Chocolate Stout - Northshire Brewery

alpinebryant

Connecticut

2.99/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

A: pours a massive chocolate milk white head with heavy lacing

S: aroma of sweet milk chocolate with dark roasted malt and coffee. Some toffee scents as well

T: in Quickly looking at some of the older reviews on this, I am happy to report that this batch is better than the reviews that it received last year. Mostly chocolate malt flavors and a watered down robust porter in flavor. Pretty bitter in flavor with cocoa powder hints and a slight coffee malt acridness. Cocoa flavors at the end and slightly refreshing overall

M: very light body with a mild carbonation

O: not the best chocolate stout that I have had but a convincingly good English stout. It is dry and relatively drinkable with chocolate and coffee flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 23:30:28 | More by alpinebryant

jlindros

Massachusetts

2.39/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

Pours an over carbonated fizzy off-white colored 2+ finger head that starts to fade fairly quickly, easily over carbonated during bottle conditioning or possible infection doing that for it, over a dark mahogany brown color with hints of ruby light sneaking through.

Nose is quite yeasty, bready chewy yeast almost trube like, and a slight raspberry/cherry fruity aroma in there that I can only imagine is an infection. Just a bit of dark malts underneath the huge yeast aroma, with just a bit of roast and chocolate malt, very light chocolate.

Taste, I'm afraid, starts with tons of yeast again, like chewing on trube! Also a light sour fruity infection taste, not good. Just a bit of chalky roasted malt behind that, with a hint of chocolate. And way too much carbonation.

Mouth is thin feeling as i think the infection destroyed the base of the beer, and way too much carbonation.

Overall swing and a miss. The beer underneath seems light and thin, and all that was there was destroyed by possible infection, sour icky fruit, yeasty flavors, just bad.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 03:25:11 | More by jlindros

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a large snifter.

A: Pours a very dark brown with lighter hues about the edges. Cream colored head settles into nothing almost instantly. A few small patches of lacing stick to the glass.

S: Cola, molasses, french roast, earthy yeast, roasted barley, dried grass, and cocoa powder and baker's chocolate.

T: Cola, acidic black coffee, heavily roasted barley. Slightly acrid with a touch of char and smoke. Very earthy and a bit dirty. Definite minerality. Faint tastes of cocoa and bakers chocolate lie hidden beneath it all. Acidic black coffee and a root-like earthiness in the finish.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied. Lush and well-rounded in the mouth, slightly silky. Ample carbonation lifts and scrubs.

O: This stout tastes very English in nature, so they definitely hit the mark in that regard. It isn't a bad beer in its own right. But why is this billed as a chocolate stout? I can barely even taste the chocolate. The beer still has plenty of that acrid, acidic bitterness to balance a little more sweetness. Adding more chocolate would go a long way here. Give the people what they want.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 20:39:29 | More by ryan1788a5

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a one finger khaki head that fades to thin layer, leaving some lace. Black color, no highlights. Very light carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Smell: hints of coffee and chocolate and flavor is roasted-burnt coffee and essence of chocolate. Not my idea of a chocolate stout, needs more chocolate and carbonation. $3.99 for a 22oz bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, Vt.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 22:25:20 | More by jdhilt

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

2.55/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed 3/4/12

Appearance: Black with an absurdly massive beige head - hard to pour, actually, because of the abundance of foam - leaves foamy lacing - the ridiculous carbonation may not be a good sign

Smell: Extremely bitter unsweetened chocolate, some slight sugary sweetness, roasted grains - something weird going on in here, too, is a sour stout or something? - not ideal

Taste: Weird to say the least - tons of bitterness - unsweetened chocolate, vegetal - kind of sour, but not; some really weird off-flavors that are a vaguely sour, oxidized, with a touch of vinegar - there is a stout under the chocolate, but it is rather dull - slightly roasted, slightly burnt - does not get much better as it warms up

Mouthfeel: Medium body, overcarbonated and bubbly

Overall: Really weird, not really good

This beer has some problems. I do not know if this was a funky bottle, or if this beer is actually supposed to taste somewhat sour. Regardless, aside from the sourness, there are not a lot of nice things going on here.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 22:17:31 | More by angrybabboon

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

2.2/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Thanks to angrybabboon for sharing the bottle.

Appearance: Very dark brown. Even with a gentle pour a huge dense head forms. Light tan and sticks to the glass like a champ. Carbonation looks incredibly high.

Smell: Some roasted malts coupled with very bitter dark chocolate. Kind of soapy. Lingering sweetness evokes some chocolate syrup. It's definitely chocolates, but it lacks some overall depth. Some minerality amidst the mellow malt profile and over dark cocoa.

Taste: Chocolate is so bitter it almost tastes sour. Rocks and bitter bitter chocolate. We're talking almost pure dark chocolate. Powdery and dry. Some roasted malts and a dusting of citrus, but the chocolate profile is overpowering and not in a good way. Some touches of hard water.

Mouthfeel: Thin but almost hits medium on the body. Carbonation is really high and spreads the dry chocolate finish.

Overall: I don't think they can call this chocolate. It's raw cocoa powder thrown in a decent English stout. Aggressively bitter and dry. Definitely one of the more unique takes on using chocolate I've encountered.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 21:36:22 | More by Goblinmunkey7

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.48/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a solid dark brown with the faintest of garnet highlights when held to light. Creamy tan head shows great retention and lacing. Smells of roasted coffee and chocolate with a hint of wet dog. Taste is chocolate and light coffee with a bit of caramel and butterscotch and a bit of lactose sweetness. Medium to thin body with a light level of carbonation and a slick oily mouthfeel. Nothing objectionable here, but nothing horribly exciting either. I'd have loved some more body and maybe some more chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 01:15:58 | More by johnnnniee

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

2.8/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Opaque dark brown color with a minimal, short-lived head. Little lacing.

The aroma is very inviting with pronounced chocolate and roasted grain notes. Chocolate on the palate is overrun with a sour flavor that leads into a grainy finish. As the beer warms up, a diacetyl flavor becomes more apparent and is perhaps the source of the sourness.

Mouthfeel is a bit thin. The carbonation seems fizzy on the tongue.

The aroma seemed promising, but there may have been problems with the fermentation that lead to the off-flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 22:50:51 | More by CliffBrake

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: dark brown in color with a 1/4 inch head, clear, moderate carbonation

Smell: toasted malt and milk chocolate

Taste: small chocolate with big tobacco and small coffee flavors

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, medium-high carbonation, sweet with a slightly bitter backbone

Overall: All I can think of when drinking this beer is OK, where is the chocolate? I was certainly expecting more, but it is the coffee that dominates. Not a bad beer, but nothing that really stands out. I will pass in the future.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 15:01:35 | More by tigg924

ejl4

Vermont

3.38/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beer pours a dark brown with a little lighter brown around the edges. Barely any carbonation comes out with even the most direct pour.

Smells lightly of chocolate and roasted coffee, but not too strong.

Full mouthfeel with roasted flavors and residual sweetness at the end. A nice blend of malt, roast, and sweet.

Overall a decent beer, but lacking in carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 22:35:22 | More by ejl4

Brad007

Vermont

3.83/5  rDev +26%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a blightly noir with a thin white head. As predicted, color is not an issue.

Roasted coffee mingles with bitter chocolate to create an exquisite profile in the nose.

The coffee dominates more here with only a hint of cocoa. Roasty. Perhaps a bit creamy.

Bitter chocolate and coffee dominate the mouthfeel. Carbonation seems thin but that is a good thing in my book because too much carbonation makes it more difficult to savor. This is in the middle.

A solid chocolate stout. It's not Young's Chocolate Stout but it'll do for a local example.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 04:11:48 | More by Brad007

SFLpunk

Vermont

3.53/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz brown glass pry-top bottle purchased from Beverage Warehouse, Winooski, VT. $3.99.

Pours a thin black with very little head, almost like a cask ale. Nose is of a classic stout, some roasted coffee notes, some dense malt, and a little tree bark aroma. Palate is medium-bodied with a traditional "crisp" mouthfeel. Roasted coffee, chocolate malt and toasted bread flavors. Short to moderate length finish.

Solid, but I'd like a little more carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2011 05:04:36 | More by SFLpunk