Friday Brew Review – Black Chocolate Stout

Black Chocolate Stout

For the second week in a row I headed to the package store hoping to find a brew based in coffee or espresso. And for the second time in two weeks, my hopes were powerbombed. Am I asking for too much? Is it unreasonable to think that I deserve a beer that tastes of coffee? Hell, I’ve dreamed of drinking such a liquid since 1996 and I’ll be damned if this fight is over.

With that being said, it’s still Friday and there’s no way I was going home without a few cold ones in tow. Desiring a beverage with rich flavor and full body, I quickly came to the determination that tonight’s review would showcase some sort of stout. With nothing more than the sheer will of the Force guiding my hand, I was able to select a (presumably) suitable four-pack.

Tonight, I bathe my palate in the Brooklyn Brewery’s Black Chocolate Stout. Right after popping off the cap, I realized that the bottleneck’s label reads,

Our Black Chocolate Stout, brewed once yearly for the winter season, achieves a chocolate aroma and flavor through the artful blending of six varieties of black, chocolate and roasted malts.

Hrm. After seeing this description, I began thinking too much and worrying about my decision. “What is the label trying to say? That the beer blends chocolate and roasted malts, or some malts that are chocolate in nature and some that are roasted? Is this thing going to end up tasting like a fucking milkshake? What have  I got myself into?”

Only one way to find out — taste time.

I poured the Black Chocolate Stout into a beer-drankin’ glass, purposely neglecting proper technique in the hopes of producing a thick head. Unfortunately, the there was hardly even a centimeter of the foamy good stuff — I’m not sure if this means I botched the pour or if it is the design of the stout, but I’d probably bet on the former. In any case, when poured into the glass the beer resembled 2001’s obelisk; I found myself worshipping at the glory of the darkened form. In case you haven’t been able to tell, I’m kind of a sucker for darker alcohol-sodas.

From the aroma alone, I totally agree with the description of this liquid as a Black Chocolate Stout — there is a slightly sweet smell, not unlike dark chocolate. This scent didn’t jump out of the glass, but was readily detected when actively smelling.

On the journey towards my gut, the brew left a smooth impression during its recess in my mouth. The stout was so smooth that I realized that I was encountering the twofold problem of drinking it quicker than intended. First, I simply wasn’t enjoying the flavor for all its worth. Secondly, with a ten-percent ABV, I was running the risk of feeling too warm and fuzzy. With some stout still in my mouthed, I decided to breathe in deeply — maybe I imagined it, but I’m fairly sure that I could feel the alcohol vapors hitting my brain tissue. The Brooklyn Brewery’s winter seasonal is most assuredly a strong concoction.

Slowing down, I was able to pick up some of the more subtle notes hidden within Black Chocolate Stout. When I pushed past the aroma, I began to perceive the liquid as having a taste akin to lightly toasted bread. There is a nearly subliminal message of bitterness, but one that can appreciated as in a nice cup of black coffee.

Perhaps I’m becoming too much of a daydreamer, but I think that I would like to drink Black Chocolate Stout during a holiday dessert. Flavorful in and of itself, I think the beer would be a perfect compliment to tiramisu or maybe even just a stack of cookies.

Also worth noting is the fact that I’ve read some accounts of this brew improving with age. Maybe I’ll stash one away for the time being and add a comment to this post a year or so. (Remember, I said maybe).

Grading Black Chocolate Stout numerically, I think it gets an 89.5%.

Fuck it, I’m feeling generous: A-