Mister Mayor - Chocolate City Beer

Jtc2811

District of Columbia

1.94/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 1.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.75

Bought 2/21/13, chilled and served the same night, served in a New Belgium egg snifter.

Pours pitch black, with no head whatsoever. Sits heavily in the glass, no lacing, no head, no carbonation.

Aroma: Fruity, with hints of chocolate and malty roast. Nose is predominantly sweet berries - I presume the smell of Marion berries, as I've never eaten them plain. The chocolate comes after the initial wave of berry sweetness. The combination is reminiscent of a reverse raspberry cordial; raspberry on the outside, and chocolate on the inside. It is difficult to detect the bourbon, but I can just make out the vanilla notes common with bourbon aging. For all intents and purposes it is insignificant.

Mouthfeel: It's flat. Totally flat, no carbonation. The result feels slick on the tongue, though it dries out my mouth after swallowing. It somehow manages to simultaneously be astringent and oily.

Flavor: The berries are the main player here. All through the experience is the flavor of sweet and tart Marion berries. The cocoa is barely discernible, and the bourbon aging makes itself known only in a slight alcohol solvent burn in the back of the throat. it barely tastes like beer.

When I first found out about Chocolate City, I was extremely excited. They promised in-district beer, with a lineup that was off the beaten track. I was at the release at RFD, and was extremely disappointed with the carbonation problems, low attenuation of the yeast, and a lackluster flavor. With their first bottled offering Choc City sadly stays true to form, releasing a mediocre-at-best beer that is frankly too bland to even warrant a drain pour.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 01:44:55 | More by Jtc2811

yourefragile

District of Columbia

2.64/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

22 oz bottle shared by Starrdogg. Thanks for this new local release. An imperial stout aged in whiskey barrels with marionberries.

Pours a thin, dark brown with a clear cola halo against light. No head. Aroma is...weird. Has a leafy and stalky vegetable presence, woody and oaky, a slight whiskey presence and booze, no fruit or stout notes. Very thin watery body, light carbonation and a bitter, watery finish. Doesn't really taste like a stout or much of anything other than booze and some wood. Too thin, too little flavor, too much wood, just...not what I'm looking for in a stout. Edit: Drinking this ice cold is probably the best idea for "enjoyment". Letting this warm gets dicey.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 01:37:13 | More by yourefragile

starrdogg

District of Columbia

2.96/5  rDev +31%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Beer pours a dark brown/nearly black with hardly any head at all. There appears to be very little carbonation. Aroma is bourbony and sweet with some chocolate and booze, and there is a little something fruity from the berry. Flavor just isn't working here unfortunately, it barely tastes like a stout, oddly enough, as there is little roast or chocolate. The whiskey doesn't come through much either, but there is some berry. Mouthfeel is thin and not very carbonated. Overall this isn't a very impressive stout, it's too thin, too sugary and doesn't have much backing up the berry flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2013 01:29:48 | More by starrdogg