Big Boss Belgian Black Chocolate Stout

Brewed by Big Boss Brewing Company
Style: Stout
Raleigh, North Carolina USA

10oz pour from cask at Horniblows Tavern. Ok aroma, fruity chocolate. Not strong in either though, grape, milk, egg. Brownish black color, good head, minor lacing. Bittersweet, like aroma. Not strong, got better as it warmed, kind of. Medium body, creamy mouthfeel, bitter dry finish. I dunno, maybe my hopes were alittle high, but this didn’t seem particulary chocolatey or belgian like. Maybe the cask mutes the flavor, but almost seemed lile a milk stout.

Cask at Horniblows. The aroma was strong chocolate with a fruity aspect and only a slight bit of spice. The aroma was lightly acidic and nicely fruity. The beer arrived pitch black with a brown tight bubbled head which lasted for days and laced the glass from top to bottom. The flavor was chocolate, dark chocolate, with a lightly fruity flavor and a very low spice. The beer was nicely creamy with a medium-full body with a low level of carbonation due to being cask conditioned. The finish was dry with some lasting chocolate into the aftertaste coupled with a low level of roast. A darn tasty beer, but not much Belgian about it. As a stout, thumbs up, as a Belgian beer, not so impressive. Small glass (two in fact) at Horniblows Tavern.

Cask at Milltown in Carrboro. Pours a nice black color with virtually no head. I don’t know how much actual chocolate is used in making this but the aroma has a pleasant and not overbearing dark chocolate essence. This continues on to the flavor which doesn’t seem very Belgian but seems plenty chocolate. The complete lack of carbonation makes this one easy to gulp. Good stuff, I’m glad I got the chance to try it.