Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. Damn, this is a beer I wait all year to drink. Brewed in where else… but Brooklyn, New York by the Brooklyn Brewery. As usual with Russian Imperial Stouts, this one is a little on the kick your ass side, 10.6% ABV. This is one of my favorite styles of beer…

“Inspired by brewers back in the 1800′s to win over the Russian Czar, this is the king of stouts, boasting high alcohol by volumes and plenty of malt character. Low to moderate levels of carbonation with huge roasted, chocolate and burnt malt flavours. Often dry. Suggestions of dark fruit and flavors of higher alcohols are quite evident. Hop character can vary from none, to balanced to aggressive.”¹

Appearance

Into a pint glass and poured heavy, I got a thick 1″ head. Super dark coffee colored beer is topped by a dark beige, fluffy head. The retention is there, but the head does drop slowly to ¼”. The best part, the lacing is coating the side of the glass. The bubbles are well-defined and tight.

Smell

Great googly-moogly. Smells of dark bitter chocolate like 85%. Coffee underneath. Very sweet caramels in there as well. The aroma fills my nose – getting stronger as the glass nears. Much like the Mendocino Special Imperial IPA.

Taste

Toasty, roasty good. Super chocolate flavor sits high in the saddle for the whole ride. The roasted malts make this a delicious beer.

Mouthfeel

Creamy and full bodied, this beer fills the mouth and washes over the tongue. The alcohol lingers after the beer is gone – a little sting to say “hi, I was just here.” The carbonation is very slight.  That would be one thing I’d change… or at least be curious about. This beer is so good that I hesitate to question its creator.

Drinkability

Very smooth. If you weren’t aware, this beer could get you in a lot of trouble if you’re not paying attention. My first few samples of the beer were large, then I realized that I might want to pace myself.

Bottomline

Mmm mmm good. This beer is worth the wait every year. Get it the week its released and be amazed.

A-

“Oak Aged Stout Fermented with Vanilla Beans”

ok, so that sounds good. This stout is legendary. I’ve heard people rave; read tremendous reviews on beeradvocate.com… so I figured I owed it to myself to see what the fuss was all about… Old Dominion Brewing, Co. from Ashburn, VA is an American Stout is worth every accolade afforded it. At only 5.2% ABV, this is your new winter beer du jour.

Appearance

Poured into a pint glass. The color is black,  instantly reminded me of cola. The head is a dark tannish. Came in at a ½” then dropped. No retention. Just a wisp of head remains. Hugs the walls of the glass and most doesn’t leave the surface of the beer. There are strands which seem to climb up the glass.

Smell

Mmmmm. Nice. Vanilla and Roasted Malts dominate. Coffee  and cocoa underneath. Wood maybe. Sweet but in a really understated way. Very enjoyable.

Taste

Wow! I love it. Its caught a complex blend of coffee, roasted malt and chocolate. No one more than the rest. It doesn’t leave much aftertaste, although I find myself wishing it did. I am a little confused when I can’t really get much oak or smoke.

Mouthfeel

Medium bodied, but nothing of substance. This is one area that I think it falls a little short compared to other stouts. It leaves as quickly as it arrived.

Drinkability

Pretty darn good.  In fact, it totally kicks assThe low alcohol helps but the stout doesn’t feel heavy to me.

Bottomline

Wow, this is one I’ll be recommended to a lot of people for a long time. This is a pleasure to drink. If only their website was as pretty as this beer tastes.

A-

The UK again delivers a fine beer. The Whitbread PLC offers one of the best stouts I’ve ever had. Not the best… but damn close. At 4.90% ABV – it’ll do you right all night long. As a milk stout, it has no equal.

Midnight black. There is no other way to describe the color at all. The head comes in a pleasant malty brown, with little retention. Lacing stays behind in a sporadic way.

Toasty malts and chocolate dominate. Some coffee hints towards the end. Thoroughly pleasant.

Wow. Great googly-moogly! this is good. For a stout, it is surprisingly light. Higher carbonation that usual makes the mouthfeel less heavy than the style. Thick at first, but doesn’t linger at all. The aroma of coffee and cocoa builds over malts to draw me in further. The sweetness is certainly not shy but also doesn’t feel like its rotting your teeth.

Nothing else to say. Love it. Find it drink it and be amazed.

To resurrect an old phrase we used quite often… ‘Nuff Said.

A+