sugary, bitter finish. Medium bodied with a light to medium carbonation, coating mouthfeel. I actually really enjoyed this beer. It is sweet and very chocolatey, very easy to drink. Much better then some of the other milk stouts out there.

Serving type: growler

02-05-2011 21:12:46 | More by nkersten

ThirstyBird

Germany

3.68/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Jdiddy for the opportunity to try this bitchin' camaro

Super dark brown in color with a dark tan head. Head falls to a thin blanket. Some lacing.

Smells roasty, some chocolate, some lactose sweetness.

Taste follows the nose though with a lot more bitter sweet chocolate in the middle and at the end. some coffee notes and a dry, slightly bitter ending. Fairly sweet overall.

Body is medium, the carbonation is nice and fairly mellow though the growler has been open for a bit of time.

Pretty drinkable brew though the combo of the sweetness and roasty dry aftertaste might be tough after a bit.

Serving type: growler

01-29-2011 02:10:56 | More by ThirstyBird

Vdubb86

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass

Thanks to my buddy taiyed for bringing this to the party

This beer pours a sexy gorgeous blackness with a thick dark tan foam. The smell is pretty vacant on the nose, but notes of char and burnt chocolate are pretty much the only strong notes to be taken into consideration. The taste is super roasty and reminds almost solely of a nice cup of coffee that I poured a bit of sugar and even a smaller portion of cream into. This beer is pretty tasty and I think it's pretty hard to pick up the lactose sweetness in it and it reminds more of a coffee stout than it does a milk stout. This was a little abrasive on the tongue, but not too overbearing, and there was just something that was left to be desired here. Overall a very good beer, but an okay milk stout.

Serving type: growler

01-24-2011 05:01:15 | More by Vdubb86

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance -- Pours an inky black with two fingers of stiff chocolate brown head.

Smell -- Roast malt, cafe latte, gentle lactose sweetness. Some cocoa presence, though pretty muted.

Taste -- Much like the aroma. Malt is nicely roasted, mellow. Modicum of dark fruit. Not much cocoa nib influence, at least not jumping out - to its benefit? Lactose sweetness is gentle, nowhere near saccharine. Overall very mellow. Lingering flavor of coffee with cream.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-full body, gentler carb. Perfect for RIS, but a little undercarbed for its style.

D 4 Another solid beer from Half Acre. Well-crafted, rich, but mellow and drinkable. My only quip would be that it is a bit wanting for more cocoa nib character, however this might have been what was keeping the beer from being cloying like so many other chocolate-flavored stouts and milk stouts. Needless to say, the growler was soon emptied.

Serving type: growler

01-24-2011 03:39:22 | More by yeahnatenelson

MrDriscoll

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a growler Friday afternoon..

A - Nice dark pour with lighter brown fringes around the foam. Nice lacing all the way down the glass.

A - Really nice aroma after the pour. Nice roasted malt, chocolate and sublte coffee scents.

T - Took a nice big quaff and picked up nice semi-sweet chocolate flavors as well as just a little bit of bitter coffee vs. bitter hoppiness. Not as "milky" as I would have expected from a milk stout but that doesn't take away from the overall taste.

M / F - Nice carbination considering it was a growler pour. Not to heavy and slight creaminess, but again not as milky as I would have expected not only in flavor but in the mouthfeel as well. Finished quite clean and crisp.

D - Very drinkable...had a little movie marathon Friday night and went through a lot more than I had expected to..not to mention more than seemed. Didn't leave me very full and went down very easy.

Serving type: growler

01-23-2011 18:56:31 | More by MrDriscoll

jrallen34

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Homer Half Acre love on this one...Thanks to Chris for coming over early Saturday. Drank from a Matilda tulip...Pours black with medium to dark brown on the fringes. Really good carbonation especially from an already opened growler, retention and lacing are really nice...The aroma is really sweet chocolate syrup, roast, some great creaminess. Some bitter coffee. Too sweet, but otherwise easy to smell, ok...The taste is not doing it for me. Sweet bitter cream, over burnt malt, off balanced lactose sugar that just seems added in. The burnt/roast makes for a harsh finish and feel...Despite not loving this still pretty easy to drink.

About an average milk stout. Can't recommend this.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2011 14:01:56 | More by jrallen34