Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout - Brooklyn Brewery

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

godlessape

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured this black beauty into a Imperial pint glass. Nothing short of atomic flashes, greased lightning or solar flares could penetrate this level of darkness.

The brown creamy chocolate mousse head leaves plenty of lacing.



The aroma is boozy with a hint of chocolate and nothing else.



The flavor is up front and in your face with roasted malt and rich dark Swiss chocolate, followed with a surprising hop bitterness that could compete with any blackened IPA. This is an intense beer.

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The mouthfeel is heavy and smooth and the alcohol is not playing hide and seek.



Overall this is a great beer that I would recommend to anyone that doesn't plan on flying an airplane, walking a tight rope or teaching quantum physics soon after consuming this brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 22:20:28 | More by godlessape

mattkoon

South Carolina

3.64/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

black chocolate stout- is pretty heavy on the black and not so much on the chocolate. it pours black- with hardly any head- but i didnt pour it hard into the glass so that could be my fault. the smell is really sweet, with traces of alcohol. the flavor is super bitter and rich. this is a good stout....but i dont feel like there is as much chocolate in the flavor as i would have liked. i think over all though this is a flavorful stout that coats your whole mouth and delivers what i look for when i drink a powerful stout... i am a little let down however by the work "chocolate" on the label- i think if i wasnt influenced by that word i may have rated this beer higher.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 21:54:44 | More by mattkoon

linnymtu

Michigan

4.19/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A- solid stout appearance pouring black with thin tan head

S- fairly subdued for a stout, wish it were more pronounced. Mainly I pick up chocolate hints.

T- much more impressive than the smell. Probably the best "chocolate" stout I've ever had as it was not over done with the chocolate. Also taste some coffee in there. The alcohol is extremely well hidden, I can't even tell i'm drinking 10%, even a little.

M- Could have been smoother. I dont like too much carbonation in my stouts. And while it was not "too" carbonated, it could have been less.

O- Very well done, but not a game changer

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 02:01:32 | More by linnymtu

tviz33

New York

4.13/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle in to a snifter.

A- Pours a viscous black body topped by a single finger of light brown head that recedes in about two minutes to a very thin cap, leaving behind some lacing.

S- Not a whole lot here, but there is definitely some chocolate, back by some coffee and a faint bit of alcohol.

T- The taste is far greater than the smell indicated. Chocolatey but not overdone. It is quite malty and there's a smokey component to it as well. It finishes with subtle dark fruit notes and a bite from the alcohol as well. That said, the alcohol is well-hidden compared to the last 10.0% beer I had (Ballast Point Victory at Sea).

M- The feel of this is very creamy. It does of good job of not being too stick and slick as it just glides across the palette.

O- A very solid representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 01:39:06 | More by tviz33

notchucknorris

California

4.06/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours black with a one finger greyish brown head.

S: Smell is definitely a bit faint, but what's there is really good. A sweet aroma with some chocolate, light roasted coffee and some raisin skin.

T: Opens with a big, roasted chocolatey note. Rich notes of dark chocolate and roasted malt. Some anise, espresso, and a nice touch of oats on the finish. A nice, velvety mouthfeel works really well with the flavors here. Really good.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 03:46:46 | More by notchucknorris

jifigz

Pennsylvania

4.66/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

bottle poured into a pint glass

This beer pours a dark and deep black color with a nice off white head that lingers for a long time. It is whatever temp my cellar is, so it is definitely not fridge cold which is a good thing in my opinion. That really helps beers be themselves. Anyways, the aroma is boozy, chocolatey, slightly bitter with a touch of wet dog. The flavor is great. It is rich and bold and smoky and chocolate and stove ash all rolled together. It comes in waves and changes on the tongue and remains quite complex. There is a hint of bitterness on the end, but mostly alcohol. The MF is a decently light for style but still quite perfect.

A great beer. I am usually not a huge fan of Brooklyn, but a good job on this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 01:07:54 | More by jifigz

mfnmbvp

Illinois

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

12 oz. bottle, winter 2012-2013 vintage. Drank a bottle of this stuff last year, and remember liking it a bit, but don't remember too much beyond that. So we'll see what the deal is again. Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Straight pour down the middle of the glass yields three fingers of beautiful chocolate mocha colored head. Gorgeous. Virtually opaque thick oily black body. Even some nice rings of lacing leftover.

S - Toasted chocolatey oat smell. Slight bourbon / vanilla /alcohol soaked wood type aroma begins to creep out. Not bad smelling, just not very impressive. I guess I just had high expectations.

T - Dark roasted malt profile, with even a bit of hop presence standing out. More of a dry powdery cocoa type taste leftover. Not much coffee bean bitterness happening, very much malt forward. Some alcohol presence makes itself known, but this beer is ridiculously smooth for being a 10.00% abv beer. Creamy vanilla flavors begin to appear as the beer warms.

M - Dry, bitter, powdery cocoa type feel.

Overall, a smooth creamy tasty beer, and one that deceptively masks it's 10.00% abv, yet I feel that there should be more going on here than there actually is. Perhaps it's a beer that will mature with age, so maybe I will have to cellar one to find out. I would personally prefer a North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout to this beer, so maybe a side-by-side tasting is also in order. Either way, Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout is an enjoyable, highly drinkable stout, one any serious beer lover should try.

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout ---4/5.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 04:23:28 | More by mfnmbvp

rawfish

California

3.49/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Pours viscous and black into a snifter. Finger high mocha colored head, tight bubbles with medium retention for a stout and thin lines of lacing on the glass.

Robust aroma of raw dark cocoa, licorice, dark fruit, roasted malt with some toffee sweetness, alcohol. Dark chocolate stands out as well a bit of sharpie too.

Roasted malt, ashy with light caramel sweetness to it, dark chocolate and an odd vinous fruit note and plenty of licorice. Not my favorite profile. Earthy bitterness on the tail end with a roasted aftertaste and plentiful booze.

Not quite astringent but the sticky roasted malt really extends the profound alcohol burn. Creamy on the palate with a typical imperial stout body.

Not bad, reminds me of Old Rasputin well crafted with lots of earthy licorice notes. A little green, could have waited 6 more months to crack this one, alcohol makes a big impact. Aroma is memorable. More chocolate and sweetness could push this beer up.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 23:33:33 | More by rawfish

screamking

Ohio

4.24/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Winter 12-13 poured into snifter.

Apperance-Pours pitch black with a thin dark khaki head, some lacing. 4

Aroma-dark fruits covered in milk chocolate, raisins, plums, mild roasted coffee, licorice, slight hint of vanilla, clove. 4.5

Taste-milk chocolate right up front and center. Then the sweetness of rasians, blending into roasted coffee. All this in a matter of seconds. There is a small stale cola taste in the middle. As it warms the vanillia starts to step up. 4.25

Feel-full bodied, coats palate very well, slight carbonation, alcohol burn is there at the end. 3.75

Overall-Great price for a 4-pack. This chocolate stout has everything you could want in a RIS, great taste and an even better smell. Abv is a right up therewith the great RIS of our time, but this one doesnt hide it as well as those. Serve this one slightly less then room temp. 4.25

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 03:17:47 | More by screamking

gr0g

New Jersey

4.26/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle, '11-'12 vintage with a year on it.
Fuel note on the nose and the finish has diminished, as has carbonation (slightly). Chocolate flavor now comes out fully. A very noticeable increase in refinement. Flavor and aroma scores based on this aged bottle.

12oz bottle, '11-'12 Winter vintage.
Pours a syrupy black with a thin layer of brown foam comprising the head. Alcohol is somewhat prominent on the nose, with cocoa and coffee-like aromas too. Semi-sweet chocolate flavors emerge courtesy of the roasted malt. and bitterness that's more reminiscent of coffee than hops emerges on the finish to provide balance to the flavor. Alcohol presence is there in terms of warmth but not flavor.

BCS is a a go-to Imperial stout of mine because of the high quality at a relatively low price. While not among the elites of the style, once it has some age on it, it truly becomes a great beer. Pick up a 4-pack, or two, or ten, and enjoy over several years.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 04:39:58 | More by gr0g

HabiMendes

Rhode Island

4.04/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It is an absolutely black beer, with a super retained beige neck. The expresso/chocolate aroma hides very well the stunning alcoholic content of 10%. In terms of taste, we have a full-bodied beer that should emanate expresso and (dark) chocolate - exactly what we have here. The low carbonation pairs with a good hoppy presence to balance the toasted malt. The end is dry, hoppy, and brings the feeling of having an expresso. Very appropriate that what it proposes to be.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 17:54:54 | More by HabiMendes

Guden

Maryland

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A bottle from Winter 11-12 (so a little over a year old)

A- Deep black with no light shining through. Head is a chocolate color and starts big before falling to a thin layer, leaving a thick wall of foam on the sides of the glass.

S- Deep dark chocolate. Some dark fruit (blackberry and plum) comes in the mix along with a little caramel. A tinge of booze barely shows itself, seems to be even less than when fresh.

T- Incredibly smooth and light up front with luscious dark chocolate middle mixing with burnt toast and other roasty flavors on the end. A bit of fruit shows as it warms but the alcohol isn't detectable in the taste despite the 10% ABV. Very complex.

M- Fairly thick and creamy. A bit milkshake like with low carbonation, a bit too low for my tastes.

D- A nice imperial stout with very strong chocolate flavor. The age seems to have played nicely with the flavors. Still the chocolate is a bit strong to the point where I wouldn't immediately reach for another.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 01:52:07 | More by Guden

JohannBock

Pennsylvania

4.61/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

A: Bottle that says it's from winter 12-13, possible bottling date stamped on it too but too hard to read. Poured into a pint glass with 1 finger of tan head that quickly recedes to some light swirls on top. Pitch black, there is no light getting through this thing at all.

S: Dark malt and raisins coming through up front in the nose. Some alcohol sweetness comes out as well leading right into dark chocolate smell.

T: Slightly bitter dark malt right away followed by dark fruits, raisins and figs mostly. Next comes some alcohol sweetness and a little bit of bite. Then the after taste kicks in and it's all dark chocolate and warming alcohol from there. Finishes nice and smooth and begs you to take another sip.

M: Heavy and smooth mouthfeel with just enough carbonation to keep if from being sludgy. Seems just about right for the style.

O: This was my first experience with a RIS so I don't have a great benchmark to base this off of. With that said, everything I've read about this style is coming through really nicely in this beer. If this is what all RIS's are then I'm hooked. Great beer from a great brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 02:58:11 | More by JohannBock

JK4Stout

Virginia

3.99/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A: Very nice black color with coffee colored head around the top. This bottle was aged (unintentionally...forgot it was under the stairs) so I can't speak too much to head.

S: A mild aroma of melted chocolate and just a tiny hint of fruitiness.

T: I have had this a time or two but have forgotten just how good it is. I was fairly impressed honestly. I had an Imperial stout last night that didn't make the grade as well as this. Great flavors and even smoothness.

M: Heavy side of medium and decent carbonation

O: I'm all in. For price and availability this is spot on. I won't wait years before my next bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 00:21:25 | More by JK4Stout

CaptMaelstrom

Tennessee

4.7/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Bottle to tulip glass.

A: Poured thick and black, tiny caramel head.

S: Roasty chocolately goodness, 100%.

T: There's a bit of licorice bitterness, but mostly chocolately notes dominate. "Black Chocolate Stout" is the perfect name for this one.

M: Little bit of boozy warmth all the way through. Carbonation low enough to get all of the creaminess and chocolatiness onto the palate. Rich and milkshake like.

O: Right up there with Old Rasputin in my book. Great stout, 10% is well hidden, delicious, creamy, warming. Nothing better on a snowy winter's night!

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 23:51:03 | More by CaptMaelstrom

BWED

Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle poured into my Brooklyn snifter

A- Black with a half finger brown head. Retains well with a wall of lacing.

S- Mocha, slight mellow booze ( which intensifies with temp rise) but very well concealed.

T- Strong coffee, bitter, a hint of chocolate. The chocolate presence is there.

M- Thick and velvety. A tingle of light carbonation and a little alcohol warmth. Finishes slightly dry/bitter for a good balance.

O- The first thing I thought of, was that this was no where near the chocolate stouts I have had in the past. But then I read and realized that this chocolate stout (unlike others) doesn't actually use chocolate in it's recipe. Then I was struck by how well selected the blend of malts is, in imitating the chocolate flavor. Props to Brooklyn.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 03:13:50 | More by BWED