Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout - Brooklyn Brewery

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from my growler into a proper Brooklyn tulip. It's black and the head is chunky and brown and doesn't want to dissipate. Holding this glass in my hand is like holding a big black pearl. From the nose, I'm getting faint tones of chocolate, leather, and a tiny bit of booze.

The taste follows the nose. It's very smooth, malt-forward, and semi-sweet, and there is not much bitterness at all. The predominant flavor is chocolate and it hits you coming and going. There is just a touch of that burnt flavor that characterizes RISs, but it is buried under the chocolate. There are also dark fruit notes at mid-palate and a faint warming alcohol presence on the finish, but it's reasonable given that this baby is 10% abv. The mouthfeel is firm and slightly creamy.

This beer is an RIS that drinks like an American Double Stout. I have had it many times and it is one of my favorite winter seasonals. It is very easy to get, it is reasonably priced (especially growlers), and it is absolutely delicious. I don't know why I waited so long to review it.

Serving type: growler

02-04-2012 22:57:13 | More by deadonhisfeet

markmiller

New York

4.3/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a growler for $10. Poured into a nonic pint glass.

A: Dark. Really dark. Lusciously dark. Poured aggressively resulting in a three finger caramel tan head that sticks around for just a bit. I love the look of this beer.

S: The first thing that hits is the roasted malt and coffee. Then a good whiff of alcohol takes hold that mellows into dark cocoa powder. Maybe just the slightest dark chocolate covered cherry.

T: Roasted malt and just a hint of bitter chocolate. Stronger alcohol taste in the finish. As it warmed, tastes of the dark chocolate covered cherries come back on the finish. Very smooth, though. Enjoyable.

M: Mid-to-full bodied. Great coating of the tongue and mouth. Warmer it was a little syurpy, still really good.

O: I really enjoy this brew. The look and aftertaste do it for me. Each sip leaves such a wonderful taste that lingers forever, and the higher ABV allows this beer to have a nice warming taste and effect.

Serving type: growler

01-26-2012 23:11:30 | More by markmiller

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.65/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Black Chocolate, 32-oz growler filled at the new Brew York City / Duane Reade on Broadway at 76th in NYC for $5.99.

I have had these beer many times, but this is the first time I enjoy it from a growler.

Appearance: Gorgeous and classy-looking on my Lost Abbey chalice, with a deep shiny black color and a beautiful, prominent coffee-colored that lasts and lasts; thick soapy bubbles on top. Great lacing, retention, carbonation. An outstanding presence.

Smell: Sharp booze, rum-soaked wood. Coffee. Spice, dank hops / bitterness (a bit unpleasant). And a dryness that gets in your nostrils! Maple and some plant-based sweetness at the end? Reminds me of sipping on Founders CBS, believe it or not.

Taste: Follows nose, with a more pronounced coffee side that reminds me of Founders Breakfast. I don't get much of the chocolate... a bit of sour funk and barnyard lactic feel.

Mouthfeel: Full flavor, medium body and carbonation. Correct but a tad thin for the style, and unfortunately overtly bitter. Smooth and creaminess are AWOL. Bone-dry finish with spice and clover. After opening and closing the growler a couple of times, the bitterness recedes and some chocolaty creaminess appears.

Overall: Black Choco is all over. I've had horribly bitter versions of it and smooth and creamy pints, both in tap and bottle. It changes between seasons and serving types. Last week I had a bottle of this current year ('11-'12) and it was beautiful. This growler is too bitter but still alright. What will be next? It is, in any case, a mighty drinkable beer, and always a good deal. No trace of 10%, I could polish a growler of this and still stand tall and strong.

Serving type: growler

11-26-2011 23:02:48 | More by DoubleSimcoe

doopydoogle

Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Black with a creamy brown head that sticks around and leaves a good lacing behind.

S - Wood, roasted barley, espresso beans, currant, cassis, cherry, bittersweet chocolate, pet food, soy sauce, subtle vanilla and spice

T - Big chocolate (milk and dark) up front with a lingering essence that only gives way towards the end of the taste with coffee and bitter coming in for the finish. Some dark berries are present but the chocolatiness and booziness really take the cake here.

M - Good carbonation and coating mouthfeel

O - very smooth and chocolately for the style, so I guess its not a misnomer. Mellow for the style yet still distinct and characteristic.

Serving type: growler

11-06-2011 03:40:16 | More by doopydoogle

JohnnyChicago

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I keep here people raving about this one. Although I found the bottle very pedestrian and average, I though I'd give it a shot from a growler. Purchased the growler from New Beer Distributors; poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a deep, dark brown with two fingers of white head.

S: Smells like a dark chocolate bar next to a bowl of cascade hops. Its rich and bitter, but inviting.

T: Tastes like an RIS! Its chocolate promise carries through with a strong cocoa nib flavour, but the vicious hops provide a lasting bitter backbone. Finishes dry and boozy.

D: Alcohal is still a little too present for my tastes. Not too much difference between the tap and the bottle, which is weird. Especially considering how much better that growler of Stone RIS I had was.

Overall: I still don't get this stout. Its solid, don't get me wrong, but its far from the top echelon of RIS, or even chocolate stouts. It is just too boozy and unbalanced for my tastes. However, the price certainly is right.

Serving type: growler

10-15-2011 15:05:26 | More by JohnnyChicago

JoeBloe

New York

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

i've had a few growlers of this brew since Thanksgiving - and i'm working one as i review (2nd glass) -
pours deep and dark brown, almost black, into a guinness anniversary pint glass - puts up a 1 finger thick tan head and leaves ribbons of lace - a mildly roasted aroma followed by a nice taste of caramel and a little bitter chocolate -very tasty and SMOOTH - mouthfeel is nice and SMOOTH - appropriately thick with a roasty finish - begging for more - and not too filling - dangerously drinkable with almost no alcohol smell or taste.

Serving type: growler

12-21-2010 22:37:54 | More by JoeBloe

r0nyn

New York

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

Poured from a growler into my DFH snifter. Assuming this is the Winter 10/11 release.

Pours the deep, inky blackness of good imperial stouts, completely opaque and darker than night. Very minute tan head that leaves some sticky, spotty lacing. A wonderful looking beer by all accounts. Smell is initially roasted malts, with a touch of sweet caramel and maybe just a slight tinge of alcohol. As you sniff it some more, the underlying dark chocolate becomes more evident, the aroma of cocoa mingling with the rest of the scents to provide an enticing smell.

Taste is just like the smell, with roasted malts kicking things off along with some very slight notes of caramel and vanilla. The dark chocolate then takes over, providing a taste that's full of bittersweet cocoa and some figgy fruity nuances. There's also a bit of coffee in the flavor as well, providing some of the mild bitterness; it's almost like an espresso taste, but not quite. As the brew warms, there's a slight bit of alcoholic heat at the end, but it's still pretty subdued. Mouthfeel is very smooth and creamy, with minimal carbonation and a medium body. Finish is a bit less dry than I was expecting. Silky smooth sipping experience.

Drinkability is really rather good, especially for a Russian Imperial Stout. Oh yeah, you're gonna feel the 10% ABV, but it's a pleasant and tasty way there, so you're definitely not gonna mind the ride. I'd love to see what this is like with a few years on it to mellow the flavors out and add a few levels of sophistication.

Serving type: growler

12-19-2010 04:38:01 | More by r0nyn

Tilley4

Tennessee

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Blake at Chuck's in Bowling Green for the hookup on this growler....

An almost jet black pour with a fairly thin small head of tan... Decent lacing...

Deep roasted chocolate malts along with a plum-like aroma... No hint of booze... Faint aroma of some citrusy hops but they're just an afterthought...

Smooth creamy deliciousness here... Its like sipping a Hershey's syrup and vanilla ice cream smoothie.. Seems much better than the bottled version...

I had 3 tulip glasses of this and I was off the hook and woozy at the end... I liked this better than the bottle version.

Serving type: growler

12-18-2010 06:02:20 | More by Tilley4

meatyard

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler from Pinnocchio's in Media PA

Poured it with a large 3-finger mocha colored head that left lots of lace. Body is, essentially black though there is just a bit of red along the sides when held to a light.

The smell has a little burnt malt edginess, slight alcohol awareness and a touch of cocoa.

In the taste the chocolate/cocoa flavor makes itself known right away. Sweet, dark chocolate lingers on in the taste and finishes off with a light amount of burnt, roasted malt and coffee with just a dab of bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium tending toward full.

Except for the 10% ABV, there's nothing to detract from a good, high level of drinkability and enjoyment is high regardless of the alcohol level.

Serving type: growler

12-17-2010 01:25:25 | More by meatyard

Heritage02Rider

New York

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

Got me a growler of Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout at the advice of the local growler master. I asked how it compared to Southern Tier Chockolat. He was adamant that it was better. So off I went with my prize.

Once home, I pulled out my frozen pint glass and poured me a glass. First though, not real chocolaty. I was expecting something similar to STB, but this was different. So, while watching Auburn beat Bama, I figured I would review this mighty fine brew.

A - Black (as the name states) and opaque. Held closely to a light and it does not glow. Initial head is stouty type foam, almost dense enough to float, even from a growler.

Smell - Light odor of beer. Nothing indicating chocolate or stout. Nice and unobtrusive.

T - First sip definitely was indicative of the 10.6% ABV, but a couple more sips, it became unnoticeable. No bitter aftertaste you get from some high octane stouts or other high octane beers. I would say enjoyable for a high ABV beer.

M - It is not bitter, nor is it sweet. I would say a well blended stout. No bitter aftertaste. It is smooth with a low carbonation making it easy to drink.

D - Now, two down, I will easily be able to drink this down without effort. I may pay for it in the morning if I crush this growler, but hell, this is pretty good beer. I say, drink up!

I would say this is a very good beer and well worth the $9.99 growler price.

Bottoms up, enjoy!

Serving type: growler

11-26-2010 23:18:43 | More by Heritage02Rider

CHickman

New York

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours opaque black with a 1 finger creamy light brown chocolate milk-like head that lasts a while; good lacing that slides down the glass. A very nice beer to look at and admire.

Smells of cocoa, chocolate, coffee beans, caramel, sweet malt, faint hops, vanilla, toffee and mild spices; the aroma is like a sweet coffee treat or hot chocolate.

Tastes of chocolate, coffee, cocoa, roasted malts, sweet caramel, faint hops, vanilla, brown sugar, toffee, burnt wood, some mild spices which gives a slight hop nip towards the dry end; nice smoky flavor mixed with the sweet malts. This is an extremely flavorful beer that hides the alcohol well and really goes down easy. The beer ends dry and smoky with peat, charcoal and roasted malt in the crisp finish. Very tasty and enjoyable; it's light for a stout, or at least feels light and full of flavor.

Mouthfeel is crisp and smooth, very mild to no carbonation and a shake like creamy feel on the tongue; this went down smooth and had an overall nice smoky flavor.

A great stout that I've enjoyed many times in the past and will seek out again. Very tasty and I recommend drinking this as a nightcap or desert beer.

Serving type: growler

05-31-2010 18:01:09 | More by CHickman

scootny

New York

4.88/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A beautiful black browness. Opaque with a generous head and good lacing. Sticky. A thin covering and a firm ring on the edge.

Sweet delicious chocolate malts. Sweet alcohol. Molasses and chewy dark breads. Imagine bottle of stout meets Godiva chocolate box.

Taste is just unreal. An alcoholic chocolate syrup that blossoms into a balanced though hot, stouty dark malt breadiness. Firm and multilayered hops give a good balance to the goings on in the glass. Cocoa and mocha fade into coffee here. There is a good lingering charcoal presence that cuts into the rather sweet body at the finish helping the hops to make a statement.

Feel is silky with a light syrupiness. Carbonation is smooth, balancing the high og and breaking up a thick, girthy brew.

This stuff is way to easy to put down. A growler is just so smooth compared to the bottled version, unless it is cellared. Nonetheless you can just about chug this one if you want but it would be such a waste. Savor this one folks. Not many are this well constructed.

Serving type: growler

08-25-2009 01:17:21 | More by scootny

PEBKAC

New York

3.85/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

32oz growler from New Beer.

Began prepping for a little stout tasting tomorrow. Have plenty of this aging/dying in the basement, but I don't recall having one in a couple years actually. Don't drink too many stouts willingly. I'm trying to get the taste back for this style, but it's been pretty sticky out here with the on & off rain. Maybe not the best time for a growler of motor oil, but I'm not working tomorrow. :)

Pint glass pour. Inky black, with a tall, slowly receding, sandy tan head.

Smell is of baby powder(?) & really dark, rich chocolate. An indication of butter cookies & less noticeable macerated cherries come through. Butter is not something I recall. Nothing very intense, except for the expected alcoholic fumes.

Taste is creamy with lactose & more residual sweetness then I last remember. Not quite velvety though. That rides for a while before the middle-end, which turns quite bitter with roast & light coffee grounds. Finish is full of bitter, leafy greens & soy ink(think licking your fingers after thoroughly flipping through the NY Times). Carbonation is subtle, but I can feel it trying. Alcohol is so obvious. A very stout beer.

Tasted like a sweet stout to me. Not what I believe it is in the bottle(or it could of just been tweaked again), but I just might like this version a little better. Actually added 5oz to a little cake batter earlier, so I could be burping this up by the time I'm chewing on that. :D

Serving type: growler

07-23-2009 08:34:06 | More by PEBKAC

HeyItsChili

South Carolina

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

Poured from a growler purchased at the Charleston Beer Exchange into a pint glass.

A - Pours black with a dark brown head.

S - Black coffee, brown sugar.

T - Dark bittersweet chocolate, coffee beans, roasted malt, sugars, ending with a burst of alcohol giving away it's ABV.

M - Creamy, very little carbonation, silky, yet still just medium bodied.

Notes - This is a very good RIS. It's nice to taste the kid brother to Black Ops.

Serving type: growler

01-12-2009 00:25:27 | More by HeyItsChili

TheBlackMallard

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2007 BCS Growler thanks to sholland119 in Secret Santa 08.

Booted. Pours jet black with a decent sized mocha head.

Smell: Dark Chocolate, Plums, Coffee, and Roasted malts.

Taste: Smooth Chocolate, Some Booze, and finishes with Roasted Barley. Definitely better with a year on it. Full bodied with medium carbonation.

I'm not a huge fan of fresh BCS, but I could see this being amazing with another year.

Serving type: growler

12-12-2008 02:46:05 | More by TheBlackMallard

Morey

Pennsylvania

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

I've had this beer on-tap several times on my way home from work. Pours pitch black with a thin goldish-brown colored head that hangs around til' the bottom of the glass. Superb head retention!

Smells of semi-sweet chocolate (although no actual chocolate is used in brewing) alcohol, ripe figs, and coffee.

Alcohol content was bumped up to 10.6% this year, and it's noticeable. Strong flavor of roasted malts up front. Just a hint of hop flavor. This beer doesn't have the bitterness that many other RIS do, which I don't mind. There's a slight fruity flavor in the finish as well.

Mouthfeel is silky smooth with a fairly low carbonation.

A very nice IS for the price.

Morey's Bottom Line: Alcohol is noticeable, but it's OK as long as you're in the mood for a big beer. Definitely a good choice for a Stout during the winter months. It'll warm you up, that's for sure.

**NOTE** This beer ages really well. I recommend buying two 4packs....one for now, & one for the basement.

Serving type: growler

01-02-2008 02:03:00 | More by Morey

tectactoe

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Vintage 04-05 bottling, thanks to Jeff. This baby is somewhere between 8 and 9 years old - let's see how it has held up. It pours dark as hell - black with only a slight bit of dark brown showing at the very edges. No head, literally none, even with a straight down pour. I guess that's what almost ten years in a bottle will do to you, eh? Very still and menacing in the glass, seemingly void of any carbonation.

The first glace, Black Chocolate Stout is a bit more pungent on the nostrils than I was expecting, and it actually contains a strong, almost boozy character. It's like rich, dark chocolate dipped in a booze bath. Lots of cocoa on the nose - some milky, some darker, with a touch of roasted malts on the side. Not getting much coffee and hops are probably long gone at this point.

So far, this doesn't smell so much like a Russian Imperial Stout as it does an American Imperial Stout, but maybe I'm just splitting hairs. Unfortunately some oxidation has gotten the best of this beer - or at least the aroma would tell me that. It invokes a slight sherry character, perhaps lending to the booziness, but it also has the slight smell of wet cardboard, slightly musty and stale. Hopefully it doesn't affect the taste too much.

Leading the charge of the first sip is a mound of smooth, sweet chocolate and a solid offering of boozy, dark fruit sweetness - figs, anise, and the darkest dates around. The roasty character takes a bit of a backseat, and oxidation is present from the middle to the end, again introducing both a mild sherry flavor and a bit of the "stale, wet cardboard" that is especially heavy in the aftertaste. Some sweet and dark chocolates help to balance this out, but I can't help but wonder how much better this beer would be fresh. Without carbonation, the mouth feel is pretty silky and smooth; full-bodied and pretty heavy.

It seems like this beer would age well if you could keep it from oxidizing. Hell, even slowing the oxidation down wouldn't be so bad. It was just a little too much, here, but the beer that lies underneath the oxidation seemed to be doing fine. I'd like to have this one again, fresh, just to compare. Very good stout, although there are plenty out there that I'd choose over this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 11:40:47 | More by tectactoe

kennymule

Texas

4.11/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pour is black as night with slight head which quickly vanishes.
S- chocolate and coffee.
T- Sweet, almost too sweet, chocolate and roasted coffee and bitter finish. Quite a bit of alcohol on the finish as well.
M- Medium
O- I'm not a huge fan of stouts, but this is a pretty good one. At 10% I won't be slamming them down.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 17:00:44 | More by kennymule

dar482

New York

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours out with a creamy light tan head. It dissipates from a fluffy one to a one finger head. Creaminess sticks to the glass and leaves some some lacing.

The aroma has a milk chocolate and oatmeal stout aroma and a creaminess. Black coffee, almost like deep espresso, roasted chocolate malt. There’s a slight booziness in there too. Almost like Nesquick with the milkiness. There's also some Belgian quad deep rich fruits too.

The flavor has this semi-sweet chocolate flavor with a good roasted malt backbone. There’s a The middle has this uplifting bitterness of dark chocolate and a slight booze. The finish has roasted bitterness that climbs up from the middle. There’s definitely some alcohol and licorice in there. There’s a big lingering roasted smokiness that lingers. It really has a huge Russian Imperial stout flavor.

The mouthfeel falls a bit too quickly, but it does leave a great big strong finish on your tongue.

The beer is almost like an oatmeal stout, but huge and with bitter chocolate. It really is quite well rounded. I wouldn’t recommend this as a “chocolate” beer because it really isn’t. It instead is a roasted Russian Imperial.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 05:49:34 | More by dar482

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.36/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2010 bottle courtesy of tbeckett.

Appearance: It has a nice almost jet-black color to it. It has a nice thick dark tan head that dies down moderately slow and leaves very nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitely give out hints of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, light dark fruit and some booziness.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a some nice dark chocolate, roasted coffee notes, a light bitterness and faint dark fruit. The booziness becomes more prevelant as it warms.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a very nice overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with great flavors and aromas.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 20:20:31 | More by SebD

joecast

Australia

4.06/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A big black beer which pours not too thick and not too thin. Hefty dark brown head forms initially hen subsides to a thin lace.

Obvious chocolate influence in he aroma but plenty of roast for that stout heft and a bit of char and alcohol in the background.

Well rounded with lots of dark malt character. A bit grainy at times and some alcohol in the finish but generally a really fitting desert beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 09:45:00 | More by joecast

Beer-A-Lot

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a pint. 12-13 vintage. Aged a year.

A - Beautiful brown, foamy head, with lots of lacing. Keeps its head for quite a while.

S - Nice, only slightly bitter, and mild dark chocolate aroma.

T - Very smooth. Only a hint of bitterness and much less alcohol heat than when fresh. Another year might have made it even smoother, but I don't think it's really that necessary. Goes down much easier when aged.

M - Nice medium to full body.

O - I found this disappointing when fresh. Too boozy and bitter. But with a year on it, it changes dramatically. I can see filling up my pantry with more of these and saving for a rainy day (next year). This is what I had hoped the first time. Outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 01:58:22 | More by Beer-A-Lot

coltsr2

United Kingdom (England)

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Pours a thick dark solid black with a nice half inch creamy brown head which quickly subsides...with a nice lacing on the sides of the glass...this beer is dark!....even my ultra bright led torch made no impact on this beer!...i couldn't see one photon getting through all that rich dark beer!

Aroma is very subtle but a pleasant burnt caramel/toffee, rich roasted barley with dark chocolate and a very slight hint of vanilla in the background...

This is a rich black full Imperial stout just the way they should be! think Guinness Foreign Extra Stout but then imagine that being more refined and smoother with a much more pronounced alcoholic but delicate warm finish wrapped around it....this is a nice beer!

Mouth feel is full and balanced with the bitterness perfectly balanced with the slight sweetness...

Top Stuff from the Americans here, this is a top quality thick heavy and beautiful imperial stout...

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 15:35:23 | More by coltsr2

timn

Kentucky

3.36/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours dark brown, almost black, with virtually no head whatsoever.

S: Smells burnt and boozy. As the beer warmed, I was able to pick up some licorice in the aroma as well. I really did not pick up any chocolate at all.

T: Tastes very boozy. The alcohol really takes charge here, along with the burnt flavor. As with the smell, as the beer warmed I got some taste of licorice and a very slight hint of really dark, bitter chocolate, but not much. The glaring abscence here is any real chocolate flavor. I expected a dark chocolate taste right up front, but it's just not there.

M: Mouthfeel is good. Pretty smooth and creamy, not too thick.

O: Overall, I'm a bit disappointed. There really isn't much chocolate to speak of in this beer, and the booze comes through so strongly it just seems to overpower everything else. This does seem to get a little better as it warms, but still a disappointment. The 10% APV at least gets you nice and warm.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 03:29:42 | More by timn

BarrelAgedBrian

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. glass into a goblet glass.

Appearance: Pours dark brown/black, leaving a trace rim of tan lacing around the edge of the glass. No appreciable head to the beer.

Smell: Prominent chocolate notes, but that's about it.

Taste: Upfront notes of chocolate and mild smokiness. Roasted malt throughout, ends with a slightly boozy finish.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied, smooth, creamy.

Overall: Great stout with upfront chocolate influence.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 01:55:07 | More by BarrelAgedBrian