Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout - Brooklyn Brewery

oberon

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep,dark black with a nice almond colored head that leaves great lacing,the aroma is very coffeeish and slightly bitter sweet.A real nice complesx beer starts out somewhat earhty and coffeish with a dried fruit flavor comin thru and a hint of dryness in the finish.Very complex,a masterpiece of a beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2003 01:48:21 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

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

Winter '00-'01, which makes this roughly a year old at this point. This beer is possibly the best "bottled" beer from Brooklyn - I think we all know that the non-contract draft beer coming out of the brewery is much better! This beer pours a very dark brown/black with ruby highlights. There's a nice, light tan/brown head around the rim of the glass, although no Belgian-lace is produced. The aroma is of a bittersweet chocolate and candyish malt, but without hops, which is OK for the style. The flavor starts with alot of chocolate and roastiness followed by a clear alcohol, a bit of hop flavor, and eventually mellowing into very nice coffee notes. The finish is really wonderful! The carbonation level is appropriate and the body is nice. There are no off-notes to speak of. Overall, a very nice example of the style, although I distinctly remember prior year's samples as having a bit more malt and a somewhat smoother character. I hope this will mellow a bit, but I also fear it may pick up some innapropriate oxidative flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2002 15:50:30 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Devil's Backbone willibecher.

Yet another example of an "old friend" beer that's somehow gone un-reviewed by me. Time to change that. To the max. It pours a straight jet black topped by over a finger of light tan foam. The nose comprises molasses, chocolate, brown sugar, roasted malts, and a hint of maple syrup. The taste is very similar, with the roasted malts taking center stage, followed by a strong chocolate powder contingent. The rest comes in in a nice dark melange in the finish. The body is a hefty medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a very smooth feel. Overall, this probably the most readily drinkable widely-available stouts around. Get some!

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2010 04:22:03 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

In a taste test by a panel of experts (me, myself, and I) between
3 "chocolate stouts", Young's came on top as the chocolatiest, but this mamma jamma was deemed the superior stout!
Rich mocha flavor wafts out of the bottleneck from the moment the cap snaps off! Oh, this is going to be good!
The color is as black as strap molasses, with a rich bubbling, simmering, dark brown, puddingish head. THIS is STOUT! Already, it seems like a glass of melted chocolate!
Aroma is gorgeous! Sublime! Soft, creamy, yet intense with cocoa, like sticking your face deep into a bag of the stuff, but still, somehow, subtle.
Mouthfeel is powerful, thick, viscous, chewy. When people speak of smoothness as a supreme adjective for any sort of beverage, I reply that I like roughness now and then. (I am, after all, the inventor of The Gilded Platypus, a cocktail contrived of tequila, Yukon Jack, Irish Mist, and sweet vermouth!) This is what I'm talking about! There are several hurdles for the palate to play with, little bites and burps and gurgles, all the things that make beer drinking my favorite hobby.
Many flavors mingle in the mouth, many associations gather in the mind, but largely the feeling is of a burnt cognac, a hot dark rum, and licoriceleatherespressoetceterainto infinity...
Many waves crash again and again on the palate, many happy moments occur as the rough dealings of the day are forgotten and I am lost in this wondrous, darkly beautiful, and frankly ass-kickin' stout!
Thanks, UncleJimbo, I think I liked this one!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2003 15:09:22 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

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

The beer pours a thick black color with a dark brown head. The aroma is of chocolate and black malts. It's robust and hearty. The taste is great. It has a deep chocolate flavor with a good balance of black barley to add a crisp finish. The beer is thick and has an elevated abv taste you get along with a sweet finish. The mouthfeel is good. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation; a great drinking stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2003 02:27:30 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. 2009 vintage bottle. Beer is black with a thick brownish head that remains as you drink the beer leaving some lacing on the glass.
Aroma is sweet, filled with alcohol, roasted malt and chocolate, very pleasing. Mouthfeel is thick with some solvent-like character on the back end of the throat followed by a roasted aftertaste. Drinkability is moderate, the warmth of the beer makes it a little hard to drink but it is surprisingly flavorful. I really like this beer. I don't get a whole lot of chocolate in the palate but overall the beer is well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2009 03:41:14 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.28/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours black with a tan head. The aroma is nice with a mix of chocolate and roasted malt. I also get a little bit of alcohol in the aroma. The flavor is milk and bitter chocolate. I also get some nice pine hop bitterness in the flavor and a little bit of alcohol. Medium to thick mouthfeel and low carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2010 04:06:35 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.66/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottled winter 2005-06

A - Poured out a deep, dark black. No head to speak of and no lacing, either.

S - It smelled of roasted malt and chocolate.

T - It tasted like a dark chocolate candy bar and a good mix of roasted malt.

M - Soft and and creamy. It is fairly heavy.

D - This is an outstanding beer. Its flavors are amazing and it goes down so well.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2007 02:53:19 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

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

(2009-10 vintage)
A: It's very dark black with just a few brown bubbles covering edges of the glass on the surface.
S: There's a moderate aroma of chocolatey malts and dark, roasted coffee beans.
T: There's a very rich flavor of dark chocolate malts that is very well balanced by the bitterness in the hops, the taste of which particularly comes out in the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate.
D: For an imperial stout, the beer is shockingly very drinkable and the alcohol is well hidden. This is one of my all-time favorites and I wish I had enough storage space so I could age this stuff; it's interesting to watch the flavor develop over the years.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2010 15:02:48 | More by metter98

MasterSki

Illinois

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

Grabbed a sixer of these from West Lakeview Liquors - my wife loves stouts and chocolate so it made sense.

A - Pours pitch black with about a thumbnail of foam. Not as viscous and oily as some of the other stouts I've encountered.

S - I get more of a coffee flavor than chocolate, although there's certainly a hint of dark chocolate in there. There's also a hint of milky-cream as well.

T - This is where the real dark chocolate flavor comes out. There's also some roasted coffee taste. I'd probably rate this higher if I loved coffee or chocolate...

M - Lighter than I expected. Creamy and smooth.

D - I can't really taste the 10% too much, but I'd be on the floor after a handful of these.

A great brew - looking forward to trying other Brooklyn offerings.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2008 01:30:26 | More by MasterSki

Gueuzedude

Arizona

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

A deep black color that is crowned by a brown head. This beer looks fairly viscous as I pour it into the glass.

There is definitely more of an aroma of chocolate than of roast malt and coffeee, thogh these aromas are here as well. Quite a bit of toasted biscuit aromas serve as a back drop to the chocolate.

Quite flavorful and malty. I get coffee notes in the middle and the finish is, surprise, all chocolate. Some what sweet, though this sweetness is quite subdued by all of the dark-malt flavors. The alcohol is farily hidden, though perhaps there is a hint of it in the finish. This beer fits perfectly right now in my hands, on this chilly desert night. As the beer sits in my glass a bit, I can pick up the alcohol in the aroma. This is quite good, quite enjoyable. Stellar, perhaps not, but I will be enjoying this one again.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2003 18:24:15 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

2009 release, on-tap 12/13/09 at Doherty's East Ave Irish Pub in Pawtucket, RI, served in a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark black color, with a short light brown head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of dark chocolate, dark fruit, roasted malts and a faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a bitter-sweet flavor of dark chocolate. Then a faint but complementary flavor of dark fruit flavor comes in. The roasted malt character is very hearty and there's no trace of the 10.10% ABV. The hops presence is very mild as you would expect from this kind of beer. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, light-to-medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down dangerously easily, slightly filling, strong kick, very good representation of style, although there are other big stouts that I would pick first, this is a very good beer to drink for a long time.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2009 01:59:50 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer poured out as a beautiful black color with a brown head. The head left a pretty good lacing down the glass after each sip. The smell of the see had a nice hoppy chocolate aroma to it. The taste is rich with dark chocolate and bitter burnt toast. The aftertaste had a hoppy bitterness too adding to the flavor. The mouthfeel of this beer had a pretty good thickness and the feel was pretty oily. Overall this beer was pretty freaking good.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 20:10:14 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Cheers to zrrbrrt for this one!

Pours jet black with a fluffy 1.5 fingers deep mocha head. Alright lacing & good head retnetion

S: Some chocolate & iron. A little licorice as this warms

T: Chocolate & iron up front. Licorice, roasted malts & coffee surface as this warms. Finishes with a little chicory, warming boozy alcohol, dryness & bakers choclate, yum

MF: Rich & some smoothness with low carbonation

Drinks to damn easy, this is 10.6 abv? I think I can session on this until nap time

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2007 05:00:30 | More by russpowell

Gavage

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Purchased the 2003 version. It pours a black color with a light brown head. There is large bubbles and nice lacing on the glass. The aromas are big on chocolate, coffee, roasted malt, caramel, and alcohol. The roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, and coffee are all through the flavor, with the chocolate lasting long on the tongue after swallowing. The alcohol is very noticable and warms your insides. Very enjoyable, but the noticable alcohol makes this a bit less than good for drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2003 01:19:34 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Made in winter of '05-'06 - tasted in mid-November 2006.

Pours jet black with a thin tan head. The head thins to barely a covering, and leaves some trails of lacing.

The smell is of robust dark chocolate wrapped around dark fruits with coffee notes.

The taste is incredible. Semi-sweet, creamy dark chocolate and dark fruits. A bitterness that comes in the form of espresso beans offset some of the sweetness. Rich, robust chocolate-covered dark fruits remains in the foreground, while the coffee notes intermingle. It's full-bodied with just the right amount of carbonation to make it smooth and not overly thick. A nice warming alcohol touch is noticeable, but does not interfere in the tastes, esp. considering the high abv.

It's silky smooth and, almost too, easy to drink. There's a nice, full, chocolatey, complex aftertaste.
This is a wonderful dessert/nightcap brew!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2006 00:35:43 | More by jwc215

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

The recent release - winter 2008/2009...

This beer pours an opaque black, with reddish-brown edges and a fair amount of beige head, that leaves solid webbed lacing as it recedes. The aroma is strong, and is of semi-sweet chocolate and alcohol, a lot like those boozy chocolates at your family gatherings this time of year. The flavour starts out warm, and with bittersweet gritty chocolate. There is some roasted coffee-like malt in there too, contributing to the creamy mouthfeel, as the carbonation is quite low. The finish is very warming, with the alcohol making itself known, but is not overwhelming. A very tasty, and strong stout, but not one to cycle through the six pack in one sitting. This is also stellar with any of Mom's Christmas cookies or chocolates.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2008 09:35:53 | More by biboergosum

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Winter 06-07 Vintage

This is a beer with great potential. Looks pitch black with a tan head. Has a rich dark chocolate aroma, this is the best part of the beer.

Taste has a slightly grainy quality, similar to heavily toasted triscuit, mellow flavor overall with a little sherry-like cocoa flavor. taste finished with the same rich cocoa from the aroma with fresh dark-roasted coffee. Alcohol isn’t completely hidden, and is still a little hot. Balancing bitteness, dry, similar to a red wine. Make no mistake this is a sipping beer.

Could use some aging. This is a beer with great potential, but the flavor feels like it is budding rather than flowering. buy a 6er and hide it your closet for a year or two. Its the only way IMO.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2007 06:20:55 | More by tempest

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 12 oz bottle, from the Winter 06-07 version, clocking in at five years of age. In a mini Duvel tulip.

A: Bold and black with an off-white head. Opaque the body, wispy the head.

S: Plenty of rich chocolate in the nose, roasted malts have lost a little.

T: Chocolate is still here, but it has taken a bit of a beating. The roasted malts have done even worse, dropping off substantially. The warmer the ale gets, the more chocolate and booziness come through. They end up being a strong force with enough vinousness still remaining. What's left of the roasted malts turns acrid late in each sip. Good but not what it once was. I'm thinking 3-4 years may have been perfect.

M: Syrupy chocolate and boozy complexity, the stout still beats many on the market.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 02:53:39 | More by akorsak

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Deep black can't see any light coming through whatsoever with a nice sized tan head leaves nice even ring of lacing. Aroma: Dark roasts bring about hints of chocolate and seared fruit with alcohol notes around the edges this is a complex big imperial stout. Taste: Creamy chocolate tone quickly nulled by a streak of alcohol like a shot of liquer infused with cherries and other fruit notes this is one big beer here, nice and alluring just a bit overwhelming one glass at a time not a session by any means. Mouthfeel: Full bodied thick syrupy mouthfeel this a big stout. Drinkability: I am much more proned to a Young's Double Chocolate if I'm going after a chocolate character in my stout this one has alot more of everything alcohol, malts, and chocolate just may lack some balance with the searing alcohol burn in presents.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2003 23:31:48 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours an opaque black with a dark tan/brown head. Nose is strong with roasted bean qualities and a bit of alcohol on there as well. Hoooieeee! Man. The first time this thing hit my tongue, I did a little dance on over to my sister to try who has recently got into stouts (cuz she read some magazine article that stout is good for women cuz it has a lot of iron in it...well...whatever it takes). Flavor is smooth and even, though she says it is kind of bitter on the end. I personally don’t think it is bitter, I just think it is robust. Feel? Like silk. The first sip was amazing. Definitely drinkable, especially for a Russian Imperial Stout. I am always weary of trying to uber-hyped beers, but this one delivers. I guess it is good I will be living in Brooklyn shortly. Killer. Try it.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 15:52:26 | More by RblWthACoz

barleywinefiend

Washington

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

Big thanks to Drunkmonk for this!
Poured very thick, dark black with a brown creamy head that impressed me. Nose and taste of rich roasted malt with hints of cocoa and coffee. It had a great malt ptofile and the strong ABV was well hidden. Excellent brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2008 14:42:41 | More by barleywinefiend

smcolw

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Near black color where only the faintest of light can pass on the edge. Leaves a moderate head and minimal webby lace.

Not a harsh smell, much closer to a dark chocolate. As an aroma, it seems more like a porter.

Rich bodied with decent carbonation. This beer is full flavored with darker dry malts, unsweetened chocolate, faint bitter hop. I don't taste any alcohol warmth. Great aftertaste that begs for black forest cake with sour cherries.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 00:13:15 | More by smcolw

Wasatch

Utah

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

Thanks to blitz134 for the brew.

Pours a nice black color, nice carbonation, nice small tan creamy head which quickly leaves, but leaves a few islands and sticky lacing around the edges. The nose is sligthly licoricey, sweet roasted malts, some hops hovering around, and lots of chocolate/toffee. The taste is awesome of sweet roasted malts, and chocolate, the finish is clean. Nice warming effect in the throat. Medium body, well rounded brew. This is a very nice RIS from Brooklyn, very very tasty. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2006 03:05:52 | More by Wasatch

rhoadsrage

Illinois

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

(Served in an American pint glass)

A-This beer has a black dense opaque body with a dark chocolate creamy thin head. It last for a good bit but then fades to a ring around the edge.

S- The smell of dark roasted malt has some chocolate and dark coffee notes. The finish is a nice black roasted grain aroma with some soft earthy qualities.

T-This beer has a rich dark malt flavor with some nice dry bitter notes and a creamy dark chocolate flavor aswell. The finish has a nice smooth hop bitterness that goes well in supporting the malt. There are some very faint notes of dark fruit like prunes or dates but without the sugary sweetness.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with some creamy texture and a bit of fizz in the finish. No alcohol warmth noticed.

D- This beer is a nice stout with good complexity. It had nice depth in the malt and it was nice to taste some bitter hops to support the malt. Some imperial stouts tend to get thin or watery but this is big and hefty.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2006 03:11:00 | More by rhoadsrage