Boatswain Chocolate Stout - Minhas Craft Brewery

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

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

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

TheSixthRing

California

3.43/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a near black deep, rich brown. The head is tan and a good finger width before dissipating into a sticky lacing.

Smell - I'm picking up faint traces of roasted chocolate malt, cocoa and a touch of coffee, and that's about it. Not a whole lot going on here.

Taste - More roasty chocolate cocoa and coffee. The layers are fairly simple, but work well enough.

Mouthfeel - Fairly light body for a stout, but the carbonation is right on target.

Overall - Very similar to the Bison Organic Chocolate Stout in many ways, but I'm digging this a lot more.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2012 03:27:25 | More by TheSixthRing

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

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

DarthKostrizer

California

3.3/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Look: Black and totally opaqe with a 1/4 inch dark brown head and good retention

Smell: Nice amount of cocoa nibs greets you right away. Some roasted malt is hiding behind the cocoa

Taste: The flavor actually works opposite of the nose with the roasted malt and ash notes being upfront and the beer finishes with some chocolate

Mouthfeel: A bit on the thin side and a tad bit too much carbonation

Overall: This beer is a pretty solid beer nothing spectacular but the simple fact that it is only $1.99 a bomber will keep me purchasing it more often. I can honestly say that this beer might give you the most bang for your buck

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2011 16:32:37 | More by DarthKostrizer

Murrhey

Montana

2.83/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 650 ml bottle into a pint glass. Reviewed live.

A- Poured with half a finger khaki head, no retention. Some floater bubbles on top. Dark brown, almost black color. Some watery, minimal lacing.

S- Chocolate and dark malts. Very subtle.

T- Roasted malts, some tangy hops and chocolate flavor. Average.

M- Thin bodied for the style, but some carbonation gives it texture. Finishes somewhat dry.

O- For two dollars? This beer is a winner. Otherwise? Average at best.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 08:41:46 | More by Murrhey

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

2.95/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A $2 chocolate stout? Long live Trader Joe's of Williamsburg, Virginia! 22 oz bottle poured into a tumbler pint glass.

A: Pours a surprisingly thick looking dark burgundy color with faint hints of light coming through. The head is a rather fizzy one finger tan color with low retention and underwhelming texture. Very little lacing.

S: Actually fairly solid. It has a nice roasted malt and coffee profile, but only a hint of chocolate. I didn't expect Choklat (at all), so it's not really disappointing.

T: It doesn't have a huge chocolate presence...rather, it's strong with coffee and roast. Light fruity tones also exist on the back end, with some light hoppiness. You can kind of tell that the brewers cut corners here and there - it has a bit of an unrefined macro lager-esque grain profile, only roasted - but this isn't nasty or undrinkable. I could see myself easily finishing the bomber, and I think I will.

M: Thin bodied and a little watery, with a bone dry finish and moderately strong carbonation. I hate to use the "it drinks like a porter" spiel...but it drinks like a porter. At least its very drinkable.

O: Not bad at all! If this were a $7 bomber, I'd kvetch and whine about this being a failure of a chocolate stout, but considering it was $2, I'd say this is a shockingly decent dark beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 02:25:46 | More by ThisWangsChung

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

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

Nugganooch

California

3/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Trader Joe’s purchase
*Bomber to pint nonic

Brewed with Coco powder

A: Pours pitch black with a slight garnet hue during the fill. Yields one finger of turbinado sugar colored head. Low retention and just some splashes of lace upon the glass.

S: Smells of roasted barley mostly. Very similar to your standard Guinness. Has that dry roast earthiness. No real chocolate aroma in the nose though.

T: Tastes of dark roasted grains. Some smoky dry roast coffee notes. Not a whole lot of chocolate in flavor either. Dry and earthy with a bitter acridness. Slight metallic tinge. Not really chocolate at all actually. A bit disappointing.

M: MF is rather thin but with a nice creamy texture. Real smooth overall. Medium-light body. Slight higher carbonation levels. A bit frothy with a drying finish.

D: Missing the chocolate which was a bit of a letdown for me.
Overall a decent American Stout with some dark roast flavors but probably not one I will be revisiting anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 19:02:12 | More by Nugganooch

brewerburgundy

California

3.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle, Sam Adams perfect pint,

Nearly opaque, the color is appropriate and tinged more with red and purple than yellow. The head was small and of a normal medium brown with lackluster stickage.

Uh huh, this smells like a chocolate stout. Outdistancing Young's famous brew, the chocolate is dark, shot through with French roast coffee swimming in sugar. Hershey's syrup with a little more refinement seems close.

Not a particularly great Stout is the base. Not a large roast character, but what's there is slightly acrid and even so this is a sweet beer. The lush coffee and chocolate are still there; they pretty much constitute the whole.

It's thin, any way you cut it, it's thin. Medium high carbonation.

Another one of Trader Joe's deals here. Aroma is better than flavor.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2011 01:00:41 | More by brewerburgundy

Drinkerofales

California

3.38/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours black, with hints of red and brown in the pouring. A thick mocha head that flattens out rather quickly and leaves not much lacing.

Smells of coffee and chocolate, with a touch of booze, which is strange considering it's only 5.4%.

Taste is understated, roasted malts, bitter chocolate, hint of coffee and hops somewhere in there.

Feel is smooth and medium bodied. A touch of hop bite gives it some character, but not much.

Too bad we can't rate economics, as this 2 dollar beer has a great value, if not the best of flavors. On flavor as it is, it's better than the DIPA for the 2 bucks, but not on the ABV. Also, it seems that this beer is meant to be enjoyed cold, as all the flavors and smells aren't as good warm.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 11:22:40 | More by Drinkerofales

whatthehull

California

3.7/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tulip

A - Nice deep brown almost black, one finger very tan head and some nice lacing

S - Lots of roasted malts, brown sugar, milk and dark chocolate, earth and wood, nice mellow coffee, some earthy hops and more sugar

T - Tons of earth, crisp and refreshing, nice malts sweet and toasted, mellow chocolate more on the milk than the dark, soil, minerals, brown sugar, cinnamon, wood and a slight floral hop note

M - Medium minus body, low complexity, low acidity, medium balance and medium finish

D - Very drinkable, if you like guiness stout and are looking for something "craft" give this one a whirl. Refreshing, tasty and surprisingly light

Final thought - $2 and very drinkable? Yes please! Add a teaspoon or 2 of bourbon and a pinch of sugar and watch out!!!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 06:59:34 | More by whatthehull

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

BeerForMuscle

New Jersey

3.65/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Black bodied stout, no detectable light passing through. A light brown head foaming up when poured, but quickly fading to lace and a few mini islands of bubbles.

S - Nose of mineral water, sweet and metallic. Faint notes of roasted grain and sourdough.

T - A light flavor profile, with some sweet and mild chocolate, hints of roasty malts. Light sweet mineral water, some dry grain.

M - Very light bodied for a stout, its clean and crisp with a mildly dry end. Very drinkable.

O - A drinkable stout, with this light feel and subtle flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 03:09:03 | More by BeerForMuscle

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

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

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

travolta

California

2.63/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

App: I gave this one a vigorous pour. Foamy head with decent retention and lacing.

Nose: Dark, roasted malt, slight hops clarity in the middle, perhaps some vanilla at the end.

Taste: Bitter and toasty with and chalky finish.

Notes: I did not get any chocolate out of this. Great value and true to the style, so i didn't kill it on the rating. It is, to me, entirely average.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 01:53:13 | More by travolta

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

1Adam12

Indiana

2.88/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bought this today at trader joe's. 1.99 for a bomber. Pours black, but looks over carbonated. Smells, um...a bit dirty actually. Slight malt, maybe the faintest bit of chocolate, earthy. Just smells weak. Taste is actually not terrible. Very thin mouthfeel, but the taste could be good for the right hot day. Small chocolate taste, malty, burnt flavors. However, the finish has this...blood taste to it. Not huge on the blood, but the rest isn't bad, especially for 2 bucks. Might by this again...but might not.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 02:49:19 | More by 1Adam12

ManuelHerrera

California

3.43/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at Trader Joe's, which is always a crapshoot:

A - Pours a thick, dark brown with very little light penetration and a dark fluffy chocolate head. Lacing is surprisingly thin.

S- Heavy dark cocoa and malt aroma. A bit of coffee on the nose as well, this beer is textbook chocolate stout.

T&M - Flavor is a bit one-note with little in terms of flavor profile. Boatswain hits the points it needs to hit on the profile, no more no less. Malty maltiness and mild cocoa give way to a bitter aftertaste, but not a bitter hop flavor so much as the bitterness one would experience from coffee. The mouthfeel is incredibly thin and carbonated, not what I expected in the slightest!

O- This might be one of the fastest drinks of chocolate stout I've ever had, as it's as thin as a pale ale and hardly a challenge. Best as a sample for someone who doesn't like dark beers too much, or to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 05:04:35 | More by ManuelHerrera

UnknownKoger

California

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

$2 at Trader Joe's? I couldn't not try it. Poured from bottle into Bruery tulip

Appearance is motor oil black with a little bit of brown at the top. Decent carbonation yields a good head that settles down into a nice ring around the glass

Smell is as it should be. Slight roasted chocolate goodness. There is also just the slightest hint of sweetness

Taste is good. It could use a bit more body, but it's definitely an easy drinker. The chocolate is there, but it's not overwhelming. Sweetness is there as well.

Since this is pretty light bodied, the mouthfeel is great. Goes down clean and smooth.

Overall, for $2 this is a steal. I would absolutely buy this again for that price.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 03:11:59 | More by UnknownKoger