Choklat - Southern Tier Brewing Company

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Mahaffey's Pub in Baltimore -- 01.23.2010.

Poured a very dark brown, about the color of rich dark chocolate. A tiny bit of head to it, and minimal amounts of lacing as it went down. The smell was pretty one dimensional, but it was done incredibly well--lots of dark chocolate and cocoa nibs atop a little bit of roasted malt. The taste was very similar, except there was an off bitterness to it, which detracted a lot from what was in the nose. Mouthfeel was medium-full with good carbonation. A little heavy to be too drinkable, but for its style and ABV, I wouldn't complain.

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2010 15:37:31 | More by Thorpe429

ArrogantJaron

Ohio

3.8/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

In a pint glass at THE OLD BAG OF NAILS in Upper Arlington, just north of Columbus Ohio.

A- The 16 ounces poured beautifully! It has a rich, dark color, or rather lack of color since it is completely black. Much like the dark cocoa it is named after! A slight, smooth, milk chocolate head of less than a finger appeared but dissipated quickly. A light spiderweb of lacing is apparent at first but is gone as I get deeper into the drink.

S- It's simple and wonderful.... Chocolate! I don't know if I could honestly tell the difference between this beer and a hershey's dark chocolate bar if I was blindfolded! There is a slight fruitiness near the end of the nose, but not much!

T- Again, the name says it all! It starts with chocolate, in the middle it's chocolate and it finishes with chocolate! There's very little bozziness at all especially for a 9% beer! It is rich and pith and bitter! Just like great dark chocolate! Southern Tier always produces what the beers name implies! In this case, it's the best chocolate stout I've ever had!

M- A full, rich mouth comes along with everything else that this beer comes with. Like drinking dark chocolate milk! Smooth and strong

D- even though I truly enjoy this beer, the sweetness is a bit much so that I don't think I would drink more than 2 pints at one sitting. Although, I fully recommend this to anyone at anytime! Fantastic flavor and completely in a class of it's own! A great dessert beer!

Serving type: on-tap

01-26-2010 02:23:00 | More by ArrogantJaron

JISurfer

South Carolina

4.78/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wasn't a big fan of the appearance on this one. The head retention wasn't there. Sure, it started out big, but fizzled out. The smell was unlike anything I've smelled in a chocolate beer before. Strong chocolate up front, then... yep, more chocolate. Taste was chocolate up front, but then a slight tinge of hops and then a chocolate finish. It's a thick, strong beer, but was easy to drink. Didn't fill me up at all. Get your hands on it if you can.

Serving type: growler

01-25-2010 04:43:32 | More by JISurfer

Redrover

Illinois

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

It was served in a thistle at the Tap House Grill in Seattle (cost was $8.50). The beer is black with ruby highlights and a dark tan head.

It has a huge aroma of chocolate. I could smell this beer two feet away.

The chocolate taste is like a malted milk ball. Not dark chocolate not milk chocolate, but something in between. There is a bit of fleeting licorice and a whiff of alcohol heat. Reminds me of chocolate milk in the finish.

The mouth is well calibrated for this type of beer. It made for a perfect end to a tasty meal. I would love to have regular access to this one. Not a session beer by any stretch of the imagination, but a beer to enjoy a couple of times per month.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2010 19:05:44 | More by Redrover

oceanman

Virginia

4.43/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours almost entirely black, minimal head, good lacing.

Intensely concentrated hot cocoa aromas dominate the nose - incredibly appetizing. Perhaps a hint of vanilla and a touch of booze.

Toasty/roasty espresso flavors build on the pure chocolate. Sufficient bitterness and dryness, like an 85% cacao chocolate bar.

Thick but not overbearing. Minimal carbonation, which is not a real problem. Alcohol is very much in balance.

Much more drinkable than other ST dessert beers thanks to a lack of sweetness. Packed with flavor yet shows restraint. I can imagine a number of excellent pairings.

Serving type: growler

01-02-2010 15:15:46 | More by oceanman

beergod1

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

This beer is so Choklaty it is like taking a "Choklat" bar melting it adding hops letting it ferment and turning it in to a beer. The aroma is so rich and chocolaty, it is almost unreal how awesome it smells. Again as you sip on it there is a strong chocolate flavor that coats your mouth and a bitter and drying effect it has on the after taste. The beer I think is toooo sweet to drink much of it...although after a day goes by, I can't wait to have another.

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-14-2009 01:15:34 | More by beergod1

Aberration

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tried this one at the Armsby Abbey in Worcester, MA. Very dark with a deep brown head. Rich beer, great for sipping. Thick and robust with an intense chocolate taste.

Getting the choklat as my last beer of the night was certainly a good idea, it was like a fantastic desert to top off the night!

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2009 21:00:26 | More by Aberration

will4240

Minnesota

3.98/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at the Happy Gnome along side of Goose Island's Night Stalker and Founder's Breakfast Stout.

A- A beautiful pitch black. Good head and even better lace. I will not soon forget the beauty embodied in the 8oz. tulip glass this beer was served in.

S- DARK CHOCOLATE. Wow, it honestly smells like lindt dark chocolate.

T- Tastes almost exactly like it smells. Delicious delicious chocolate. VERY tasty, but must be sipped for full enjoyment.

M- Very nice, the chocolate is very thick and must be sipped.

D- An EXCELLENT sipper. Only to be consumed if you like dark chocolate, but if you do this may be your favorite beer.

I like (not love) dark chocolate, so I really like (not really love) this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2009 07:02:04 | More by will4240

DaveFL1976

Florida

3.2/5  rDev -25.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 1

Grading appearance, smell, taste, mothfeel and drinkability, seperately, on a 1 to 5 scale, I fear that my overall grade will be somewhere around a B. That is not my intentions, but that is how the formulas work, and such is life.

Anyway, had it on tap at the Pratt Street Ale House in Baltimore (go Orioles!).

This is the most chocolaty, sweet, milk-shake-like beer that I've ever had, and that's not a good thing. I finished maybe half a pint before I went into diabetic shock. Just way, way too much chocolaty-sweetness going on here. I would have gone to Ben & Jerry's if I was looking for a sugar fix.

My Beer Advocate grade might say 'B' but my taste buds say 'I'm drowning in Giardelli's"

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2009 01:49:57 | More by DaveFL1976

Florida9

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

enjoyed this beer at Hopleaf

served in a tulip glass

A: Black, opaque. Very thin off white head.

S: Smells of candy. Sort of a cross between a tootsie roll and a Hershey's bar.

T: Flavor is almost comical: chocolate, but neither high quality dark chocolate nor milk chocolate. Sort of "fake" chocolate with faint espresso notes. Wife notes it tastes exactly like a chocolate twizzler, though, I cannot confirm this as I have never had one.

M: Full, thick liquid, but due to a good degree of carbonation, it is not a heavy beer.

D: This is a unique beer and I cannot say I would ever order another or could even consider having more than one in a sitting, but I couldn't stop drinking it. It's a fun beer and it literally put a smile on my face. As for the 11% alcohol, I don't know where it was hiding, but I couldn't tell it was there as neither the taste nor the alcoholic effects were present for such a high alcohol brew.

Serving type: on-tap

04-12-2009 15:48:16 | More by Florida9

scottbrew4u

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark, pitch black, with a smooth tight gray head that looks like consistency of whipped cream. Ahhhh!
S: Smells like stout and chocolate milk mixed together. Deep roasty aroma with smell of cocoa nibs and coffee with cream. hops not able to power through the dark sweetness.
T: Lovely chocolate and sherry flavors with a lush burnt and dark roasted malt complexity. A chocolate milk flavor unlike any I have experienced in a beer. Some bitter chocolate and coffee flavors with a dark cherry hint in there. Whoa the alcohol makes a strong appearance on the palate.
M: Thick, smooth and strong describe the mouthfeel.
D: Delicious beer for a stout lover and a chocolate lover. Beware of too many because strength is noticeable. Wonderfully brewed beer is a must try for dark beer fans! Awesome on tap!

Serving type: on-tap

04-04-2009 02:40:45 | More by scottbrew4u

julian

Washington

4.72/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep, dark midnight black in color. Absolutely no light passing through this one. Generous dark brown 1 finger head with low retention and limited spotty lacing.

S: Huge chocolately aroma. That's it...this smells like pure chocolate heaven.

T: Holy chocolately mouthgasm batman! This is the most chocolate heavy beer I've ever tasted and it's AWESOME. Well done Southern Tier, well done. Taste is a beautiful harmony of chocolate, and malts with an ever so minor hop bite.

M: Smooth, soft, medium bodied, sweet, awesome.

D: Pretty high ABV, but unbelievably drinkable. You'd be hard pressed to even tell this was a beer, let alone an alcoholic drink.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2009 09:17:30 | More by julian

neenerzig

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes here as I drank this quite some time ago now. Served to me in a tulip glass. This beer was a black color. Let in no light at all. The tan head was maybe 1/4 inch thick when served to me. Head quickly settled to very tiny spots of surface coating. Not much lace. Aromas of chocolate were certainly present along with well...more chocolate! Had a sweet chocolate and caramel malt falvor. Hops were an afterthought here for sure. Had a crisp, medium to full bodied mouthfeel with moderate to heavy carbonation. Very easy to drink. Wow! A great fucking beer!

Eric

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2009 05:40:13 | More by neenerzig

whitehouse50

New Jersey

4.7/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

had this on tap at the East Village Tavern.

A- pours extremely dark black color without any head, i could not see through this one at all. It's as black as night

S- strong smooth chocolately aromas, slightly bitter but smells amazing. I couldn't believe I was smelling a beer and not a chocolate bar. i would like to do a blind smelling test where i could compare the aromas from this beer and some other chocolate bars and try to pick which is which.

T- tastes like i had melted a chocolate bar and drank it, this beer is so cholately tasting its incredible. The alcohol is very well hidden for 11%.

M- very smooth, full bodied, a bit creamy, low carbonation

Overall I really enjoyed this beer. It's an explosion of chocolate. This is certainly one to end the night on or have for dessert. I would definitely seek this one out and it shouldn't be that difficult as it's not hard to find.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2009 16:19:48 | More by whitehouse50

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Not usually one for writing 2 reviews on the same beer-but the difference between this beer the past 2 years makes it like two different beers. This is the most recent release on-tap.

A- Body is a viscous dark brown that is served with a nice one finger creamy creme brulee colored head which fades to a thick collar but leaves plenty of lacing behind in the glass.

S- Imagine being a child and walking into a fudge shop. Big, rich, robust smells of dark chocolate are all around with a hint of milk chocolate and maybe fudge. Its great.

T- A fountain of dark chocolate. Very rich and chocolate certainly dominates the flavor from start to finish with just a hint of roasted malt giving a subtle mocha presence as well.

M- Rich, thick, smooth, and creamy. Medium carbonation.

D- This has officially given Stone IRS a run for its money as my favorite stout. I liked last years version but this years is much richer and better,IMO. The only potential downfall for this brew is that its pretty one sided-and all chocolate. Different kinds of chocolate-sure (which I guess makes it somewhat complex)...but still all chocolate. Not something I am complaining about at all...besides its what the beer is supposed to be. I read that it was different this year and was somewhat hesitant to try it (especially with the way creme brulee turned out)...but this was a pleasant surprise! Job well done by ST!

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2009 14:31:27 | More by PittBeerGirl

LunaChick

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've had this both in bottle and on tap now.

Presented in a tulip glass. The beer is pitch black with a slight head that fizzed down and overall left a fairly nicely laced glass.
Smell? Literally like a dark chocolate milkshake. First heavy milk chocolate. Alcohol warmth passes through and hints roasted coffee are present.
Taste begins full-on dark chocolate ice cream. For anyone who's ever had goats milk ice cream--the zest and richness are very similar. This beer is thick. 11% alcohol? Oh yes. The warmth come through but is not so extreme that is detracts from the flavor. Some high abv brews take on a fruity flavor from the yeast. I get some subtle fruit notes. Nothing to make me stop drinking it.
The end has bitter hints. Overall the flavor is all chocolate. Syrupy as the beer warms, it does become very intense.
Full bodied and thick, thick, thick in the mouth. Lower carbonation than some and very smooth overall.
Drinkability? Very low. Between the intense sweetness and the high alcohol this is a sipper and an on occasion beer at best. I would not drink it regularly.
I prefer Rogue's Chocolate Stout as a good every day heavily chocolate flavored brew.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2009 01:25:56 | More by LunaChick

nriech

Virginia

4.7/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer was enough to bring me out of reviewing retirement.

The smell was pure bliss. Chocolate, malt. Its enough to make you drool, ok fine, salivate. Not the cheap milk chocolate sweet crap either, dark rich good chocolate.

The taste was incredible. You know how you sip a 30 year cognac? Thats what you end up doing here because you dont want to waste any of the flavor. It wasnt as thick as I would have thought but it was no detraction from the ability to sit back and enjoy a good glass of this labor of love. If the Mayan race drank anything similar to this back in the day, its a shame its been lost for so long. The human sacrifices can remain lost though. :-)

Serving type: on-tap

01-27-2009 15:57:36 | More by nriech

davedahl

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I had this on-tap a The Firkin up in Libertyville, IL.

Poured in a 10oz tulip. Opaque, deep dark caramel if black and brown had a baby this is it. Massive cocoa and chocolate malt milkshake on the nose. First taste is more of same. Head is tight but dissipates to nothing. Lacing is thin but repetitive and sticky.

This beer seems to be a love-hate kind of thing. Personally I love it...but rated drinkability rather low since I could never have more than one per sitting.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2009 00:23:25 | More by davedahl

gunnerman

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had the pleasure of having this on draft at Vintage Estate's in Boardman Ohio. Poured into a 12oz glass, pours a jet black with a bit of a dark tan head. Smell is amazing, fine fine chocolate smell with a bit of interlaces of rose and cherry in the nose. First taste I was greeted with straight chocolate bar taste, and a nice slick hop finish, this litterly taste's like a chocolate covered hop. Alcohol was not detected at all, which can be dangerous with this fine offering. Overall the excitement of having this on draft was a moment that I will savor for a long time.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2009 13:59:53 | More by gunnerman

TheMistler

District of Columbia

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Upon ordering, my bartender said "Tastes like Quick! How can you drink it slow when it tastes like Quik!?" With everything I've heard, I wonder if I can.

Poured black and seemingly pretty thick, with a dark tan head that displayed CO2 bubbles of a variety of sizes. Settled to a whispy cap and pretty good ring that also showed some pretty lacing.

Oh, it smells like chocolate milk. Chocolate, but also a distinct sweetness intermingling. Some slight spice accompanies a warming alcohol note to the nose.

Mmm... tasty. Thick and sugary. A diabetic's nightmare. Quick is right, if you could give milk a bit more substance and pack in some carbonation. ABV is very well hidden, evidencing itself in slight astringency that works with a dollop of hops to nicely compliment, if not balance, the heavy and heady chocolate bar taste. Also some warming at the back of the throat towards the end.

A heavy beer, but with just the right amount of carbonation prickliness, a well hidden ABV, and the sheer damn tastiness of it, its pretty drinkable. Too fast and it would get cloying, but a treat to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

01-15-2009 04:44:32 | More by TheMistler

sonicdescent

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at Ds six pack in Monroeville pa.

Now this is how to do an imperial stout. Pours black with a generous brown head. Clings to the side of the glass through the entire drink.

Smells of chocolate milk. Not complex but damn appetizing.

Tastes like a carbonated chocolate milk. The chocolate flavor is very rich and there is not much hop presence.

Mouthfeel is just perfect. Lightly carbonated and full.

As for drinkability, this is worth the price. It is just too rich flavored to drink more than one at a time, not to mention the alcohol content.

With all that said, this is the best imperial stout I have had.

Serving type: on-tap

01-03-2009 20:31:15 | More by sonicdescent

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Max's Tap Room, Baltimore, MD. Served (weirdly enough) in an American pint glass, though it was fantastically cheap - $5.66 for a pint of Choklat in a bar! Amazing. Anyway, on to the review!

Appearance: A deep brown, not quite as dark as I remembered, with a foamy, half-finger cocoa head. He filled this one straight to the top, so I can't be too upset that there wasn't much space left for head development. Lacing is sticky and splotchy initially, though it fades quickly with time, unfortunately.

Aroma: Heavy and pure milk chocolate aromas, though with this fresh batch there're definitely stronger hints of hops, leafy and earthy (though devoid, at least to my nose, of mint, which might have been nice given the other components of this beer). A kiss of malty earth comes through with the more bitter chocolate notes, particularly as it warms.

Taste: Yes, there are more bitter and hoppy notes here than there were in the the well-aged bottle I had recently - assuming that's an age thing rather than a bottle versus tap thing. Nonetheless, there are tons of sweet, milky chocolate notes rich, deep, rich, and velvety. The bitterness and earthy notes add a slight edge to it which perhaps detracts ever-so-slightly from the normal over-the-top cocoa assault that is this beer, but it's really not too bad.

Mouthfeel: Less even than the aged-bottled version, though I'm not sure here if that's an age thing or a bottle/keg thing. Still pretty creamy and smooth, full (perhaps due to the flakes) without being too full bodied, if that makes sense - it's light, but very big.

Drinkability: Still one of if not the most chocolately chocolate beer out there, this one sets a standard. I can't say I liked it as much on tap as I enjoyed the bottled version I have, which would lead me to two recommendations: 1) stock up at your local beer store; and 2) age well. If you see it on tap, though, it's still a great beer, so give it a go - the 11% alcohol was nowhere to be seen.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2008 23:22:15 | More by CrellMoset

ManofWax

Massachusetts

4.9/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I've had this in a bottle, and it's terrific in that form, but I was lucky enough to have it on-tap at Cambridge Common just north of Harvard Square.

A: 100% black--the extract of outer space.

S: I drank mine in a snifter, the perfect vessel by which to sample the exceptional aroma. Unsurprisingly, it smells a great deal like chocolate. It is a bold scent that beckons your lips to the glass.

T: Again, it should come as no surprise that Choklat tastes principally of chocolate. But not just any chocolate. It's more Godiva than Toll House. It's like excellent chocolate syrup. In fact, the chocolate is so good, it more than makes up for the lack of overall complexity. There is little by way of hops, and other flavors prominent in stouts--coffee, especially--are subtle in some sips, nonexistent in others. The aftertaste contains some bitterness, but rather than hop bitterness, it's the bittersweetness of dark chocolate with a high cocoa count--70%+. Yum!

F: I would have liked a bit more volume from Choklat, but it doesn't perform badly within its class. On cask I suspect it would be deserving a 5.0 rating, and it wouldn't suffer lack of carbonation because it has none on-tap anyway.

D: It is astonishing to learn than Choklat is an 11% ABV beer. There is no alcohol flavor, no burn anywhere. Every sip goes down smooth as velvet. Lack of hop bitterness means that even inexperienced drinkers can enjoy Choklat.

In sum, Choklat is the best chocolate stout on the planet. At the risk of succumbing to hyperbole, it may be among the three or four best stouts period. I agree with previous reviewers that this is an apéritif beer, though it can be enjoyed just about any time.

Southern Tier makes many delicious beers, but none are quite like Choklat. A memorable experience.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2008 13:05:50 | More by ManofWax

SBALDWIN

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Smell was just like dark chocolate or hot cocoa.

Taste was almost like eating a Hersheys dark chocolate bar.

Drinkability is good as a dessert beer rather than a beer to drink while watching a football game.

Appearence was dark in color with hints of red in the lights at the bar.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2008 17:11:45 | More by SBALDWIN

gdfan47

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-pours a nice chocolate brown with a pleasant inviting white head
S- like chocolate , wow...not like fake chocolate coloring, like real chocolate
T- remember when you were a kid and you were eating chocoate from cookies youre mom was making and you were trying to be sly, and it was unsweetened dark chocolate, thats what this beer tastes like, but as I have gotten older I like this kind of chocolate more, wow this beer tastes like chocolate, some light coffee tastes but finises chocolate
M- smooth and inviting, like a cold hot chocolate with some subtle spicy spices, but still refreshing
D- 11 perecent, this one started off my night , a great way to start, I dig this, will def reach for this one again

I have heard a rumor that there is a strain of malt called chocolate, and so some "chocolate" beers dont taste like chocolate, this one does... wow

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2008 08:44:54 | More by gdfan47