Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout - Brooklyn Brewery

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pours as black as can be, letting zero light through and with a frothy mocha head. smells like a white russian to be honest, milky and boozey, sweet. has an interesting chocolate taste to it, very very rich, and bittersweet at the end. my brother described it as "if hershey's special dark was even more special". there really is no other way to describe the chocolate in this beer, its s interesting. insanely strong beer that doesnt hide it particularly well, but i dont think it makes apologies for that. mouthfeel was heavyish, hard to drink a lot of beers with such little carbonation and heavy bodies, but a great holiday sipper

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2011 15:33:03 | More by StonedTrippin

hippityhops85

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2009 vintage on draft at the Blue Dog in Lansdale, PA. Poured into a 13oz tulip glass.

Pours pitch black with a beautiful mocha colored head that forms excellent lacing on the glass. A really beautiful stout.

The nose carries bittersweet chocolate, toasted malts, pretty muted although I really had to let this warm up as it was served insanely cold.

After about 20 minutes of allowing it to warm I tasted it. The taste had lots of bitter chef's chocolate that almost came off as metallic. Kind of let down but this. Lots and lots of bitterness.

I've only ever had this brew on draft and after reading the great reviews on here I think I need to try it out of the bottle because the draft has never done anything for me.

Serving type: on-tap

11-26-2011 13:47:16 | More by hippityhops85

BucBasil

South Carolina

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

Poured on tap at Liberty Tap Room in Columbia, SC.

A: Body is pure black but there is some faint light coming in on the edges. Dark tan head with OK retention.

S: Heavy coffee, roasty note here with not much chocolate to be found. Smoky aroma in there with some char and anise. Surprisingly not really all that chocolatey.

T: Much like the smell: not much chocolate to be found here, but a LOT of roasted coffee and some smoky notes laced in there. Some mocha as it warms which might lend some cred to the chocolate name, but overall more coffee. Some bakers chocolate as it warms more, but no sweetness to be found. Definitely an imperial stout rather than a chocolate stout.

Overall: As a RIS, pretty good. I can see this being a good one to age, but on tap it was pretty tasty. I would have liked to see some more chocolate in here as it was my dessert beer, but good stuff overall.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2011 02:31:31 | More by BucBasil

engagechad

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Purchased on tap at capital ale house innsbrook - richmond va - snifter

Pours a deep thick black (imagine that!) with a dark brown head. Beautiful stout. work of art.

Smells roasty and choclatey, not like sweet chocolate but that dark cocoa smell. Very nice.

Taste follows well, very roasty and thick, sipping beer for sure.

Feels a little boozy as did the bottle version. Very good beer but it could use some refining on the abv feel.

Overall this is an amazing stout, however If i'm getting an RIS it's Raspy over this for sure or smutty.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2011 17:00:34 | More by engagechad

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap in a tulip at Hopleaf.

Appearance: My pour is an ebony black color with a modest tan head. The glass was

Smell: The aroma is full of deep, dark roasted malts, lots of Belgian chocolate and fudge, and a bit of smoke and molasses. I don't take any hops away from the tap version.

Taste: The flavor is also dominated by the chocolate flavors. The dark roasted malt is noticeable, but it immediately pairs with a sweet and sticky fudge flavor and some dark, unsweetened chocolate flavor as well. A little bit of coffee and smoke step in on the periphery to give it a more robust taste, but the focus on the chocolate is never lost. The finish is semi-sweet with more chocolate.

Mouthfeel: The thick, creamy, and viscous feel of Black Chocolate Stout is one of the strengths. The carbonation adds to the creamy feel but is on the light side overall. After each sip I am left with a sticky sweetness on my lips.

Overall: This was significantly better on tap than it was in the bottle. The unpleasant booziness in the nose and flavor were both thankfully absent, allowing me to focus on the better parts of the beer. This is still kind of a one trick pony as far as imperial stouts go, but it was enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-09-2011 23:00:16 | More by KickInTheChalice

sbrotschul

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I sat down for a nice pint at House of 1000 Beers in New Kensington, PA (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/15450/?view=beerfly) and was instantly attracted to the name: Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. It combined many of the things I enjoy: the tough name of Brooklyn, the color Black, the taste of Chocolate and the beer of Stout.

For a unapologetic, no-holds-barred place to drink a beer, New Ken's House of 1000 Beers is a great place to start.

A: 4.0. This just looked good in the glass. A nice creamy head, small range of bubbles and a glowing edge of black beer.

S: 4.0. Coffee, chocolate and undertones of booze ... a great start.

T: 4.5. Flavor lingered on, with little after taste or boozy response to such a brew.

M: 4.0. The flavors took over the senses, but the beer felt thick and heavy ... almost chewy. Little carbonation with little heat from the alcohol.

O: 4.0. I really liked this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2011 01:02:18 | More by sbrotschul

nmbr0ne

Florida

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from tap into pint glass at The House of Brews in Jensen Beach, FL.

Appearance: Pours a very dark, basically black color with a finger thick, creamy head that leaves a good amount of lacing and retention.

Smell: Very boozy at the front, and roasty through the middle of the smell. I barely pick up on the hints of chocolate though. Leaves more chocolate to be desired in my opinion but great aromas none the less. I also get hints of coffee.

Taste: I can definitely taste (and feel) the alcohol. The hops give it a slight bitter taste that reminds me of unsweetened coffee. Very strong and rich like an espresso. The taste of chocolate is very subtle.

Mouthfeel: Between medium-bodied and thick. Took me longer than an average beer to sip this one.

Overall: Good stout to drink on International Stout Day 2011. Great way to to end my night because you'll definitely not want to drink anything else after drinking this 10% ABV bad-boy.

Serving type: on-tap

11-04-2011 03:19:02 | More by nmbr0ne

57md

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a dark black with more than a finger of head and decent retention. The aroma is slightly malty, but nothing to write home about. The taste is robust and malty, but this offering lacks the roasted bitterness I enjoy in a good stout. This may be a beer where the reputation is better than the actual product.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2011 06:06:57 | More by 57md

aorloski

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours an amazingly beautiful dark as night black, khaki head that sticks around. Looks world class.

Smell - Smells like weird chocolate, the only way i can put it. Dark chocolate right up front but not in the bitter hop kind of way. It is more like melted chocolate mixed with alcohol. This being said it does smell pretty good. Oatmeal and chocolate are forerunners, not a single coffee note to speak of.

Taste - Definitely follows the nose. chocolate, big big malts on this one, i can't taste any bitterness which is strange for a big chocolate stout. You get a little bit of the alcohol but not much. Just overall it is a well balanced beer.

Mouthfeel - So good, thick, chewy, coats the mouth and perfect carbonation.

Overall - i LOVE this beer because it is cheap and readily available. It is the BEST stout you can buy for the price and availability. Is it the best? no. Is it awesome? yes. Buy it. It really is a great brew and buy plenty of it throughout the winter. Thanks brooklyn!

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2011 01:38:54 | More by aorloski

biggsbowler

Florida

3.95/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Vine and Barley, Its black and chocolate, do you need to know more. It is a solid stout. Lots of chocolate and roasted malts in the taste. A good amount of chocolate in the noise but nothing overpowering. This is just a good all around beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 13:27:58 | More by biggsbowler

DeschutesNut

North Dakota

4.22/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2009 Vintage on tap at the MN Craft Brewers Guild Autumn Brew Review 2011 in Minneapolis at the historic Grain Belt Complex. Delicious brew. Very subtile and complex at the same time. Am very excited to have a couple bottles of these in the old cellar!

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2011 23:08:49 | More by DeschutesNut

angelogarcia3

New York

4.63/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had the 2010 vintage black chocolate stout at Sapsuckers in Huntington, NY in a snifter glass. This very beautiful dark beer with a medium tan head had excellent lacing on the glass. The aromas of milk chocolate, sweetness, and liquor are very slight on the nose. The first sip tastes like dark chocolate, and chocolate liquor with a creamy, and slight bittersweetness on the tongue. An exceptional beer!

Serving type: on-tap

09-14-2011 23:15:29 | More by angelogarcia3

BeerNemesis

New York

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout | on-tap | 10.0% ABV | July 2011

Brewer: Brooklyn Brewery
Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Glass: Snifter

Appearance:
Jet black, the abyss. A mocha crown—perfectly motionless—rings the periphery.

Aroma:
Iced coffee, dark chocolate.

Taste:
Dark roasted coffee, espresso, brandy. There's a strong alcoholic presence and it leans towards bitterness, which is not for everyone.

Mouthfeel:
Thick and luxurious, this is an incredibly pleasing liquid to swish around the your mouth.

Harmony:
It's a great Russian Imperial Stout, except in that the 10% ABV can clumsily peek through the otherwise well-composed exterior.

Would I get it again?:
Yes, and I have.

Served: July 30, 2011

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2011 18:46:57 | More by BeerNemesis

plfahey

Minnesota

4.53/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2007 Vintage. Pint on tap at the Happy Gnome, St. Paul, MN.

Appearance-Inky black darkness and totally opaque. Tall light brown head is dense and fluffy with good retention. Good lacing.

Aroma-Dark Cocoa powder and fudge brownies, with some fruity, plumlike esters. Slight hint of alcohol and vinous character. No hops.

Flavor-Sweet chocolate fudge up front is slowly overtaken, first by dark fruit esters, followed by drier bittersweet chocolate and light espresso flavors. Finishes semi-sweet, with faint hop flavors making an appearance. Aftertaste is fudgy, with a chocolate liqueur character. The chocolate seems to expand on the palate forever.

Mouthfeel-Thick and full, almost chewy, and yet velvety smooth on the palate. Moderate carbonation, with some nice alcohol warmth in the finish-the only real hint of the high alcohol content.

Overall-This beer is fantastic, and wears its age well. No hops remain (except for a hint in the flavor), but the malt and alcohol are very smooth and uber-chocolatey.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2011 23:19:05 | More by plfahey

HotHands

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - arrived as a jet black color with a frothy tan head.

S - chocolate and a bit of coffee and brown sugar.

T - As the name would imply, chocolate is the main attraction here. A healthy amount of bitter, roasty dark chocolate flavor with some coffee and brown sugar. In my opinion, the light sweetness is well-balanced by the roast and the hops. I wouldn't ask for more sweetness or for less. This stout is well-balanced overall with no real rough edges. A bit of booziness at the end if you sip it too fast, but this is to be expected from an imperial stout on tap.

M - nice body without being too heavy. I would be interested in trying a nitro version of this stout if such a thing actually existed.

Overall - this is a great, well-balanced stout. I can't say I'm too keen on the traditional flavor-hammer imperial stouts, so if you're a huge stout fan maybe you shouldn't take my review at face value. But I really like how Brooklyn BCS balances the chocolate flavor with everything else going on. Enjoy.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2011 05:57:55 | More by HotHands

TheHoppiest

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at the Winking Lizard in Independence. Poured into a tulip glass and was, as usual for the WL, too cold. After warming the glass in my hands for a few minutes, I swirled and got down the business of reviewing.

Pours a dark brown/black, with a 1/4" tan head that is sloooow to reduce.

Smells of burnt brown sugar, dark chocolate and coffee, with hints of bitter flitting in and around these aromas. Tough to say if it is a dark chocolate bitter, or a coffee bitter.

Has a bitter-sweet start, with decent black coffee bitter and a decent amount of alcohol. Sweetens as you drink more, and remains smooth throughout.

Very full-bodied, and becoming more so as it warms. The alcohol also begins to mellow as it warms.

Easy drinking and smooth, I think this is one of Brooklyn's finest offerings. I would definitely have this again and recommend it if you're looking to enjoy a good stout.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2011 01:31:52 | More by TheHoppiest

greid

Texas

3.43/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

On tap at the Flying Saucer Addison:
The 10% mark is clear from the first sip. It's loaded with coffee and chocolate tastes, but that's only if you can see past the heat of the alcohol. It's a great example of Russian Stouts, but I can see how a couple years set aside could help this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2011 02:44:25 | More by greid

chilly460

Virginia

3.63/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured jet black with a small mocha/tan colored head that quickly dissipates. A bit of a cascading affect is nice. A small ring of lacing is left around the circumference and some sticky lacing is left clinging to the glass.

S - The aroma is full of chocolate with definite notes of coffee, roasted malts and some booze. I also pick on on sweet dark fruits. No hops were picked up.

T = Initial taste is dark powdery chocolate, has a dry cocoa taste. Definitely turns to coffee, and a burnt roast taste. Some toffee malt finish, but the burnt flavor stayed with me. Somewhat one dimensional and borderline on the bitter roast for me.

M - A bit thin and more carbonated then I prefer for a beer of this style.

D - As stated, the bitterness of this brew made it tough to finish.

Serving type: on-tap

02-15-2011 01:17:06 | More by chilly460

rowingbrewer

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a dark brown to black color with a think off white to tan colored head that goes away pretty fast. the smell is roasty malts up front followed by some sweet dark fruit notes that linger. the beer was cold form the tap and its strange that alcohol presence was more noticeable when the beer was cold, I think this was because the other flavors were muted. as the beer warmed the hints of chocolate came out, along with dark fruit flavors and a little sweetness from the unfermentable sugars. the mouthfeel felt slightly thinner when it was cold, but again as the beer warmed it was fuller and smoother. this is a very drinkable beer especially when served a cellar temperature.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 22:04:24 | More by rowingbrewer

SkunkWorks

New York

4.38/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I've had this in the bottle before, but this is a review of the tap version. Had on tap at TJ Finleys in Bay Shore, NY. Served in a stemmed pokal glass.

Look: black body and I couldn't discern any highlights, which might've been helped by the darkness of the dark. Thin, less than a finger thick, mocha colored head sits at the top and retains quite well leaving a little lacing, but not a whole lot. Spot on for a Russian Imperial Stout.

Smell: sweet, roasted malt with a bit of coffee and chocolate. Nothing in the way of alcohol or hops in here.

Taste: follows the nose with sweet, chocolate malt and some coffee notes as well. This is probably as chocolatey as you can get without brewing with actual chocolate. There's a bit of alcohol bite in the finish but its not that strong and my mouth is left tasting chocolate after each sip.

Feel: medium to full bodied, lightly carbonated, not much alcohol is obvious except a slight bite in the finish, and a chocolate inspired aftertaste lingers for awhile. Not as thick or chewy as I would like from a Russian Imperial though.

Drink: one of the more drinkable Russian Imperial Stouts out there. One could easily drink several of these in a night and would enjoy the experience, provided they survived it.

Overall, a very good beer. I haven't had it in a long time and have always had the bottled versions. I'm usually skeptical of big stouts on tap but this was quite good. I'm very happy with this beer. I highly recommend. Cheers.

Serving type: on-tap

01-22-2011 17:40:50 | More by SkunkWorks

gdrydenc

Massachusetts

4.68/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

2007 Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout on tap @ Novare Res in Portland, ME on 1.12.11

A - First appeared to be black as night, but as it got lower and I could see the edges more, it was revealed to me that it was a dark burgundy. The head was about 3 fingers off the tap, but the bartender let it go down some, then served it to me with a solid 1.5 fingers of thick dark brown head. It was almost like mousse atop the beer.

S - For a beer apparently brewed without chocolate, this beer smells like chocolate. Bittersweet, like a nice 85% cacao chocolate bar.

T - If you melted dark chocolate and put alcohol in it, this is what it would taste like, I think. I am a huge chocolate lover, especially the dark variety, so this was unreal. I spent about 45 minutes with this one tulip, enjoying every sip.

M - Perfect. Light carbonation that perfectly accented the flavor.

D - Yikes, I was feeling just one of these. Afraid that if I had a couple, I couldn't even walk. That's the only qualm I have with this phenomenal beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-13-2011 17:37:08 | More by gdrydenc

thagr81us

South Carolina

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

Served from tap into a sampler tumbler. Poured pitch black with a minimal tan head. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, brown sugar, and dark chocolate. The flavor was of sweet malt, roasted malt, sugar, caramel, and dark chocolate. It had a heavy feel on the palate with low-mild carbonation. Overall this was quite the excellent brew. There were no sharp intrusive flavors present at all which made this one very easy drinking. Had a very nicely well balanced flavor and good aroma as well. This one is a definite must try.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2011 13:54:03 | More by thagr81us

cmq103

New Jersey

4.72/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Freshly tapped 1/6th keg at home from 2010 batch poured into a New Castle Brown Ale Schooner beer glass.

A: Wow this beer is syrupy thick and pitch black. There is no light getting through this one. A small medium brown head formed during the pour, spreading to a thin light caramel color ring around the inside of the glass.

S: This has an immediate boozy aroma, followed by dark bitter chocolate/expresso scent. This is one great smelling RIS.

T: It does taste like it smells, dark bitter chocolate, roasted expresso coffee, with a hint of caramel.

M: Very creamy, lightly sweet backbone, light carbonation. Truly fantastic RIS from start to finish.

D: I could have one or two of these every night. Certainly not a session beer but one to truly enjoy by sipping every so slowly. There is no hiding the alcohol, but Brooklyn does a great job by attacking the palate from all angles to make you forget, even if for a brief moment, that you're drinking a bold full-bodied RIS. Top notch in my book!!

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2011 03:15:26 | More by cmq103

StoneTSR

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Live Review #2. Still from Timmy O'Tooles on Ontario and Fairbanks in Chicago, IL.

APPEARANCE: Deep black with a very thin off-white head resting on top. Interesting lacing, a ring around the top was left where the initial head was and then very little remained stuck to the glass below that.

SMELL: Smells very smoky with a hint of coffee. Surprisingly, I don't smell much chocolate.

TASTE: The smokiness is almost non-existant in the taste - just a hint. The chocolate, however, does arrive with the first sip and is the highlight of this beer, although it is a bitter, dark chocolate-like flavor. A smoky flavor returns with for the aftertaste, which seems to be much more full and complex than the actual taste.

FEEL: Smooth and mouthcoating like a good stout should be. Warms as it goes down, there is certainly some alcohal in the Chocolate Stout.

OVERALL: A very nice, easy to drink stout. I tend to like a little smoke flavor in my stouts, but not to have it overpower the beer, and this one delivered on that front. I don't often drink stouts, but when I do, I will consider this one again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2011 01:16:35 | More by StoneTSR

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Recently picked up a sixtel of this bad boy... THIS, is their story:

Pours with a healthy 2-3F of rich, tan head over a black body. Nice level of lacing.

Unique for a RIS aromas - takes on plenty of deep vinous, almost Belgian Strong Dark characteristics. Alcohol burn is apparent.

Fairly creamy up front on the palate. Flavors of dark chocolate, black licorice root, roasted coffee, and a nice level of hops create a lightly bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is thick and creamy - as expected for the style - but also carries a wine like finish that gives it a distinguished character.

Drinkability is solid - may not be to the level of best-in-category RISs, but I haven't minded pulling a couple pints back to back.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2011 18:22:41 | More by BeerImmediately