Chocolate Tom (Old Tom With Chocolate) - Frederic Robinson Limited

Offa

California

4.05/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Although I don't like this as much as the regular Old Tom, it is excellent nevertheless, characterful and very drinkable with a nice chocolate element adding nicely to the otherwise old-ale character.

Red, it has a medium-big tan head steadily shrinking to a foamy ring.

Aroma is chocolate/plain cocoa, hints of iron, fruity maltiness (plum wine), and bread crust, hints of earthy wood.

Taste is lightly winy fruitiness up front, then some chocolate, light woody-tea-like bitterness at finish. It is lively, engaging, fruity-and slightly woody ale with a hint of chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 00:00:26 | More by Offa

tbryan5

Louisiana

3/5  rDev -15.7%

05-15-2013 00:23:58 | More by tbryan5

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

1.75/5  rDev -50.8%

05-08-2013 03:29:07 | More by tommyguz

blackdavid

Brazil

5/5  rDev +40.4%

04-23-2013 19:52:47 | More by blackdavid

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.7/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

11.2 oz bottle pours a medium brown color with a small off-white head. A few splotches of lace, but nothing special. I do like the bottle though, bonus points!

Nose is more vanilla than chocolate...maybe vanilla yogurt. Light cocoa dusting comes into play as it warms. Nutty yeast without alot of minerality so many British beers exhibit.

There's the minerals, coming on strong in the flavor along with the same cocoa-dusted vanilla yogurt I was getting in the nose...cola even. Interesting, but it is not really chocolaty or much of an Old Ale. It is, however, a tasty beverage. Mouthfeel is less than medium, especially for the style and lacks any sort of sweetness, which is kinda expected for a Chocolate Ale or Old Ale. I like it well enough, but I am not feeling compelled to go out an buy another.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 00:44:37 | More by twiggamortis420

doktorhops

Australia

3.03/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Old Tom With Chocolate... sounds good, cat and chocolate together at last, and in a beer too. This is a new addition to Dan Murphy's and how could I resist the lure of a new review, it's intoxicating (literally).

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a nonic pint.

A: Body is a murky mixture of amber and brown, with a half centimetre cream coloured head. Quite within the Old Ale territory then... actually most Old Ales don't even have a head, so I'll give it extra points for that.

S: A heady aroma of chocolate liquor, Brandy, dark fruits and almond (???) wafts pleasingly from this brew and straight away I can tell that I'm in for a good time.

T: Hmmm, intriguing... not as bold in the sugars as expected. The chocolate that was clearly displayed on the bottle is an afterthought and hardly as noticeable as in Young & Wells Double Chocolate Stout. There is a slight booziness to it that you would account for in most Old Ales however apart from that it is quite different, overall the flavour feels quite muted, as if they watered down an original "hard" batch of Old Tom and added some chocolate flavouring. Disappointing actually.

M: Mid to light body, mild carbonation, perfectly average.

D: As stated above the aroma led me to believe that I was in for "a good time", alas the flavour was far too muted to tell myself that I was having "a good time". This is a once off brew for me as there are several other Old Ales that exceed it in price and quality such as: Hook Norton's Twelve Days ( a staple in my fridge now), Olde Suffolk English Ale, and Theakston Old Peculier (of course!).

Food match: Old Tom, the cat, roasted and served with a chocolate sauce.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 04:27:50 | More by doktorhops

Hollanthropist

United Kingdom (England)

3.25/5  rDev -8.7%

03-16-2013 16:24:40 | More by Hollanthropist

Beerstorian

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +12.4%

02-23-2013 15:35:54 | More by Beerstorian

DerekMorgan

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

02-16-2013 03:28:58 | More by DerekMorgan

mikeg67

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

11.2 OZ BOTTLE. Pours dark amber with creamy white head and nice lacing. Aroma is of bread crust, chocolate and ripe fruit. Body is full and crisp. Taste is of cacao, milk chocolate, earthy hops and bready malt. Finish is long, semi-dry. Nice, balanced brew with just right amount of chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 02:45:24 | More by mikeg67

janubio

Spain

2.73/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

330 ml. bottle. Pours a decent head, that doesn't linger much. Amber colour, with beatiful shades of red and orange to the light. I really can't find chocolate in the aroma, which is alcoholic, like a liquor, with aratificial vanilla and fruits. Medium body, thin palate. Taste is like a medical syrup, with chocolate, and fruits. It doesn't seem to work for me...

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 13:55:50 | More by janubio

kew

Texas

2.75/5  rDev -22.8%

12-21-2012 01:56:37 | More by kew

cdwil

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

12-19-2012 14:36:36 | More by cdwil

stoppertb18

Massachusetts

2/5  rDev -43.8%

12-16-2012 21:12:10 | More by stoppertb18

Kahlerbock

Kansas

2.5/5  rDev -29.8%

11-28-2012 03:34:59 | More by Kahlerbock

YamagamiTravis

Japan

4/5  rDev +12.4%

11-23-2012 00:48:21 | More by YamagamiTravis

EPortJake

United Kingdom (England)

4.1/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - dark reddish brown with a half finger frothy head. Looks like a slightly darker brown ale
S - heavy malty smells , alcohol a hint of banana and some chocolate (was expecting more chocolate)
T - well it tastes like a strong ale - fruity esters, very malty, biscuit, caramel molasses and some roasted mlalt. There is a chocolate taste on the farewell, but it is not too strong. Hopping is earthy and moderate, and probably the minimum you could get away with at this strength of ale.
M - medium bodied , smooth. Despite the frothy head, the carbonation is actually fairly low
O - a full on ale that is quite moorish - beware quaffing it though as it will have you on your back. A good ale here.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 20:24:02 | More by EPortJake

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Going from Old to Chocolate, 'cause why the hell not? This stuff pours a deep garnet-brown topped by over a finger of dusky tan foam. The nose comprises cocoa, molasses, light clove, light cinnamon, light roasted malts, light oak, and a touch of black tea. Things are a bit more ephemeral than the Old Tom, though thankfully still quite pleasant. The taste brings in more of the same, with the emphasis decidedly on the cocoa, which now takes on a powdery character. There's also a slightly deeper roast, a pinch of black pepper, and a hint of dark fruits way in the background. The body is a lithe medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fluid feel. Overall, a very nice beer, one that shows you can go crazy with chocolate without overdoing it or completely overshadowing every other flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2012 15:36:44 | More by TMoney2591

FLima

Brazil

4/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It poured very little foam. Very dark woody colour and with a clear chocolate aroma. Flavour was even richer, it tasted chocolate, slight black currants and port wine. Not overly sweet, elegant taste.
The 6% alcohol content was completely hidden. Very interesting beer, and amazingly drinkable once flavours matched perfectly.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 23:42:48 | More by FLima

Texasfan549

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -1.7%

10-05-2012 13:51:56 | More by Texasfan549

kjkinsey

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +5.3%

10-03-2012 16:20:05 | More by kjkinsey

Heminoolo

Estonia

2.75/5  rDev -22.8%

09-23-2012 12:41:33 | More by Heminoolo

jazzyjeff13

United Kingdom (England)

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

A 330ml bottle with a BB of Sept 2012. Picked up a long while back from a supermarket. The rear label describes it as a blend of Old Tom ale and quality cocoa, with a hint of Madagascan vanilla.

Poured into a Delirium chalice. A deep reddish-brown hue with good carbonation. Yields a large head of creamy off-white foam that remains for a few minutes before collapsing to a surface layer. Aroma of sweet chocolate notes, underpinned by fruity ale and hints of vanilla. Yeast esters and a whiff of booze lurk in the background. Unusual but nice.

Tastes of fruity strong ale with chocolate overtones. Slightly sweet. Notes of milk chocolate, dried fruit, caramel, vanilla, yeast esters and faint stewed leaves. A warming hint of booze in the background. Dry and mildly solventy, with little bitterness upon swallowing. Mouthfeel is velvety smooth with great body. Lightly tingly, but seems a bit flat. Mildly astringent, with an aftertaste of fruity yeast notes and a hint of chocolate.

Interesting and quite drinkable. The chocolate character is quite distinct; it smells almost like a bar of milk chocolate. It's an odd brew - the chocolate and strong ale flavours don't entirely blend or complement each other, yet it seems to work nonetheless. It's different from every other chocolate beer I've tried; the usual pairing is dark roasted malt and chocolate, which results in a deep bitterness that is absent here. It's not as good as the original Old Tom, but goes down nicely. To summarise: unusual but tasty. Worth trying if you come across it.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 22:53:57 | More by jazzyjeff13

JNaddeo

4/5  rDev +12.4%

08-31-2012 16:34:29 | More by JNaddeo

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: 330ml brown pop top with nice raised lettering and labelling. Picked up on Lindisfarne for 2.99 (British pounds). Split with my wife into two stemmed tulips. Here's to one of the last survivors of our summer 2011 trip to England. Best before September 2012.

Appearance: This is a different looking beer than the regular Old Tom, which is 8.5%. Orange-amber brew with a nice ivory cap with good retention.

Smell: Dark fruit esters, a hint of caramel, and dusty chocolate and old-fashioned chocolate cream soda. A bit odd, but pleasant.

Taste: Lots less chcoolate than fruity esters, though there is a bit of chocolate cream soda. Still, this is more of a low-gravity old ale than 'chocolate beer' in my mind. Which is not to say it's bad, it's just not what I expected.

Mouthfeel: A bit shy of what I'd expect for 6%, but I think all the Old Tom versions use some simple sugars to lighten things up a bit.

Overall: Tasty, but not quite what I was hoping. I really like the regular Old Tom,a nd if offered the choice, I'd probably take that over this one. Still, this is in no way a bad beer, and as a traditional English ale, ticks the right boxes so to speak.

82

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 02:52:17 | More by BedetheVenerable