Choklat - Southern Tier Brewing Company

4thoseabout2bock

Illinois

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

Tootsie Roll in a glass
(and not in the Caddyshack kind of way)

This is the best chocolate beer I have sampled.
The smell is fantastic -- chocolate, coffee, roast.

The sweetness/stregth of the imperial stout works perfectly and seemlessly with the chocolate. Smooth -- neither alcoholly nor thin -- but full flavored chocolate. yum. I am a big fan of strong dark beers, and this is the acme of chocolate imperial stouts. (and I COULD drink this all night :)

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2007 15:39:54 | More by 4thoseabout2bock

JAramini

New York

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

Being a New York State beer drinker, this makes me wonder if the rest of the country knows and appreciates the incredible things that are happening at the Southern Tier Brewing Company. No other brewer has given me more new beers that blew me away in the past year than this one.

According to the bomber, this beer uses:
2-row barley
caramel 60 malt
barley flakes
chocolate malt
bittersweet belgian chocolate
Kettle hops: chinook and willamette

The beer looks like an imperial stout ought to look. Black, with a pillowy tan head that dissipates quickly as it wrestles with the 11% abv brew.

You're not ready for how chocolatey this smells. It's like a mug of cocoa with marshmallows as you curl up next to a roaring fire.

The smell was great, but I wasn't sure if I wanted my beer to have such a pronounced chocolate taste as the smell hinted at. I was worried it would be too sweet and bothersome (like I found their Javah Imperial Stout). Wrong. This is perfect. The sweetness is there, but is never cloying. The chocolate predominates, but it goes down so smoothly it seems totally appropriate and never excessive.

The mouthfeel is nice and thick and creamy, as an imperial stout should be. In the aftertaste you get lingering chocolate with some roasted malt notes. Maybe the hops are there, but this isn't their party.

I don't know what kind of voodoo is going on behind the scenes at Southern Tier, but this does not taste like an 11% beer. It is just far too easy to drink. I didn't notice any alcohol flavor or burn to the beer. Just a smooth creamy dark chocolate shake.

Southern Tier knocked this one out of the park. This feels like a breakthrough beer to me. I don't know what their distribution area looks like, but I think this is one people are going to be clamoring for everywhere. It is a perfectly made beer that everyone deserves to have cross their taste buds.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2007 02:52:09 | More by JAramini

bainard

Illinois

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

bottle poured into an orval glass.

A - not quite "black hole" black, but pretty dark. as spinal tap might say, a "pastel black".

S - chocolate. dark dutched chocolate. really, just any permutation of chocolate you can imagine is here. cake, fudge, bar, even powder are all here. mouthwatering, this is.

T - a carbonated chocolate shake. not some foolish mcdonald's shake, either. no way, this is a double-chocolate ice cream with a ton of hershey's syrup sort of shake, with shavings on top. apparently this is 11% abv? i don't believe it, but i feel it a few minutes later...

M - a carbonated chocolate shake, like i said. it's amazing.

D - 11% abv be damned, this is amazing. it's a dream come true for stout and chocolate lovers. my favorite new brew of 2007, with a bullet.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2008 23:49:51 | More by bainard

CrazyMacHarris99

Pennsylvania

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

As a choco-holic all I can say is....This beer is amazing! This is probably the greatest beer I have ever had and it will probably take awhile to find one to top it. That being said...

Poured a jet black with an off white two finger head that dissipated to a thin ring with some heavy lacing. The smell was sweet rich chocolate. It was like opening a chocolate bar. There was a hint of coffee on the tail end as well. The taste was like an alcoholic chocolate milkshake. There was hints of coffee and roasted malts but mostly chocolate. The mouthfeel was creamy and silky like thick chocolate milk. Did I say chocolate enough yet. Even though its a strong thick brew the drinkability is still amazing. I never get tired of it and aside from the alcohol sneaking up on you a bomber is usually not enough.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2008 02:47:34 | More by CrazyMacHarris99

pvllbum

Illinois

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

Picked this up tonight after tasting the Rouge Chocolate thinking I need to see what the hype behind this one was and I am very impressed. Pours a black with some red hints in it from the light. About a half finger dark tan head which went down to some lacing. It smells like chocolate strawberry with the chocolate more over powering. There's also a hint of alcohol in the smell. The taste is great. A bitter taste at first but a very nice chocolate after taste and the beer feels almost creamy in the mouth. Goes down smooth too. Like others said definately a desert beer because it would not go with pizza or burgers at all.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2008 05:07:23 | More by pvllbum

mhewes

Colorado

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

This is a beer that I've been wanting to try since I'm a big fan of the chocolate beers.

This one pours like a typical stout with a nice tan head which disappears pretty quickly.

The smell on this beer was incredible. It is pure chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. After I smelled it, I knew that if the taste was anything like the smell, this was going to be incredible.

The taste did not let me down. I've never tasted more chocolate in a beer. The taste really reminded me of a chocolate milkshake. If you like chocolate, I don't see how you can not like this beer.

For the drinkability, I could just keep drinking it. I can't believe that it's 11% abv. I did not feel it while drinking it.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2008 20:20:09 | More by mhewes

kyleec

California

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

A: opaque with a dark brown frothy head. I poured this one aggressively.

S: Heaven in a bottle. Milk chocolate, almost like Hershey's syrup. Very sweet with a little roastiness and no alcohol.

T: Sweet milk chocolate, but a well-balanced sweetness that isn't overpowering. Some caramel and roasted barley. Finishes strong on the chocolate with less of the initial sweetness, which I really enjoyed.

M: Very creamy, fairly low carbonation.

D: Is this really 11% ABV? This is the easiest 11% beer I've ever had. There's nothing I don't like about Choklat. I could drink it every day, and it's in my top 5 beers of any style, if not #1. I'm a lover of big stouts and chocolate, and this beer has everything.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2008 20:54:42 | More by kyleec

Arnone10

New York

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

If you have not yet had a beer from Southern Tier yet what the hell are you doing drinking? This Stout is the smoothest, most rich beer I have ever had. It is the best dessert beer out there. My fiance had to go to the local brewery on her birthday to drink it straight out of the fermentor, as it wasn't even bottled yet. Go get some.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2008 17:52:02 | More by Arnone10

doppelmeup

North Carolina

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

Wow! That is the best term I can think of to describe this beer.

It literally tastes like a glass of high quality chocolate elixer fit for the gods.

Pours a deep black and takes a while for the dutch cocoa colored head to build. It doesn't stay around long, but rebuilds with every swirl. For a beer with this high of an ABV, it is very good.

The aroma is so good it really rates a 6! It is like opening a box of the finest chocolates you can buy. It is like smelling Godiva chocolate liqueur.

The taste is also exceptional. It is sweet enough to really bring out the chocolate, yet still has enough bitterness on the finish to round out and balance the beer.

Mouthfeel is perfect. It is rich and thick and chewy, yet clears the palate quickly, leaving a faint echo of chocolate.

Overall, you would never even guess that this is an 11% beer. It drinks so easily you could easily finish a bomber and start the next. So be warned--drink carefully as there will undoubtably be a kick on this one as it gets into the bloodstream.

My advice, buy this if you see it no matter what the price!

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2009 23:17:09 | More by doppelmeup

smudgewhat

New York

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

This was recommended to me by a friend and it punched me in the face with its awesomeness and high abv. It tastes so good I want to live in this beer or maybe become this beer in the next life.

The mystery to me why are the regular beers by Southern Tier (like their IPA and Rasp wheat) so underwhelming when this brew is completely amazing? I gotta try their Creme Brule next. Can't wait.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2009 03:43:12 | More by smudgewhat

OStrungT

California

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

This beer pours a jet black color, with a thin brown head. The head fades slowly, leaving a good lace.

This beer has a strong sweet chocolate aroma. Wow. It smells like cocoa powder. I also detect some coffee. It is subtle though. That is pretty much all I smell.

The taste is the same. Chocolate. Some coffee, but mostly it tastes like carbonated chocolate milk. Very interesting.

This beer is smooth. Carbonation is just right. It leaves a chocolate aftertaste. The alcohol is well hidden throughout this beer.

This beer might make a great session beer except for the high alcohol content.

Overall: Thank you very much monsterfat for this one. It is probably one of the best beers I have ever had in my life.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2009 01:05:17 | More by OStrungT

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

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

22 oz. bomber purchased (for me) at The Liquor Shoppe in Tygsborro, Massachusetts. Pours an opaque black body with a thin film of tan head. OH MY GOD. Hot cocoa, baker's chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and just a hint of booze in the aroma. Sweet malty milk chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel, vanilla, reminiscent of hot cocoa and candy bars. Medium bodied with ample carbonation, which in conjunction with the flavors makes this beer way way way too drinkable for the style and ABV. This beer is amazing. On every level, despite the hype it exceeded all expectations. Oh my God. Definitely getting this beer again whenever and wherever possible. So so so so so so good.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2010 05:03:04 | More by MrHurmateeowish

jabergess

Georgia

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

Before we start this review, you must like Hershey's syrup. Plain and simple. If you do you will absolutely love this beer. If you don't, a sample is probably all you can handle.

Smell - chocolate
Appearance - just like an imperial stout should look
Taste - we've discussed this already - Hershey's chocolate
Mouthfeel - warm, dry, slightly bitter

I'm not going to sit around and drink this by the gallon. It's very rich. But damn it's good, I wish I could.

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2010 05:01:07 | More by jabergess

Brizam

Texas

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

everything about this beer is great. the smell the taste the ABV...
it is the most chocolaty beer i have ever tasted. its the shining star among chocolate beers. no one has done it as well as they have. im not one for getting into all the technical mumbo jumbo tasting comments.. its either good or its not. and this is def good.. go find some

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2010 15:38:16 | More by Brizam

vfgccp

New York

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

- Tasted at Split Thy Skull 2011 at Mugs Alehouse -

2009 bottle drank in March 2011.

A - Solid bowling ball black. Dark mocha head.

S - Holy sh*t. Beautiful straight chocolate. Cream and high quality cocoa. Period. My wife said it best, 'I wish my hot chocolate smelled as good as this'.

T - Soft sweet chocolate. Delicious 60% cocoa, with a perfect balance of bitter and sweet. Some cream notes bevel the edges and add a wonderful backdrop. The few years in the cellar mellowed out the unbalanced sweetness of a fresh bottle, and culled any hint of booze.

M - Full bodied. Incredibly smooth.

O - Delicious. Incredible drinkability for the ABV.

---

2nd review for reference only: 2011 bottle drank fresh in March 2011.

A (4.5) - Pitch black with no highlights. Light coating of a dark mocha head.

S (5) - 60% bitter chocolate strikes a great bitter/sweet balance. Coffee and cream. (vs the aged '09 the coffee was definitely more pronounced here)

T (4.5) - Fantastic, well balanced, chocolate straight from the nose. Coffee notes lend some added bitterness to the finish. Definitely get some milky cream too. (much like the nose, vs '09 the coffee comes through more in the younger bottle)

M (4.5) - Wonderfully smooth with just a touch of booze. (aging in the '09 mellowed out the last of the booze)

O (4.5) - Delicious and ridiculously drinkable at 11%. Looking back at the '09 I can definitely say a few years beveled out some of the edges, but man, knowing it's this good fresh is going to take some serious will power to keep it aging on the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 17:32:34 | More by vfgccp

bigpatvoodoodad

South Carolina

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

A - Poured a nice deep, inky, black with a thin tan head that dissipates quickly.

S - Smells like a nice bar of dark chocolate.

T - Smooth with a dark chocolate taste. The aftertaste is a bit hoppy, but not too overpowering.

M - Great. Has the expected syrupy stickiness with a slight carbonation.

O - Wow. This is one great beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 01:57:37 | More by bigpatvoodoodad

Kaie

Washington

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

This has literally got to be the best chocolate stout made.

I've never sat down and drank the entire 22. Usually because i'm making things with it; and drink what is left.

This brew makes makes a mean Chocolate Stout Ice cream; seriously a huge hit. Stout pancakes is another family favorite to make with this.

One of my favorite things i like about this brew is the ABV. The alcohol ALWAYS shines through when putting it in food. I'll be the first to admit that $9.00 for a 22 in my area is a bit much. But it's worth it.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 01:35:36 | More by Kaie

challenja

Virginia

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

Served On Tap at Fireworks in Courthouse/ Arlington VA.

A: Midnight black, like sackcloth black! A small dark mocha froth head that dissipates rapidly.

S: This is Amazing! It's like a sweet Hershey syrup chocolate milkshake! Candied pecans, vanilla bean, dark cocoa nibs.

T: WOW!!! this one sweet monster! Hershey syrup straight out the bottle and into the mouth... This is more of a dark chocolate milk stout with chocolate malt balls crushed in the mix. Irish in style and creaminess. The alcohol is amazingly masked but WOW is it in there! Drinker beware!

M: Creamy lushish mouthfeel. Nice medium carbonation laciness that rides the alcohol down the throat.

O: What can I say but take me away from this dessert in a glass.This is my favorite sweet stout of all time! It is now, f*ck it.. number 1!! Old Rasputin has been dethroned..

Serving type: on-tap

01-25-2012 04:05:51 | More by challenja

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

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

Look. I like this beer. It's one of my top ten.

I consistently find Southern Tier beers to be above average, and this one is no different.

I found it full bodied, with a good, deep and complex taste experience. Start to finish, this beer lived up to its name. The chocolate was present. Colour was full and rich, as was the head. Only concern was the price point, which here in Ontario is $10. I don't mind paying for good beer, but at that price it's tough to justify more than a few.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 01:05:02 | More by cfalovo97

DanaSwanson

Oklahoma

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

This beer came highly recommended to me. The beer had a rich chocolately aroma, tasted like chocolate, and had a slight hint of coffee/toffee in the finish. I immediately ran out to find this beer in the store. It is available in large bottles as well as draft.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 20:50:37 | More by DanaSwanson

WoodBrew

Illinois

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

This is an outstanding beer....Amazing....the brewer gets an A+++ for nailing what the intention is/was. The beer poured an opaque black with 1/2 finger of rich tan head that laced all the way down the sniffer glass. The scent was Nestle Quick....sorry to name brand but the smell was NESTLE QUICK!!!! The taste was a semi sweet chocolate mixed with a slight roasty malt and enough bittering hops to cleanse the pallet. The mouthfeel was a full bodied ale with smooth carbonation. Overall....awesome...a perfect desert beer...a perfect winter warmer....a perfect fireside chat beer...did I mention it smelled like NESTLE QUICK!!!

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2013 00:14:03 | More by WoodBrew

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.98/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A: Poured a deep, deep brown near black with a large foamy brown head.

S; Nose is roasted malts, chocolate, deep bitter chocolate.

T: Taste is roasted malts, booze and darker chocolate versus the Rogue Choc Stout which is more of a milk chocolate flavor, to me anyways.
M:Mouthfeel is nice, creamy, boozy and chocolatey. Exceelent stout and lived up to the hype!
D: Oh yeah

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2010 04:15:13 | More by barleywinefiend

DapperGrowler

District of Columbia

4.98/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I tried this beer at home served from the bottle into a sampling glass.

A- a dark "chocolate" brown with a little head and little lacing.

S- It smelt like a chocolate chip cookie with some very mild vanilla and dark chocolate.

T- The beer was bitter on the front and smooth chocolate on the back. It was like drinking a chocolate milk shake.

M- This beer was thick with a slight tingle; smooth like eating a Godiva chocolate.

O- this beer seemed more like a drinking a chocolate shake then drinking a imperial stout. Does not discount from the beer, this was very unique and I would buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 04:06:50 | More by DapperGrowler

beerme626

Kentucky

4.98/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Single bottle from Jungle Jim's in Cincinnati.

A: Completely opaque black with one finger head that is a creamy brown. Few bubbles visible, but no light gets through either, so I wouldn't be able to see them anyway.

S: Like fancy dark chocolate, with a hint of alcohol.

T: This does imperial right. The taste begins with an immediate dark chocolate. Not hot chocolate, but rich, 80%-cacao-chocolate-bar chocolate. Amazing. Then, fades into the coffee and slight bitterness of the alcohol. The high alcohol complements rather than distracts from the taste. Well done.

M: Bitter like dark chocolate, and while the alcohol taste is notable, the burn is not, which I appreciate in a chocolate beer.

O: Unbelievable. I don't know if I'll ever be able to afford the $9 a bottle again, but I'm glad I got to experience this treat.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 13:51:57 | More by beerme626

slagle9480

New York

4.97/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Oh. My. God...

Southern Tier is on a whole different level than most mirco's.

Whatever you do this holiday season, get your hands on a Southern Tier Choklat. Trust me--you'll thank yourself for it.

ST's "Blackwater" series is unbelievable right now. First the Jah-va, then the Oat, and now Choklat. I love the first two, but I must say this one takes the cake. That seems to be a fitting description seeming as this 11% stout tastes like a warm chocolate cake freshly baked just for you.

Rather than break down the A/S/T/M/D, let me just hit you with a scenario....

It's Christmas Eve, you just got home from all the family get-togethers and midnight sermon BS you can handle for one day. Reach into your fridge and pull out a bomber of ST's Choklat... Christmas has officially begun! As soon as you crack the bottle you smell that wholesome milk chocolate backed by a warm sensation of alcohol.

Pour your beer in a nice draft glass or whatever hardware you got and go curl up next to the fireplace with your woman... You're in heaven my friend.

Southern Tier has gone beyond what the market expects of any brewery with this one. Take time this weekend to relax and enjoy an excellent beverage to yourself. Christmas only comes once a year...

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2007 22:41:44 | More by slagle9480