Dubious Black Chocolate Stout - North Peak Brewing Company

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle poured into a snifter. Found this review from over a year ago.

Appearance - Big mocha head on a jet black body.  Darker than many heavier stouts.  Looks like Guinness.  Decent retention but not a bit of lacing sticks to the glass.

Smell - Dark roasted malt aroma.  Bitter chocolate. Very bitter aroma, really.  Not a hint of sweetness. No idea how I managed to smell bitterness when I wrote this review.

Taste - Dark bitter chocolate again.  Very one-note. Chocolate and an intense bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Pretty thin for a stout.  Easy drinking in that respect. Pretty high in carbonation too, but that bitterness is too much.

Overall - Simple flavor, but it's a nice flavor.  The bitterness kills it though.  Drinkable, I guess.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 01:54:03 | More by Alieniloquium

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Once more, a bottle as part of my attempt to reduce the inventory. My thanks to my college buddy, David A., for sending me some Michigan beers.

From the bottle: "Brewed up North"; "Ale Brewed with Chocolate".

A stubby bottle! Holy Misspent Youth, Batman! I can't tell you how many stubbies we put away in our teens, but it was substantial. Also, for you budding anarchists, when building a Molotov Cocktail, a stubby bottle works better than a larger one.

I employed a gentle pour as I was concerned that there was a slight amount of lees in the bottle and I did not want to disturb their slumber. I still got a finger of foamy, deep-brown head with moderate retention. Color was a deep, dark brown allowing ZERO light penetration. Nose smelled like they had melted a Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate bar and poured it into my glass. I miss my Pops (father), who loved dark chocolate. My Mom-Za was into bizarre candy, like pastel pecans and licorice and soft chewy things. I personally eschew sweets, going for tangy, salty, bitter and like flavors. The mouthfeel was very fizzy, not really full but more efferevscent, and the taste was bittersweet chocolate. I wished that Pops was around to see what he would think of this, but it would be up his alley, no doubt. Finish was semi-dry with a mix of smoke and chocolate on the tongue. One was plenty for me, but if this is your bag, have at it.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 22:29:00 | More by woodychandler

Keffa

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First review in a long, long time. Stubby bottle poured into an Ephemere tulip.

A: By far and away the best American stout I've ever seen in glass. A somewhat rousing pour fills the tulip with a head that takes up the whole glass and literally takes 5 minutes to settle enough to pour the rest of the bottle. Once the whole bottle is in, the head is still half the glass. It settles (again, after about 5 minutes) into a 1/2" thick full cap that leaves copious lacing everywhere on the glass. Color is pitch black with the head being a dark tan. Fantastic.

S: Deep roast, bittersweet chocolate, earthy hop, coffee, toast notes. Nice, but very heavily handed on the roast aroma kinda puts me off a bit.

T: Wow, not what I was expecting at all. The roast is much more mellow in the taste than in the aroma. Mainly focuses on the bittersweet chocolate, a light coffee and roast behind that. Very lightly bready and toast. Earthy hop comes through again, although it's subtle.

M: On the full side of medium, if that makes sense. Not quite chewy thick as an Imperial stout, but not as thin as some of the American stouts I've had. Coating on the palate. Nicely carbonated, almost creamy in texture. Finishes dry.

O: Very nice stout, easy drinking, low ABV, good flavor, and looks great. If you want a beer to show off how good it looks, I'd wager you won't easily find one that looks better.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 04:10:58 | More by Keffa

buschbeer

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle
Served in a perfect pint glass

A - It pours virtually black. An easy pour got me half a glass of mocha colored head.

S - I get some faint roasted malt. The focus seems to be on coffee and milk chocolate.

T - The taste is pretty mellow. Once again the roasted malt is faint. I get some coffee and bakers chocolate. I get a slight sense of bitter coffee on the aftertaste.

M - Medium to full

O - It reminds me of my attempts at homebrewing a stout. It is not terrible, but it certainly does not stand out in this style.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 00:07:35 | More by buschbeer

Mitchster

Michigan

2/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

$1.99 for a stubby 12oz bottle. Opens with a very brisk woosh. Gusher. Poured into a glass, forms solid foam, foaming over the edge of the glass. Black with a tall soapy tan head with very good retention and solid lacing. Very briskly carbonated. Thick layer of yeast in the bottom of the bottle. The aroma is of burnt marshmallows, kiwi fruit and copper. Chocolate? Where's the chocolate? Infected with something funky. The taste is tart and acidic with just enough malt character to remind me that this used to be beer. Scorched malts, wayyyy to much black patent bitterness and astringency. Champagne like mouthfeel, light bodied. Bitterness is moderately strong for a stout and earthy.

Dubious indeed.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 23:54:27 | More by Mitchster

superspak

Michigan

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

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled 12/15/2011. Pours almost pitch black color with a nice 2 finger fairly dense tan head with great retention that reduces to a thick cap that lingers. Some decent lacing on the glass. Aromas of dark chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, caramel, earthiness, and some herbal spiciness. Some nice and balanced aromas with decent strength. Taste of chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, caramel, earthiness, herbal spices, biscuit, and molasses. Lingering notes of chocolate, caramel, and earthiness on the finish for a bit. Solid balance of flavors. Medium carbonation and body; with a very creamy and smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming on the finish. Overall this is a nice and enjoyable stout offering. Smooth and drinkable; with a good flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 05:59:35 | More by superspak

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

3.7/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to beerhan for the bottle. Cheers!

Opaque black with an ample light brown head that leaves spots of lacing.

The chocolate shows best in the smell, blending with roasted grain notes. Prominent inviting aroma. Flavor is dominated by roasted grains, with a big trailing bitterness. Little or no chocolate in the taste. A bit grainy and one dimensional

Mouthfeel is a bit light for the big flavors. A bigger body would be a better match for the strong aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 02:05:24 | More by CliffBrake

frenchblood21

Ohio

3.13/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into Chimay goblet.

Appearance- Pitch black with a finger of dark tan head. More head than expected from a gentle pour.

Smell- Chocolate and malt in that order. Not too complex. Just smells like an average stout.

Taste- Nothing stands out besides the chocolate. A bit hoppier then other stouts I've had in this category.

Mouthfeel- Way too thin for a chocolate stout. It seems like the consistency is far off.

Overall- I could not recommend getting a whole 6 pack of this beer. I could, however, suggest getting a single bottle just to say you've had/reviewed it.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 01:44:37 | More by frenchblood21

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

These neckless bottle do not engender a good pour.

Bottled 12/06/11

A - Dark brown/black body with a large dark tan head. Pretty nice look here.

S - Chocolate, tanned leather/rawhide, dark fruits. It's a nice smell. Simple, but good things.

T - Dry malty chocolate flavor with a dry rawhide finish. Chocolate is not as prevalent here as it is in, say, ST Choklat, but it's good, and the dryness/bitterness is appropriate for the blackness of said chocolate.

M - Kind of thin, pretty smooth, present carbonation

O - this is pretty good. It is not quite how I would ideally imagine this beer, but it is nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 00:41:31 | More by ColdPoncho

GRPunk

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bottle dated DEC1411, poured into a Duvel tulip.

A- A 2-finger, dense, dark brown head developes after a vigorous pour. Body is near jet through the middle with dark brown edges. Think I saw a hint of sediment during the pour. Head settles into about 1-finger and leaves good spots on the glass.

S- Mix of traditional roasty malts and dark chocolate. Though, there really isn't any more chocolate aroma than I get in many other stouts. An odd berry-like sweetness hit me at one point, causing a little concern.

T- Very roasty. Dark chocolate is present, though not as much as I'd expect from a "black chocolate stout.". A solid American stout, nonetheless. Does drink quite robust for the moderate ABV.

M- Moderate carbonation, medium feel. Dryish finish. Well within what I expect of a stout.

O- A solid, flavorful stout. I could drink a few in a single sitting. That said, the "chocolate" was a bit of a let-down. When a beer is advertised as a chocolate stout, I expect the chocolate to be showcased, front and center. Just a bit too subtle, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 22:19:53 | More by GRPunk

weizenbob

Michigan

3.48/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This 12 ounce stubby bottle was purchased at Shop-N-Save in Ludington, MI ($9.99/6-pack). The bottling date indicates that this was packaged on December 14, 2011. I do enjoy the stubby bottles and label designs of the North Peak line of beers, if not always the beer itself. This particular bottle was poured into a Samuel Smith tulip-shaped imperial pint glass. It is difficult to pour from the stubby bottle without it glugging uncontrollably, but they are nice for decanting sans yeast, of which there is much at the bottom of the bottle.

The pour manifests two fingers of mocha colored head that dissipates rather quickly, settling as a thin lace of foam over the beer. It is a very dark beer. Stout should be black, and this one does not disappoint. Close examination reveals a good amount of carbonic activity behind the glass wall. I would love for some better head retention on this beer, but as is it looks pleasant.

The aroma is a dead ringer for Pacman yeast. If smelled blindly I would have guessed beyond a doubt that this was a stout from the Rogue stable. Strike one. Beyond that there is a noticeable chocolaty presence as well as an alcoholic heat that is stronger than the 5.3% ABV on the label would imply. There is a mild tropical fruit aroma and the faint essence of Elmer's glue. It's really not as bad as it sounds.

Luckily the flavor of this stout is an improvement over the aroma. All of the right flavors are in there, just not in the correct balance. Yes, there is a fair amount of chocolate malt, as evidenced by the Hershey's Syrup-ish essence on the tongue. However, it tastes as though this stout has overdosed on black patent malt. The dominant malt flavor is roasty and bitter. Yes this is a 50 IBU stout so some bitterness should be expected. But this is not hop bitterness; this is excessive patent malt bitterness. If burnt beer with strong residual sweetness is your thing, this is the stout for you. Personally, I don't think it's bad; but I would like to have tasted a little less charcoal, even if it came at the expense of having a lighter colored beer.

The mouthfeel is where this beer excels. It is creamy and full-bodied, yet there is a moderately high level of carbonation that makes this beer dance on the tongue. That makes this beer a meal in itself; but if paired with food, the assertive character of this stout would go well with cheese-based soups or milder cuisine like broiled whitefish.

Dubious is a pretty fitting name for this confusing stout. It has the look and feel of something special, but tastes too awkward to be truly great. For its caliber, the price is not bad; and 5.3% ABV isn't going to put you under the table. I see this as a viable option if nothing better is available. But let's face it, any establishment savvy enough to carry North Peak (save for their brewpub) is probably going to have something better around.

---

The Two-Schlitz Scale: (reference my profile for an explanation)
I don't really give a Schlitz for this tolerable, though uninspiring stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 03:59:54 | More by weizenbob

schoolboy

Ohio

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a very satifying stout. It has nothing but positive attributes - great look, aroma, taste, aftertaste. The only negative might be that it is too balanced - nothing stands out too much.

But the bitterness does stand out. It is just a bit more bitter than average. But it didn't really need a redeeming quality. The excellent balance is good enough. Another winner from North Peak.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 23:42:23 | More by schoolboy

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.2/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from the bottle into a nonic glass

A- Poured black with a giant fluffy mocha head with lots of chunky lace.

S- Rich chocolate mousse upon opening, mostly a faint mineral aroma though

T- First thing I taste is some surprising smokiness, very roasty notes, bitter chocolate, all blends together nicely. Mineral presence in the taste.

M- Very smooth and creamy, pretty chewy, finishes dry

O- A very easy drinking and flavorful stout with a wonderful creamy mouthfeel. I am very impressed with this beer from North Peak.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 00:24:12 | More by Hoptometrist

samie85

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 1 | overall: 2.5

A- Pours an opaque black color with a dark brown, one and a half finger head.

S-Big cocoa notes with some vanilla with some roasted malt hints.

T-Heavy roasted and dark chocolate notes with a crisp, dark, roasted notes.

M-Slightly creamy with a light medium body with pretty heavy carbonation.

D-I really think this would be a really solid beer if it wasn't for the level of carbonation; it really kind of ruins the beer for me.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 03:02:15 | More by samie85

hosehead83

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a "stubby retro" 12oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.
Deep, dark, brown/black in color, with a big thick head of tan foam.
Aroma-Chocolate, subtle coffee note
Taste-Dark roasted coffee, bakers chocolate. Very dry black coffee finish. Big bold roasty flavor could use a little balance. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 18:06:47 | More by hosehead83

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Fresh bottle from Champagne Cellars. I didn't like it because of astringency and dryness. A muddling of chocolate, coffee, a little cherry and bitterness. Sorry did not work and mostly drain poured. But so promising! Nice black bodied. Chocolate and oil in the nose.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 03:21:59 | More by northyorksammy

Brenden

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Dubious is a deep black beer with a good-sized thick, creamy brown head that's left behind in part by way of thick patches of lacing.
The nose is heavy on roasty malt with a big, robust barley backbone over notes of coffee. It's not outright chocolatey, but the chocolate is there.
In the flavor is the same huge roastiness, but it leads to an astringent edge. Cocoa nib is ghostly (pretty much overrun by the flat-out roastiness and the resulting flaw) with some coffee grounds. It finishes with a tinge of fruity tanginess.
The feel starts out robust with a good thickness to it. It's not particularly big or bold, but it holds its own for a time before going just a little spritzy.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 17:32:11 | More by Brenden

alexgash

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. stubby bottle. Bottled on Dec 15, 2011.

Inky, dark oily brown with deep ruby highlights. A thumb of thick, creamy, dirty mocha head. Nice lacing. Nose of roasted malts, chocolate, figs, caramel, and vanilla.

Sharp, tinny coffee bitterness off the bat. Could maybe be called dark chocolate bitterness, but it is almost astringent. Not much sweetness; some dark fruits and a little caramel. Strong roasted, charred, bitterness takes over in the finish. Notes of red wine tannins and grain husks. Medium-bodied, with a slightly dry feel. Decent overall, but a bit too astringent/roasty/bitter. Gets better as it warms up, however.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 02:05:00 | More by alexgash

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter.

4.0 A: I sucked at pouring this and was way too overaggressive. Three fingers of creamy light brown head. Retention is average to good and a good bit of irregular lacing is left.

4.0 S: Fairly dry with a earthy, dusty graininess. Soft, mild roastiness. Pleasant chocolate and coffee additions. Simple and straightforward, but quite nice.

3.0 T: Taste is a lot like the nose, except the proportions are off and the result isn't as harmonious. In addition, there's a discernable acrid bitterness. Good amount of yeastiness in this as well, which I wish was gone. Not too bad, average.

3.0 M: Lighter medium body. Perhaps a touch too much carbonation. A bit chewy. Could use some creaminess.

3.0 D: Not a bad brew, but it's not very exciting once you get past the nose and actually drink it.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 21:10:36 | More by DavoleBomb

stewart124

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pitch black with dense brown head that leaves way to some lace.

Nose has plenty of chocolate and espresso possibilities.

Whoa! Silky smooth with a big body and loads of roasted characters. Some bittersweet almost baking chocolate in the finish. Good bitterness that helps push this stout. More burnt than roasted malts come through in this and really leave a charred taste on the palate.

Easy drinking and nice that the body and characters are there without being astringent and high in alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 02:42:58 | More by stewart124

ne0m00re

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Live review of a 12 oz bottle of batch on 12/06/11.
A: Opaque black, decent tan head, good lacing.
S: Roasted malts, cocoa powder, a murky yeast character, and thin molasses.
T: Cocoa powder, brighter strawberry finish with cinnamon or brown sugar, with more murky yeast character.
M: Thin with a sort of creamy character, the carbonation is thinner and the stout finishes dry and crisp.
O: Decent stout with an interesting chocolate character.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 01:05:05 | More by ne0m00re

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.18/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I picked up a bottle of North Peak's Dubious Black Chocolate Stout last week for $1.89 at The Lager Mill. I am a big fan of North Peak but I am not completely sold on the idea that they can make a great dark beer, so I am very interested to see what side of the spectrum this beer falls on, so lets see how it goes. Bottled December 14th 2011. Poured from a stubby brown 12oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A- I am not really feeling the pink color on the label but it does help it stick out and the little graphic of the squirrel or beaver looks OK. It poured a nice very dark brown color that was pretty much black and it didn't let any light come through, it had a finger and a half of tan head that quickly died down to a thin ring and a lump in the middle. This is a good looking stout.

S- The aroma starts off with a good amount of dark roasted malts that have medium amount of sweetness and impart a nice dark chocolate, black coffee, and roasted aroma. I don't pick up any hops in the aroma which dosen't really happen with North Peak beers. This beer had a nice roasty and chocolaty aroma that I enjoyed.

T- This beer tastes like a toned down version of the aroma. It starts of with a good amount of dark roasted malts that have a low amount of medium sweetness and impart a pretty dominate roasty and slight charred flavor along with some chocolate and coffee. The finish had a medium amount of charred bitterness and it had a roasty and grainy aftertaste. The roasted and charred malts seem to dominate that taste and I wish much more chocolate and a little more coffee came though in the flavor. This beer tastes similar to Detroit Brewing Company's Saunders Chocolate Stout.

M- Smooth, slightly creamy, on the light side of being medium bodied and it had a high amount of prickly carbonation. This beer needed to be a little thicker and it needs the carbonation to be toned down to medium, the carbonation was a little to prickly for this style.

Overall I liked this beer but I thought it was a slightly above average version of an American Stout. It did have some chocolaty flavors but the roast and charred flavors seemed to overpower it, if you put the word chocolate on your bottle then it should have a pretty prominent chocolate taste and this beer didn't seem to have that. This beer had good drinkability, it went down pretty smooth and had some nice stout flavors, so I could probably go for another one, but that would be enough. What I liked most about this beer was the aroma, it had a pretty nice aroma where the chocolate stuck out nicely and it was pretty balanced. What I liked least about this beer was the lack of chocolate in the flavor and the mouthfeel, it needed more chocolate in the flavor to live up to it's name and it needed to be slightly thicker with less carbonation. I might purchase this beer again, but with all the chocolate stouts on the market this one really doesn't stick out that much. This beer is worth giving a try but it doesn't have that extra chocolate flavor to put it over the edge. This beer had some nice stout flavors but really didn't come through on the chocolate, and that's what makes this beer slightly above average, with some work this could be a pretty good beer. This is a better attempt at a stout then Darkangel, but there is still many improvements to be made, an OK American Stout, I'm still waiting for North Peak to make a great dark beer since that got the hoppy beers on lock.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 05:00:44 | More by StoutHunter

rangerred

Tennessee

4.13/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

An aggressive pours yields a rocky 2 finger dark tan head settling to a thick cap over the beer. Lacing is outstanding. Beer is a completely opaque black.

Smell is dark chocolate, coffee, and roasted malt. A hint of yeasty sourness in there as well.

Flavor is all chocolate and coffee up front. A strong roasted malt character then arrives with a burnt bitterness accompanying. Some vanilla is apparent as well. A lingering bitterness finishes which is more roasty bitterness than hoppy.

I absolutely love this beer. I am a fan of strong coffee and espresso so the bitterness appeals to me but someone who is not a fan of coffee may not like it so much. Body is excellent for being just over 5% abv. If this was available close to me I would drink it all the time.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 22:43:19 | More by rangerred

MasterSki

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Another beer shared by Jason. Served in a tulip.

A - A finger-plus of tan foam settles to a near-complete cap, leaving behind a few splotches of lace. Body is near-black, with a reddish glint at the edge of the glass.

S - Aroma is quite nice, with a mix of rich chocolate, dark fruits, light roast and char. The chocolate is of the melted Hershey's variety, so "Black Chocolate" is a bit of a misnomer. Hint of alcohol that is out of place for a 5.3% beer. Still, smells quite good.

T - Yikes! Flavor is all char, roast, espresso, bitterness, and astringent black malt. If you let the bee reach room temperature there's a touch of chocolate and cherry, but this is pretty unpleasant and fatiguing.

M - Surprisingly hefty for the ABV. Medium body, lower carbonation, some dry, roasty, and charry textures mid-palate, and a smooth creamy finish.

D - If they could make this taste a bit closer to the aroma it'd be a pretty successful beer, but there's just too much char and burnt malts for my taste. I'd consider trying this again down the road as there is potential here.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 14:56:44 | More by MasterSki

Spider889

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

North Peak continues to throw more and more new beers into Ohio. Since some of their stuff is pretty solid I welcome the new additions.

A - Poured into a snifter. A tall toffee colored head is easy to produce, which receded from 2.5 fingers down to less than one, but then stuck around for a while. Nice thick sticky lacing. this all sits atop a very dense black beer.

S - Roasty, sweet, and rich. I definitely get the aroma of chocolate along with coffee, char, and a little bit of toasted marshmallow as well. Between the malt and hops Dubious is bitter enough to mellow out the sweetness and make this a nicely balanced beer.

T - Roast grows beyond the scope that the aroma foretold. Coffee flavors are really nice, as is the bitterness. Chocolate is there in the form is super dark cacao - the type that is so dark it is bitter rather than sweet. The bottle just states, "Ale brewed with chocolate," so I cannot say for sure what or how it is added to the beer, but my guess is cocoa nibs.

M - Full bodied for a beer so low in abv, though it definitely has a feel that is markedly thinner than the beer appears. Sticky yet powdery finish/aftertaste. Over time the char and bitterness grew somewhat beyond appreciable, and I was wishing for slightly more sweetness. I think this beer could easily be dialed into something really desirable.

O - What a surprisingly fun beer to sip on. It grew less desirable as I pushed through the glass, so I reiterate that this should see a bit of tweaking. There's something special hidden in this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 08:17:55 | More by Spider889