Kelso Chocolate Lager
KelSo Beer Company

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From:
KelSo Beer Company
 
New York, United States
Style:
Schwarzbier
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
88
Avg:
3.95 | pDev: 7.09%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
14
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 07, 2018
Added:
Jan 23, 2007
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
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Photo of Act25
Reviewed by Act25 from New Jersey

4.01/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
I never met a black beer I did not like.
a) Pours an interesting garnet brown with a short tan head and not much lace or retention. If chocolate added, or perhaps its the sugar, that could deflate the head. Nice unusual color tho.
s) Lots of aroma that rises cocoa and smoke, grass, and sweet malt.
t) Follows smell, perhaps a tad too sweet, lots of cocoa, dark chocolate, hops, and mineral.
f) Light to mid weight low carbonation, easy drinking, sessionable.
o) I love a flight of these to tease out the differences.
Mar 07, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Gkruszewski from New York

Dec 06, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by smithmd4 from New York

Dec 27, 2011
Photo of metter98
Reviewed by metter98 from New York

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A: The beer is very dark amber and poured with a thin off white head that quickly faded away.
S: There are subtle aromas of chocolate in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of dark malts and malty sweetness along with some hints of chocolaty flavors.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate with a light amount of carbonation.
D: The beer goes down very smoothly and is quite sessionable. I could easily drink a couple of these beers in one sitting.
Mar 06, 2011
Photo of Richardberg
Reviewed by Richardberg from New York

3.47/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
A - served on tap at The Gate in Brooklyn. Cola colored, slightly reddish, translucent but not see-thru. Decent head at first but didn't last long.

S - caramel malt, cocoa powder

T - like Coke basically. Not as sweet, has a drier finish, but otherwise not what I'd call a "beer drinker's beer.". Probably a good intro to craft brews though.

M - quite thin for a dark, 6.5% beer. Fizzy when first poured but loses its carbonation too quickly for a lager.

D - very accessible, has some nice qualities, but -- like all schwartzbiers to date -- not really for me
Jan 02, 2011
Photo of brystmar
Reviewed by brystmar from Texas

3.67/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
On draft at The Gate in Brooklyn.

Pours a light shade of black (if that's possible) with minimal head and zero lace. Aroma is faint with baker's chocolate and maybe some malts.

Malt-heavy taste with hints of bittersweet chocolate peppered in. I'm used to chocolate imperial stouts so take into account my bias for criticizing its lack of super bold flavor. This is a great intro to the interesting world of beer for your average beer drinker.

Medium-bodied & fizzy in the mouth. Goes down nice and easy. Overall, it's a pleasant drink with wide appeal.
Jan 02, 2011
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Under $10 Growler pours are good. This one from DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY. Pours a nice rich shade of dark maple, under a moderate khaki head, that does not impress retention wise but does suprise with its left behind fine, scattered and copious lace. Nose of lightly roasted malt, and then a becoming more prominant as it warms, chocolate glow. Easy drinking lager, with more then moderate chocolate malt tendencies. Tastes nearly like a goey medium chocolate brownie and thats a good thing. Would likely work well with a chocolate or some other sort of dessert. Enjoyable and well crafted. Worth a try.
Dec 20, 2009
Photo of plaid75
Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

3.97/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a deep amber hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was decent retention and little lacing.

The smell featured a soft sweet malt, light chocolate and some smoke.

The taste was upfront sweet with a touch of cocoa, a leafy hop and some metal.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style.

Overall a nice representation of the style.
Nov 29, 2009
Photo of cilldalua
Reviewed by cilldalua from New York

4.02/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Bought a Growler at Whole Foods bowery beer room.

Served in a frosted mug which I thought was appropriate as a lager but probably would not have done in hindsight.

The beer had a very appealing chocolate taste which is not translated to the smell which was more reminiscent of a coca cola.

Pours with a good rich head and a dark color which on closer inspection has a lightness to it that is an homage to it's lager roots. This is followed through by its lager mouthfeel which is lighter than expected based on first impressions.

All in all an interesting beer, very enjoyable but a couple in any one sitting is more than enough.
Nov 01, 2009
Photo of EPICAC
Reviewed by EPICAC from Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Kelso's Chocolate Lager is a clear, garnet brown in color. A thick, light brown head fades to a film. Roasty malts on the nose with a strong chocolate component.

Roasted malts and chocolate sweetness are the predominant characters in the beer. The chocolate starts off sweet, but then melds nicely into the roasted malt flavors in the finish. Medium-bodied and nicely carbonated.

The chocolate is very dominant in the beer, and could perhaps be toned down for the sake of balance, but otherwise delicious.
Mar 03, 2009
Photo of caminiti
Reviewed by caminiti from New York

3.75/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Purchased at Half Time in Poughkeepsie, put into my 16 oz. growler and almost made it into the Holday Inn before drinking it, so yes, it is drinkable. I did not see how it poured, as it never made it to a glass, but it looked light brown, lightly carbonated, odor of chocolate, interesting that its not in a stout, and mellow in taste, not at all overpowering. Mouthfeel was smooth. Worth trying but probably wouldnt try again.
Jan 23, 2009
Photo of Biggness
Reviewed by Biggness from New York

4.3/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This was my first ever offering from Kelso and I had it on tap @ Once & For All. It pours a very dark brown with a 2 fingered white head and lacing. The smell was of toasted malts and a hint of chocolate. The taste was very pleasant of a light chocolate stout, it had nice chocolate flavors, it was light and crisp and it had a nice malt base to it. The mouthfeel was nice and the carbonation level seemed good. A highly drinkable brew, and I certainly look forward to more of Kelso's offerings.
Dec 09, 2008
Photo of TheycallmeTim
Reviewed by TheycallmeTim from New York

3.72/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Poured from growler into ommegang chalice.
**NB: This is the bourbon-barrel aged version of this brew. Dunno if they're all like that but figured I should mention it.

A--Half-finger creme foamy head subsides quickly without a trace. Body looks like weak diner coffee: almost black with deep brown in it when held up to the light. Good looking dark lager.

S--What a nose on this thing! It's like hot fudge blended with that syrupy maple char you get from good bourbon in the back. Not much alcoholic bite.

T--Lots going on, and sometimes not in a good way. Up front it's chocolate, but more Hershey's or Cadbury than Belgian dark, which is to say more sugar than spice. Rounds out to a more pleasant sour mash mellowed sweetness and around the corners, both front and back of the taste, peers some malt. Flavors seem more competitive than balanced and enmeshed, and the finish isn't clean enough for such a sock up front.

M--It's way too flat for my taste. Other than that the viscosity's fine.

D--Pretty good, would be better with a crisper finish.
Sep 24, 2008
Photo of RblWthACoz
Reviewed by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

4.42/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a clear dark brown with ruby hues. Head is thin and tannish but falls to nothing. Nose is nice and coffee toned with chocolate as well. Robust in a way, yes. But not overpowering really. Flavor is smooth. At the end there is a bit of a bitter bite, but before that you get a nice hit of chocolate (surprise!) that fades to an earthy overall character. Not bad really. Feel is smooth on liquid and the carbonation is a bit low, but it all still feels nice. This is a pretty easy drinker and a lot better than I was expecting. I assumed it was going to be more of a mess with the chocolate on the label, but it all meshes together well. Nice and smooth and well worth trying.
May 21, 2008
Kelso Chocolate Lager from KelSo Beer Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 14 ratings