Choklat - Southern Tier Brewing Company

jjayjaye

New York

4.3/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours an opaque darkness with a loose full finger light tan head that fades fairly quickly. The smell is incredible; like sticking your nose into a partially full can of Hershey's chocolate topping (not the same sensation as the plastic squeeze bottle packaging). Let it warm up some...like the slightly roasted crust of fresh baked gooey brownies. The mouth feel is full bodied and lightly carbonated. The flavor has very little of that suggested sweetness. The taste is more of about the dark precooked semi-sweet morsels used in baking. That raw dark chocolate flavor is intense and adds a slight oily bitterness to the mouth feel that lingers significantly. There is a thickness to the mouth but the 'coating' factor isn't there as much as it is in my favorite Double Stouts. I'm also experiencing the 11% ABV less in the mouth than I am in the chest on the way down. A whole lot of complexity worth considering. Drinkability (this one not being 'how many of these could o put down) - I'm having a lot of fun with this one, but a little hard to relax with. Quite a bit more intense than Java....would like to do a side-by-side whenever Anheuser-Busch gets around to distributing it locally .

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2008 18:47:10 | More by jjayjaye

CDBeerDisappear

Ohio

4.9/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Color is, appropriately, dark chocolate brown without a lot of head and minimal lacing. But, nobody buys this to look at it. The aroma is rich and chocolaty and taste completely delivers on that promise. Alcohol is not at all overpowering for a beer that is 12% abv. Some have complained that it is too sweet and if your palate tends towards dry and bitter you may not appreciate this as much but if you enjoy sweetness then Choklat is definitely NOT too sweet. It has just the right amount of sweetness and is delicious. My wife and I have enjoyed it for breakfast. You can drink it any time. Its taste can stand alone or stand up to many different foods. This is the best chocolate stout I have had and one of the best stouts period.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2008 17:25:40 | More by CDBeerDisappear

orbitalr0x

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber pours into my glass a big deep black with ruddy brown edges and a small tan heads that becomes a ring around the top, not uncommon for 11%. Aromas leap out of the glass with an intense mix of rich Belgian hot cocoa, Tootsie Rolls and a slightly roasty sweetness. I get some fruity aspects coming through on the background as well along with a touch of vanilla. Wow, the aroma here is just wonderful and draws you in. Chocolate stout to the max!

First sip brings a rich, roasted dark malt upfront that carries a nice sweetness with it as well. The rich hot cocoa flavor moves in seamlessly with Tootsie Roll aspects again as well. Caramel ribbons along with a mellow fruity flavor in the background. A touch of vanilla as it flows down. This one finishes with a lingering rich chocolate. Yum.

Mouthfeel is big, creamy and chewy, while not becoming too heavy. Good carbonation that's on the more mellow side. This one is decadent and quite a pleasure to drink. The 11% is incredibly well hidden. This would go great with a chocolate dessert if you really want to indulge! Another winner from Southern Tier and the new king of chocolate stouts in my book! Seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2008 04:16:26 | More by orbitalr0x

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I know everybody loved this. I thought it was a very decent stout and I can see the bittersweet quality chocolate as being attractive. Some chocolate came through the stout aroma. It was black with a bit of creaminess. Mouthfeel was medium. I found this stout to be astringent and even burning my stomach.
Had on tap 14 months later and it was all about chocolate, did not notice astringency this time.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2008 03:12:55 | More by northyorksammy

chriskozma

New York

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

I picked this up from the Party Source the other day and I had to try it immediately. The appearance is dark dark brown and there is a little bit of a light brown head. The smell is more like Hershey's chocolate milk than an imperial stout. The taste is, what else, but loads of chocolate. It starts out as a powerful stout chocolate and the aftertaste is simple hershey's chocolate, not beer. As it warms, the sticky chocolate is even more prevalent. Nice, smooth finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2008 03:01:15 | More by chriskozma

caminiti

New York

4.65/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Wow.
Chocolate.
Poured from the bomber to an oversize pint glass, a dark brown with a very small tan head that immediately vanished.
The smell was chocolate, with hints of chocolate, and, as my wife said, chocolate.
Taste was, uh, chocolate. I half expected Willie Wanka to tap my shoulder while I was enjoying this. Somewhere in there is 11%, but I didnt notice it.
This is a very smooth, very easy drinking beer, and very tasty. Its hard to justify almost ten bucks for a bottle, and Im not sure this one is worth that, but it came recomended by Kendo. I easily could have had a second, but the other one is going into the cellar until next year.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2008 12:22:36 | More by caminiti

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap as Max's. The beer pours a rich dark black color with fair head retention and good lacing. The nose on this beer is incredible and is easily its best feature. I cannot begin to imagine what Southern Tier must have done to impart this amount of chocolate flavor into the aroma profile. There is also some underlying coffee and bitterness, but the over-riding aroma is all chocolate. The beer smells very impressive. On the palate, once again one gets lots of milk chocolate. That and a touch of coffee is pretty much what you get, along with some noticeable bitterness on the finish. This keeps the beer from tasting too sweet, and really ST does a good job here; the beer is only moderately sweet. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, but is also pretty soft and plush. On the finish the bitterness helps, but as is all too often the case with high abv. beers from ST, the alcohol is noticeable, making the beer a bit tiring to drink. That's really the only detraction from this otherwise quite impressive beer from ST.

Impressive effort from ST.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2008 01:18:30 | More by johnmichaelsen

Mudpuppet

Massachusetts

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

A- Poured from a 22oz bomber into my Riedel sniffer. Pours a pitch black with no head and black all the way to the edge.

S- CHOCOLATE! I have never smelled this much dark almost fruity chocolate in a beer. I am quite confident that if there were more aromas here you couldn't smell them through the chocolate. Man I cannot wait to taste this.

T- CHOCOLATE! Ok not to be repetitive but there is a huge amount of chocolate in this beer. On the taste you get espresso and caramels in addition of the chocolate. Actually this is a quite complex brew. Incredibility delicious for sure.

M- Good carbonation in this beer. Somewhat low but adequate. This is a thick brew but very smooth.

D- 11% ABV??!!?? This is a dangerous beer. I think I could drink the whole bomber. Maybe we will find that out tonight. This beer does hide it's alcohol well though. TRY THIS BEER! It is great!

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2008 01:10:24 | More by Mudpuppet

letsgopens

Pennsylvania

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

This ridiculously decadent brew pours ink black with a perilously thin ruby line that is barely visible when held to the light. The thick, frothy mocha head holds well but eventually disappears and leaves little to no lace. The aroma fills your nostrils as soon as the bottle is uncapped...

Thick luscious chocolate. It smells like warm moist brownies right from the oven then sprinkled with a bit of espresso. Bitter dark Belgian chocolate can be detected as well. Not too sweet, just pure chocolate indulgence. The booze can be detected a bit as the brew warms. Just a hint of burnt raisin as well in the end. Unbelievable aromatic. I can't take my face out of the glass long enough to give it a taste.

Initially this brew drops a welcomed ton of sweet milk chocolate on you, like drinking a glass of straight Hershey's Syrup, but it quickly levels out before becoming sickeningly sweet. The bitterness of more earthy dark baking cocoa comes out and really serves as the vocal point of this beer. Semi-sweet but still bitter and deep. Like a warm dark brownie smothered in creamy, sweet chocolate ganache. I can't imagine a beer being any more chocolaty. Sorry all you other brewers out there, I don't think it can be done.

Thick, syrupy and decadent. Lower carbonation makes for and even creamier, heavier mouthfeel with a hint of warmth that increases as the brew warms. Do yourself a huge favor and do not consume this one right from the fridge; let it sit and come up to about 50 degrees before you pour. The slick and creamy nature as well as so much of the flavor of the brew will be lost if you don't.

Well Southern Tier has now dominated two of my favorite secondary flavorings for beer. Every other Pumpkin (thanks to ST Imperial Pumking), and now every chocolate beer I try just seems inadequate. Southern Tier you are a a blessing as well as a curse. Ok, maybe I'm being a bit melodramatic but I just hope they don't decide to make a pizza flavored beer or I may die of malnourishment.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2008 23:12:21 | More by letsgopens

westweasel

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz. bomber bottle into a Samuel Adams tasting glass. The beer pours out pretty thickly, and is a very dark chocolate brown color. The beer is opaque with a thin tan head. Some lacing is left along the glass as the beer goes down.

The smell is a luscious milk-chocolate smell. I did not detect much roastiness. The taste is mostly smooth chocolate and a bit of caramel followed by a surprisingly bitter citrus finish.

The moutfeel is soft and pretty full. This beer is enjoyable, but the mix of the sweet and smooth chocolate flavors followed by the abrupt, strong citrus bite is not quite right to me. If it was slightly less bitter, or the bitterness was a little cleaner then I think I could love it.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2008 21:11:14 | More by westweasel

scott

Ohio

2.42/5  rDev -43.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

V.07

Dark & viscous, with subdued carbonation after an intial explosion. Hershey's syrup in the nose, and not much different with the taste. Buying an offering given the name, I was expecting copious amounts of chocolate. It's there, and not much more is going on, aside from some rounded lactic notes. No real complexity. This finishes with a nasty, bitter aftertaste. I'm glad I didn't stockpile.
I like the experimental aspect, but this doesn't taste much different than your friend's concoction where melted chocolate was simply poured and blended into a beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2008 02:24:45 | More by scott

pwoods

Ohio

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

22oz. brown bomber, purchased at Belmont Party Supply, poured into a Stone IRS Tulip.

A: Pours a light black with no visibility. An aggressive pours gets me about 1 finger of milk chocolate head. Head holds tight for maybe a minute before nearly disappearing. Some coated lacing.

S: You'd never guess this but it smells like chocolate. Yeah. No shit. What's neat is you can get very distinct bitter German and Russian chocolates and a creamy milk chocolate. There's some other kind of sweetness in the background almost like canned cherry juice but without the fake super sugary part.. more of a natural cherry sweetness.

T/M: Exactly on par with the nose and I don't feel like typing it again, lol. Some very light coffee notes in the background. Body isn't quite as thick as I'd expected it and can be a bit sticky at times.

D: If you love chocolate bombs, then this is for you. Nearing the end of the bomber the immense chocolate character starts to near the cloying stage. I might try this again if I'm sharing it with someone. Next party I'm at I'm gonna try mixing this with some Lindemans Framboise or Kriek as I've heard great things about Young's Double Chocolate mixed like this.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2008 02:06:46 | More by pwoods

emerge077

Illinois

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

Spotty tan lace and foam that doesn't hang around long, likely due to the higher alcohol content. Body is pitch black.

Let's do some free association...close your eyes, and inhale an open box of Belgian chocolates or dark chocolate covered cherries. This also conjured visions of hot fudge, brownies, and iced coffee.

Obviously alot of chocolate in here, some mild coffee and roast notes. Dry cocoa in the finish. Lactic, milky chocolate ice cream or chocolate milk.

A thinner mouthfeel than I was expecting, but it still holds up to the bold flavor. Medium level of bitterness, with some low level astringency. Smooth with a light stickiness.

The 11% is very well hidden, but a full bomber of this will creep up on you.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 23:53:14 | More by emerge077

garbercury

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks Vintage Wine and Beer, Boardman, OH...Yeah! Go Steelers!

A--Dark, opaque..its nice.

S--mmm...nice.

T--Wow...this is like a drinking a brownie.

M--Silky.

D--Must try...mmm. This, in the words of the great Borat, is a great success. If you enjoy chocolate stouts, must get this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 04:36:32 | More by garbercury

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - black with ruby highlights and a thin brown head.

S - Fantastic chocolate aroma. bittersweet chocolate, chocolate milk.

T - Creme de cocoa, chocolate milk, Hershey's chocolate syrup, mocha and roasted coffee.

M - Smooth and creamy. Full body but smooth and velvety.

D - A tasty stout that is pretty much all chocolate but still tasty.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 01:33:49 | More by brewcrew76

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.35/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

11 oz sample from a bomber

Pours a very dark brown to black color with a light brown head about half a finger tall. There is little carbonation coming out of solution and the dark color makes it impossible to assess clarity. The color is exactly where I would want it for a chocolate stout. Just enough brown to give the impression of chocolate. The aroma on this brew is beyond words. The best I can come is tootsie rolls. The chocolate is certainly the dominant smell. Taking a big sniff, I get a hint of alcohol, giving a little creme de caco influence, but there is little in the way of roast or other aromas that I would associate with the stout portion of this brew. The flavor is interesting. The tootsie roll chocolate is apparent immediately, but it is not overbearing as I have found in other chocolate stouts. It moves quickly to a nice solid roasted maltyness with a mild pine hop. All those flavors blend well together on the finish to bring the beer into harmony with itself. This one is tasty. Mouthfeel is thick with a light carbonation. It has a nice creamyness to it, letting me know that there are some dextrins in there. Overall, this one is a winner. It really sells the chocolate in the nose without coming across too dominant in the flavor. I like the slight bitter that comes on the finish, as it gives me a little more of a dark chocolate hint, which is enjoyable to me. I think the hype-machine got this one right. It is a good drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 22:30:45 | More by kmpitz2

DavidEddie

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Opaque black with a tan head.

Smell - Chocolate cake with fudge icing and powdered hot chocolate.

Taste - Tons of sweet and dark chocolate and a bit of rich dark coffee. Some hop bitterness comes out in the end, along with some booze. Very sweet.

Mouth feel - Creamy, oily and smooth. Like boozy chocolate milk.

Drinkability - If you are a chocolate junky, then this one's for you. A great dessert beer for sure. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 04:39:11 | More by DavidEddie

mattpetti

New Jersey

4.95/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

If you dont like chocolate beers or even chocolate in general please do not review this beer...
When a beer's name is Choklate I expect it to be a chocolate dominated beer and my god does this not dissapoint. Pours a solid opaque with an average tan/brown head. This beer is very forward on the chocolate. Smells and tastes like a tootsie roll but with a subtle roasted, dark, chocolate finish and a whiff of the bittering hops. (chinook and willamette). Creamy body, 11 percent alcohol is non existent unless you stand up. This beer was a delight to drink from start to finish...is it a session beer? Not even close. Along with dark lord this beer has its small place in the beer drinking world set. Have with a dessert or as a dessert by itself or better yet with a cabernet or hearty shiraz. Just joking on that last one. All in all not for the faint at heart this beer is a hearty imperial stout with a chocolate level that as far as i know has been unreached. Think a double rogue chocolate stout. Grab 2 if u can get it and thats 3 for 3 for southern tiers black water stouts. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 03:36:01 | More by mattpetti

oberon

North Carolina

4.72/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This amazing stout poured into a Guinness pint glass a deep but not quite opaque black there was a little tinge of ruby when held to the light a creamy tight one finger mocha colored head atop that settled into a creamy mass atop.I have never encountered a beer with such a chocolate fudge presence in the nose in anything for that matter it was like a fudge brownie with a bit of raisin and molasses just awesome.That big bakers chocolate presence is felt on the palate hitting big up front like a dense chocolate cake infused with a touch of raisin and raw nut,a slight earthy presence is felt in the finsih to make it perfect no cloying sweetness.Wow can a better chocolate stout be made? I honestly dont think its posible, ST made this beer a standard for any beer infused with chocolate,just awesome!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 03:29:08 | More by oberon

bosco7

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pitch black with a creamy brown head.

Whoa. This smells like candy. Tons of chocolate aromatics; cake , hot chocolate, truffles, and tootsie rolls. Also some coffee, nougat, and licorice.

A beer a seven year old could appreciate. The only beer I can think of that is this chocolaty is Rogue's Chocolate Stout. The start is full of rich, complex, and creamy chocolate flavors. The middle has some roasty and fruity flavors. Finish is quite smooth lacking any harsh flavors.

I am so impressed with this beer. I don't really even like chocolate and stouts aren't really my favorites either. Southern Tier packed so much chocolate flavor into this beer it is amazing. It's really fun to drink. The 11% ABV is not noticeable at all making this highly drinkable. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 01:43:17 | More by bosco7

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.75/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber, served in a snifter.

A - deep black color with a short-lived tan head, leaving a fizzy ring and a few spots of lacing.

S - it smells like Chocolate (duh!). Aroma is all about the chocolate, and I like chocolate.

T - the sweet chocolate flavors dominate the taste for the most part. Bitter espresso coffee taste on the finish but then it leaves a sticky sweet chocolate taste.

M - full bodied brew, creamy with mild carbonation.

D - I found it pleasant as an after dinner sipper.

Final Note: if you love chocolate, you'll love this stout.
I would pour this over coffee ice cream in a minute, if I had some, but I doubt I'll be drinking it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 01:38:43 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

HopDerek

Pennsylvania

4.85/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pitch black color with a good 1 inch of bubbly tan head which takes quite a while to settle, leaving good lacing. Smells are over-abundantly chocolate syrup and roasted chocolate malt, with some coffee and alcohol thrown in for good measure. Taste is pure chocolate at first, from semi-sweet chocolate baking powder to chocolate syrup to milk chocolate bar and finally fudge, it's mostly all chocolate, with a touch of coffee and hops to the finish. Medium in body with a slightly syrupy consistency. Very drinkable and masks it's ABV well, but this chocolate packed beverage may get slightly sickening after a while.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 00:17:37 | More by HopDerek

Doomcifer

Rhode Island

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

Pours an oily, PITCH BLACK with a big tan head that lingers around for the long haul. Excellent lacing. Aroma is of you guess it....Chocolate, and LOTS of it. Smells like Hershey's chocolate syrup, milk chocolate, sweet, hot fudge, tootsie rolls. It's dessert time!
Tastes of more milk chocolate, hershey syrup, dark chocolate, hot fudge, just a touch of hops in the finish. Mouthfeel is very thick and viscous. Decent carbonation, oily coats your mouth. Once again Southern Tier amaze me at how they can cover up the alcohol presence in these big beers. At 11% abv you would expect there to be a considerable burn, but there isnt. Just a warming sensation in the belly that comes a little after consuming this master brew. An exceptional apertif beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 22:59:04 | More by Doomcifer

taez555

Massachusetts

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

This beer pours a pitch black body with a small off-white almost tan head.

Nose is "oh my fucking god" chocolate. This smells like a combination of the greatest cup of pure milk chocolate, chocolate milk or hot chocolate with touches of espresso, coffee, dark burnt coffee beans and pure vanilla beans.

Taste is full, full, full, milkshake full bodied full bodied. Waves of milk chocolate, toasted espresso beans, dark chocolate, dark toasted malt and a very present mild citrus bitterness that flows in and out of the chocolate flavor. Alcohol is mildly warming, and it's surprising how well hidden the overall alcohol content is. You can't even tell this beer is 11%. An earthy hop bitter flavor lingers on into the finish.

These big chocolate beers fight a battle with the bitterness that distracts from the chocolate flavor and this is no exception. Probably one of the best chocolate beers out there, but the bitter citrus quality fights a battle with a milk chocolate throwing it out of a balance a bit. Still.... like I said, probably the best chocolate beer I've had to date.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 21:24:56 | More by taez555

Biscuit033

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark Brown with ruby specks at the edge with a thin tan head.

S: Muted sweet chocolate and some cream.

T: Chocolate milk made with Hershey's chocolate syrup with a hint of alcohol.

M: Full and oily like chocolate milk.

D: Too sweet and high in alcohol to make it a continuous drinker. It would make an OK after dinner beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2007 18:54:29 | More by Biscuit033