Boatswain Chocolate Stout - Minhas Craft Brewery

yesyouam

New York

4.08/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Boatswain Chocolate Stout is a black ale with a slightly reddish cast. The smooth, dense, brown head has decent retention. It has a roasted aroma with notes of coffee, dark chocolate and toffee. It feels smooth and full bodied with a clean, dry finish. A little grit is left on the teeth. There's a hint of sweetness, but it's dry overall. The chocolate flavor is very dark and pretty subtle. There's a bit of caramel going on mid-taste. The chocolate is probably most prominent in the dusty aftertaste. The bitterness is very subdued and is just enough to balance things out. This is a very solid, drinkable and enjoyable stout.Boatswain Chocolate Stout is a black ale with a slightly reddish cast. The smooth, dense, brown head has decent retention. It has a roasted aroma with notes of coffee, dark chocolate and toffee. It feels smooth and full bodied with a clean, dry finish. A little grit is left on the teeth. There's a hint of sweetness, but it's dry overall. The chocolate flavor is very dark and pretty subtle. There's a bit of caramel going on mid-taste. The chocolate is probably most prominent in the dusty aftertaste. The bitterness is very subdued and is just enough to balance things out. This is a very solid, drinkable and enjoyable stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 00:59:14 | More by yesyouam

secondtooth

Indiana

3.39/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours a black with tawny brown highlights. Rich head of foamy suds. Thick tree-line lace.

Nose is cocoa. Simply put, cocoa. Not bad at all.

Taste is definitely overwhelmingly chocolate. I get a silky milk chocolate character more as this brew warms up. Not a complex nor multi-dimensional ale, but decent enough.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 22:48:58 | More by secondtooth

kojevergas

California

3.11/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

5.4% ABV confirmed. 650ml brown glass bottle with standard unbranded gold pressure cap and generic bland brown label acquired at Trader Joe's and served into a Mitchells of Lancaster flared stem-tulip in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. 66 IBU. 14.26 original gravity. "Stout Brewed with Cocoa Powder."

Served cold, straight from the fridge, and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a one finger dark tan colour head of nice cream, average thickness, and above average (~3 minute) retention. Body colour is a solid nontransparent opaque black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Light even lacing as the head recedes. Head texture is atypical of a good stout; it's not as creamy, frothy, or soft as I'd want. Overall, it's pretty standard fare for a chocolate stout. There's nothing unique or special here, but I don't notice any overt flaws either.

Sm: Cocoa powder, definitely. Chocolate malt. Dark malts. Lightly earthy roasty character is somewhat present, but doesn't bring a lot of depth. Light earthy coffee grains. Cream. Hop presence is imperceptible; maybe some minimal floral character, but hops here are just to preserve. I get light vague hints of a dark fruit, but nothing truly evocative or interesting. Burnt bready grains. A mild strength aroma, overall - and a generally good one for the style. The chocolate malt doesn't stand out - in fact it's rather generic - but it gets the job done. I'm looking forward to trying it. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable.

T: Lumpy chocolate is there - lacking refinement and any delicacy of execution whatsoever. Very clumsily handled. Cocoa powder, chocolate malt, dark malts, caramel malts, and overdone floral hop character for the style. Quite imbalanced; this one is a real mess. Haphazard; lacks focus. The notes that are here aren't necessarily bad; it's just poorly put together. Good sweetness/bitterness balance though. I get a sort of wine-esque rich tannin character on the back end; it bothered me initially but I'm warming up to it. Hints of burnt bread. Maybe some weak dark fruit buried beneath the poorly layered malts. It's not boozy, hot, or harsh. No yeast character comes through. As it warms, a bit more of that vague dark fruit pokes through; it's hard to identify but I think it's some sort of stonefruit. This is a mess of a brew, but it has some likable flavours. Overall, I do like it. There's just so much potential for this to be far better than it is.

As it warmed, I started noticing metallic notes coming through. That's a definite issue and may explain why other reviewers have disliked this brew so much.

Mf: Too smooth and wet for a stout; it has quite the case of porter envy. Lacks the creamy character I want from a good stout. Pretty good carbonation. Pretty good presence on the palate. Good thickness. Not rough or scratchy. Approachable. Good body. Not at all hot or warm. Not astringent. Suits the flavour profile generally well, but it needs tweaking.

Dr: A drinkable chocolate stout offered at a very fair price point. It has its flaws, but overall it's rather enjoyable. Very easy to drink; I could and would down a few of these in a session. I'll very contentedly finish the whole bomber by meself. I think many are coming down hard on this beer merely because of where they bought it and/or its price point. I could see this doing very well at a blind tasting.

C+

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2013 03:35:48 | More by kojevergas

BeerDocT

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From the folks who gave us "Simpler Times" beer, comes this different imprint...Boatswain! A bomber of this was under $3 at Trader Joe's in Alpharetta, GA. I had to walk past the weirdo stocking guy who always stares at people to get it, so I hope it is worth it.

-Appearance 3.5: Jet black and opaque, like any self-respecting stout should be. Small tan head formed and faded away into swirls on top.

-Smell 3.75: Nice bouquet of toasted grains, cocoa and barley malt. Bouquet is subdued and pleasing.

-Taste 4.0: The front is slightly sour and smoky. Middle is slightly sweet and then fades quickly into a mountain of a finish that hits you with barley, hops and chocolate. This cascades nicely into a very pleasing finish of smoky grains and light hops. Very good.

-Mouthfeel 4.0: Very nice, full mouthfeel. Carbonation is just right for this style and the added "oomph" from something (probably maltose) makes this an above average experience.

-Overall 3.75: It may be cheap, but it is really good beer. I have had several expensive stouts that are nowhere near as good as this brew. Unfortunately, I think that many people see the price and immediately let their preconceived prejudices do the tasting. Pay the jerks no mind and gleefully pick up this beer and enjoy it with the full knowledge that you are offending the sensibilities of legions of Buddy Holly glasses-wearing Arcade Fire fans. I like this brew and I bet the weirdo stock guy would, too. I think he would give it four out of five "ughs."

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 02:52:22 | More by BeerDocT

BucannonXC5

California

2.31/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 2.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.25

Type: 22-oz. bomber
Glass: Manzanita pint glass
From: Trader Joe’s in La Mesa (San Diego), Calif.
Price: $1.99
Purchased: April 4, 2013
Consumed: April 6, 2013
Misc.: N/A

Poured a pitch black color with 1-2 fingers of brown head. Light foamy, foggy lacing on the sides. Good retention all the way down.

Smelled dark cocoa, coffee beans, butter and smoky firewood, almost an ashtray.

Got a sharp taste of extremely bitter coffee notes right away. That bitterness lingered on the tongue for quite some time. Still dark cocoa and that smoky fire and ashtray.

Full-to-medium body. Creamy-to-oily texture. Average-to-lively (above average) carbonation. Long, bitter finish.

A bit too smoky, but it was actually better than I thought it would be. And for $1.99 what more can I ask for?

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 05:21:06 | More by BucannonXC5

GossageBrewery

Missouri

2.96/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured this American Chocolate Stout from a bottle into a pint glass. Poured a dark black color produced an average tan head, below average retention and it left some lacing on the glass. The aroma of this ale consists of roasted grain, chocolate and coffee. Medium bodied, a foundation of roasted grain, chocolate and coffee. Overall, decent beer- to thin for my liking- Better Chocolate Stout's out there.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 16:57:04 | More by GossageBrewery

viverlee

Ohio

3.15/5  rDev -4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Always suspicious of BWBs. No, not BBWs, even if there is reason to be. BWBs – “brewed with” beers. The fruity, barely beer category is littered with these obvious offerings. And somewhere lurking behind there always seems to be some brew conglomerate doing it and doing it poorly. I’ve never heard of Rhinelander (or Minhas or whatever it used to be and can’t be bothered to explain on its website) but my local Trader Joe’s is full of em. And this isn’t so obvious, or poorly done.

STYLE: American Stout

ABV: 5.4%

LOOK: We’re not breaking any ground here. Dark but not oily with a brown-butter head.

NOSE: That delicate balance of sweet and bitter and tang. Chocolate cake, vanilla, subtle orange, medium roast coffee.

MOUTH: If it’s possible, almost too easy drinking. I want and indeed need a little bitter bite, preferably at the middle of the end. Just-warm coffee, wisp of smoke, chocolate. Not a game-changer, just solid.

Beeradvocate Rating: 76

ratebeer Rating: 58

Hayward Abbey Rating: 82

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2013 03:00:45 | More by viverlee

ToasterChef

Maine

3.2/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A chilled 22 oz bottle is split between two tulip glasses.

This is an opaque dark brown beer with a nice brown foam head. The head only began to rise up once I started to pour the beer vigorously. It has lasted a long time. Once it finally began to settle, it leaves behind good lacing. Some clinging carbonation was visible initially, but the beer is too dark to make out any rising bubbles.

I can smell a good portion of toasted malt and some chocolate, but not as much s I thought I would.

The flavor also doesn't have as much chocolate as I hoped there would be. I can taste a lot of crystal malts. There is a little bit of toast, but not as much as you often find in beers this dark. Chocolate sweetness can be tasted as I swallow.

The beer isn't as thick as I thought it would be. It's certainly a heavy beer, but it doesn't have the same body as a really exceptional stout. Carbonation is average. A sticky coat is left behind.

This stout won't blow you away by any means, but for a sub $3 bomber of stout it's pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 20:04:09 | More by ToasterChef

hreb

Washington

3.56/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Cold 22 poured in pint glass. Beer is thick, almost syrupy, and opaque brown, with a fat head of a somewhat paler brown. Nice to look at, though the aroma is only faintly of chocolate and somewhat off-puttingly bitter.

Flavor is chocolate stout right up the middle. Not too sweet, but a distinct chocolate note comes through the body of the stout, though it doesn't dominate. The label claims 66 IBUs, but given how neutral this beer is I suspect there's a lot more sugar in here than I'm tasting. It's really quite balanced. The mouthfeel is a little bit lighter than I'd want in a chocolate stout. And while there's nothing really standing about this beer, the value is fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 04:06:27 | More by hreb

DmanGTR

New York

2.4/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.25

22oz bottle from Trader Joe's. $2.29, haven't seen a bottle of craft beer so cheap so I figured why not?

Poured very dark, nearly black, with deep garnet hues in the light. Tan bubbly head that remained as a thin cap. Looks decent so far. The aromas are very one dimensional. Reminds me of a biscuit with honey on top getting toasted, with aromas of coffee and cocoa, but a fake, extract-like chocolate. Also, I'm getting a LOT of metallic aromas here, rather off putting. Actually, it is quite off putting. A big bit of booziness despite the lower abv. There is a strange sourness that just doesn't belong here. The flavor starts sweet with malt and chocolate but the sourness creeps up again along with the metallic flavor and kind of ruins it for me. The body is thin and very carbonated. Overall, this beer is plain disappointing. I added a bit of bourbon to see if it makes it any more drinkable but unfortunately, I wasted a couple teaspoons of bourbon. Ended up drain pouring it.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 03:51:41 | More by DmanGTR

chinchill

South Carolina

3.84/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle with a Boatswain label from TJ’s served in a De Koninck snifter at about 55F.
Pours a very dark brown, clear but looks black in the glass excepting the brown edges. The dark tan head has decent retention and the glass is nicely coated with lacing after each tip. Plenty of dark and medium chocolate in both the aroma and the flavor [near 4]. Excellent sweet/bitter balance, if a tad more hoppy and bitter than usual for a chocolate stout. A hint of licorice lingers into the slightly smoky aftertaste. Creamy smooth medium-full body with excellent carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 00:42:28 | More by chinchill

brewcore

South Carolina

3.36/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bomber into a pint glass.

A: Yields a two finger tan head that dissipates into a thin long lasting sheet of foam. Opaque dark brown in color, no light passes through. Excellent lacing.

S: Faint dark roasted malts, chocolate notes. Alcohol punches through surprisingly strong for a low alcohol stout.

T: The expected flavors from the roasted malts. Coffee and dark chocolate. Nice toastiness comes through. Gets better as the temp rises.

M: Slightly high carbonation for the style but not overpowering. Thin to medium body.

O: Definitely not bad for a three dollar bomber, but I don't think I'll be buying another.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 23:17:44 | More by brewcore

BigH75

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Remarkably unremarkable beer. Poured out of a 22oz bomber into an Imperial Pint glass. Dark black with mocha colored head. Not much head and no lacing to speak of. First taste is non complex but decent. Mediocre flavor. A tad bit bitter for the style but not overly. Overall it is kind of boring but is perfect if I feel like an American non-imperial stout and don't feel like spending much money. 1.99 at Trader Joes.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 20:55:41 | More by BigH75

barczar

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque deep brown with ruby highlights and a fleeitng half inch burnt caramel head that leaves no lacing.

Roast malt, caramel, brown sugar, and chocolate open the aroma, with underlying dark fruit and coffee adding complexity.

Flavor is fairly sweet, with roasty malt kicking in a slightly bitter finish. Chocolate and dark cherries, and coffee are present, with chocolate definitely dominating. There's just a touch of acrid flavor.

Body is a tad syrupy, with low carbonation and slight alcohol warmth.

Overall, on the sweet and syrupy side, but decent roast character...and chocolate...lots of chocolate. Definitely a dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 05:35:19 | More by barczar

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.63/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A big light brown head takes its time falling into a nice lacing above a clear really dark brown to black colored stout.

Dark roasted malts with some chocolate and coffee, and it seems to almost have the added aroma fresh mashed barley malt.

Coffee and light chocolate within a dark roasted malt grains taste.

A dryish aftertaste without much of the darker roasted grains hanging around on this medium to full bodied beer.

An alright stout, the aroma seems to be better than the taste, but still very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 22:51:59 | More by LXIXME

MadScientist

New York

2.65/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Jet black with a creamy, medium-tan head that settles into a ring after about 30 seconds.

S: Moderate aromas of coffee, cocoa, roasted grains and little else. No hops, faint alcohol.

T: Roasty with some of that dark grain bitterness and a husky malt flavor. There is a moderate hops bitterness as well with little flavor hops. There isn't any malt sweetness giving a bitter balance to the beer. The finish is dry and the aftertaste is of a lingering biterness and dark roasted grains.

M: It comes across kind of thin with medium bodied with a moderately-strong carbonation.

O: An average American Stout without much character.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 01:16:58 | More by MadScientist

Aaron_Ramson

California

3.73/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: dark roasted color, almost black. Head did not retain well at all as it flattened almost immediately but left a nice lasting lace on the side of the glass.
S: smells like a coffee truffle with whiskey in it! Very boozy and warm smelling for a 5.4% beer, cocoa and roasted coffee are prevalent, some burnt toast.
T: taste follows the nose with burnt coffee and dark chocolate favors at the forefront. There is a boozy, hard alcohol bite that is peculiar for a beer that is only 5.4%.
M: Medium-heavy mouthfeel, slightly syrupy. Carbonation is good for the style.
O: Not a big fan of the style but surprisingly good and more complex than a $1.99 beer deserves to be.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 05:14:25 | More by Aaron_Ramson

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.08/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is a dark brown coloring, thin in appearance, with a ring of light tan film around the surface. Aromas of bittersweet cocoa powder on a rich, roasted backbone. The nose is a bit one-dimensional. Flavors are thin and smooth, with a touch of roast and smoke on the bittersweet chocolate backbone. Slick and light in mouth, the beer has a roasted coffee and mocha aftertaste. Rich, bitter finish...not bad, but lackluster.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 02:00:06 | More by GarthDanielson

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

Yup, a random Trader Joe's-bred bomber. The price was right, honey. This stuff pours a very deep black-brown topped by a finger of light brown foam. The nose comprises chocolate powder, light roasted malts (bordering on the acrid-ish), and a hint of coffee. The taste holds notes of sharply bitter roasted malts, dry and bitter coffee, and a touch of dark chocolate powder. Everything seems burnt, overly-roasted, and too bitter for its own good. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, an average stout at best, one that really doesn't express all that much chocolate character, and one that goes too bitter and roasted for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2012 03:20:21 | More by TMoney2591

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 1.5" mocha head with average life. The body is deep dark as coffee. Smell is milder than I expected and with roasted malt but not really any chocolate. Then the taste was the opposite with a good amount of dark chocolate but not really any coffee or roasted malt coming forward. Medium body and medium finish. I still fully enjoyed it, and it was ultracheap at Trader Joe's.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 12:55:28 | More by MoreThanWine

JMB

2.9/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - dark and thick, what one would expect from a dark stout, head is generous and creamy when poured, dissipates into a minimal ring

S - alcohol prominent with roast and chocolate overtones

T - strong taste - with the alcohol and toast overwhelming the mouth - not subtle or integrated - toasty flavor is more on the burnt side

M - low carbonation - dry in your mouth

Comments: an average stout, slightly too toasty and dry for me, can taste the chocolate and sugar, but it is too subtle and overwhelmed by the roast

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 21:53:03 | More by JMB

Mosstrooper

California

3.78/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 22oz bottle into Duvel tulip glass.

Appearance: Opaque black with a small brown head that dissipates quickly and leaves behind a thick, foamy ring of lace.

Smell: Bittersweet chocolate, coffee, and a slight hint of grassiness.

Taste: Begins with sweet chocolate, which rounds out to more of a dark chcocolate/coffee bitterness before finishing with more sweet chocolate with a faint hop bitterness that balances everything out.

Mouthfeel: Medium in body with balanced carbonation and a watery finish that gets a bit stickier as more sips are taken. Not bad at all, but something might be missing in this category.

Overall: The best of the three Boatswain beers I had. Not outstanding, but a solid all-around stout and well worth a drink, especially for $1.99. This would be a great go-to beer when on a budget.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 07:47:49 | More by Mosstrooper

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an Allagash glass on 9/3/12

The beer is a dark, scorched brown that settles near black. A one finger head starts off smooth but has an ending appearance of very fine sand paper. Overall retention is thin but it lasts the whole time. Decent lace, too.

The nose takes a toot toot for the old snoot snoot of powder and melds it with roasted grains and a faint nutty twinge, resulting in a pretty decent smelling, chocolate-forward stout. The taste has a much more tangy roast, especially upfront and the tanginess is pushed to the forefront by a thinnish body and bristly carbonation. Beyond the initial fussiness are more pleasant flavors of dry, roasted chocolate and subtle earthiness. Swirling out the carbonation pulls some of the tangy flavors from up front and shows off a body that is smooth and a slightly more pronounced than originally displayed.

This is the best of the Boatswain Four, hands down. It isn't spectacular, but I find it tastes fairly good and it's easy to drink. Great price, too.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 05:57:06 | More by Ryan011235

brureview

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

For the money, it's a decent beer($2 and change).

Dark coffee color, 1 finger head. Mild chocolate smell. Mouth feel is quite smooth. The taste is a bit disappointing. Too
much coffee- burnt dark roast . Perhaps stale dark roasted coffee. The coffee taste should be mellowed. A bit of lemon also in the finish.

The beer is better above 50. The coffee taste mellows and there is more lemon.
Nevertheless, a good beer-decent and worth drinking with dinner or when you are not on the mood for a special tasting beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 23:44:25 | More by brureview

rfbenavi80

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle picked up at Trader Joe's. Most of the time they got some pretty solid beers for a great price. Let's see how this one turns out. Bottle poured into a snifter.

A- Pours a pitch black color, letting absolutely no light through except on the edges where it is a deep brown. It has about 1/2 a fingers width of deep brown head that receded to a very thin cap on top and a ring at the edge of the glass. Pretty good start.

S- Rich smells of strong dark roasted coffee and dark roasted malts. A hint of booziness which is surprising because the ABV is not really high. Not as chocolaty as I expected, which is a good thing.

T- Again, pretty standard American Stout flavors here. Dark roasted coffee, dark roasted malts, more dark chocolate than the nose suggests. But the chocolate is not the dominate flavor here it complements the stout quite well.

M- On the low side of medium body. It does seem a tad too thin. Moderate amount of carbonation.

O- Not too bad at all. Totally worth the 2 buck for this bomber.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 04:50:55 | More by rfbenavi80