Bison Organic Chocolate Stout - Bison Brewing

KajII

North Carolina

3.38/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

[Best served in an English pint]

Poured black with a large light brown creamy head tha lasted throughout and had excellent lacing. The aroma was of burnt chocolate malts and a sweet yeast with a hint of coffee and dark chocolate. It tasted light and sweet with a hint of chocolate at first and then had a slighltly bitter-sweet chocolate-coffee flavor at the end with the flavor lasting a nice long time. Mouthfeel was medium to full in body and very creamy in texture with a flat carbonation. Overall a nice mild, flavorful stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 13:31:03 | More by KajII

Arsenal0328

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

05-16-2013 01:14:51 | More by Arsenal0328

jlwelsh

Florida

4/5  rDev +13.3%

05-14-2013 01:26:13 | More by jlwelsh

BMart

Pennsylvania

1.75/5  rDev -50.4%

05-13-2013 16:47:18 | More by BMart

Nage37

California

4.25/5  rDev +20.4%

05-11-2013 16:11:45 | More by Nage37

caverog

California

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

05-10-2013 23:11:09 | More by caverog

tree777

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +20.4%

05-06-2013 19:28:46 | More by tree777

DeeMalloy

Florida

3/5  rDev -15%

05-05-2013 05:42:15 | More by DeeMalloy

ChugMan

Washington

1.85/5  rDev -47.6%
look: 1 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

A - Nearly opaque, dark ruddy red brown along edges. Thin froth around edges of glass, otherwise, no head. No lacing.
S- Chocolate, that's good. Salt, soy sauce, mesquite, hmm. Very rich, toffee, maple syrupy, dense aroma, not particularly inviting.
T - Watery. Smoke, more of that mesquite sensation through the nose. Some bitter cocoa. Hops show up just long enough to wave goodbye.
M - Very thin. Carbonation outlasts the hops, making this feel like a possibly decent beer which some jerk decided to thin out with club soda. Feels very unbalanced.
O - This is an underwhelming, watered-down disappointment. I knew I was rolling the dice going with this "organic" deal, but come on. Don't think you can get away with shoddy craftsmanship just because your product ostensibly occupies a higher moral ground. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 07:44:49 | More by ChugMan

ItsBeer4Me

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

04-25-2013 21:53:55 | More by ItsBeer4Me

kojevergas

California

3.06/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

650ml brown glass bottle with standard branded pressure cap acquired at a local SoCal beer store for $4.49 plus tax and served into a Mitchell's of Lancaster flared stem-tulip in me gaff in low altitude Los Angeles, Los Feliz, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are average given its current ratings. 5% ABV confirmed. "Stout brewed with cocoa."

Served after a brief period of rest following its removal from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor and allowed to warm over the course of consumption.

A: Pours a 2.5 finger khaki-tan colour head of nice cream and thickness, and good (4-5 minute) retention. Body colour is a solid dark black; nontransparent and opaque. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Not quite a jet black. Generally appealing for the style.

Sm: Cocoa dusting, truffle, chocolate malt, dark malts, and appealing roast. An attractive, inviting aroma - if a simple one. A mild strength aroma. I'm excited to try it.

T: Dark malts, chocolate malt, and thin cocoa. Caramel, poorly executed roast. No floral or yeast character comes through. The third act is weak and bland. Imbalanced. Underwhelming. I'm not big on this one. Boring and poorly put together. Simple. Why brew this?

Mf: Thin and weak. Poor body. Bad presence on the palate. Far too smooth and wet. Borderline watery. Very poorly executed. Doesn't suit the flavour profile hardly at all.

Dr: A poorly executed chocolate stout that likely remains profitable because of nutty California types who only buy organic. Forgettable pedestrian stuff. I wouldn't get it again. I won't be jumping to buy Bison Brewing's beers in the future. Underwhelming but drinkable. I do like some elements of the cocoa flavour.

Low C+

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 04:27:19 | More by kojevergas

Strangeclouds

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

04-05-2013 21:16:16 | More by Strangeclouds

BAsbill

California

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

04-02-2013 20:31:20 | More by BAsbill

magictacosinus

California

3.53/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured out of a 22oz bottle into my brand new teku glass. Decided to try this one for the Easter weekend!

Pours a dark, truly opaque brown black-brownish color with an off khaki 2 finger head that eventually settles down into a modest ring at the top of the glass. Carbonation does seem plentiful, nevertheless. Not too much stickiness on the glass, and no lacing, but there are some slight alcohol legs overall. It's not very viscous in character, but it definitely looks thickened in the sense of retaining the chocolate backbone that it's aiming for. Almost resembles coffee overall, but there's definitely hefty malts and cocoa nibs at play here.

The aroma, on the other hand, smells absolutely delicious, with a combination of upfront dark chocolate flavors combined with vanilla beans, sugary syrupy texture, and off-flavors that can even be found in bourbon (?!). Don't think it's unbelievably complex, however - it's instead very pleasant and sweetened without being cloying. It resembles a vanilla-coated brownie, actually! There's some roasted barley flavors, as well as a slight hop bitterness, but the chocolate focused flavor is working out really well here.

Rather than get the sweetened vanilla-filled cocoa that was in the aroma, the taste is a little bit more on the bitter, unsweetened side - think baker's chocolate nibs and you're on the right track. It definitely still tastes full-bodied and hearty, despite the change in flavor. There's a roasted malt presence that melds well with the chocolate, as well as slight coffee aromas, but sadly, as this warms up, a bit of a soy saucy finish that can occur with such beers. There's a bit of grassy hop finish too, which balances things out. I must agree with other fellow reviewers that this is a little too watery for a stout that is intended to be this hearty. The flavor is definitely decent, but it lacks the thickness that would otherwise make this resemble a dessert such as pudding. It's not too off-putting, but it's horribly underwhelming.

For a little over $4 a bomber, this is definitely a good budget option for a stout this kind. I wish I'd have someone to split this with, as it's a bit too rich (yet thinned) to make this an easy drinking experience. It's luckily not too sweet, but it's not creamy enough to hold my interest in the long run. I'll definitely be drinking this for the next day... However, when it comes to introducing people to more complex beers, this should do no harm. Not my favorite, but at least there's that.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 04:09:04 | More by magictacosinus

acjones

Japan

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

03-25-2013 03:42:37 | More by acjones

stckhndlr

Virginia

2.44/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

The first thing you notice with this one is the pitch black pour with a great head, from there is it all down hill for me. The chocolate was faint. It got a bit stronger as it warmed but not enough. When I read chocolate on the bottle that is what I want to smell and taste. This one had a very unpleasant aftertaste with really turned me off. Plus there was not a whole lot to chew on for a stout, I felt it was quite thin. I was really disappointed with this beer. It took a lot for me to finish it to keep it from being a drain pour.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 17:18:36 | More by stckhndlr

Lare453

Florida

3/5  rDev -15%

03-22-2013 13:09:19 | More by Lare453

grahamboudreaux

Tennessee

4.25/5  rDev +20.4%

03-21-2013 07:08:54 | More by grahamboudreaux

Johnnyramirez

California

3.08/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Overall, its disappointing. Super watery for a stout. Very mild chocolate notes in the flavor. The smell makes you think there'd be more chocolate and roasty flavors. The price point is great at $4, but I'd gladly spend more for a better beer next time.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 05:13:58 | More by Johnnyramirez

BigGingDrinker

North Carolina

2.75/5  rDev -22.1%

03-11-2013 20:05:03 | More by BigGingDrinker

C3likesbeer

California

4.06/5  rDev +15%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Drank from a bottle. Nice tan head.

Aroma is more malty and the chocolate is pretty tame.

Not at all overpowering as some stouts can be. If you think your stout should be closer to "imperial" this is not of you. If you like stouts that are malty and chocolatey this may be a good option. You almost keep looking at it to make sure it is a dark stout which it is. Very drinkable and a little bit of fizzy carbonation. Not overly boozy.

Good middle of the road chocolate stout

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 03:34:35 | More by C3likesbeer

TwoForty

Florida

5/5  rDev +41.6%

03-04-2013 21:49:25 | More by TwoForty

jonathaniler

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +27.5%

02-28-2013 03:26:17 | More by jonathaniler

jpaulsen

California

2.75/5  rDev -22.1%

02-22-2013 19:16:59 | More by jpaulsen

cletusdog

California

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

02-16-2013 17:34:57 | More by cletusdog