Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Brewed by Brooklyn Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Brooklyn, New York USA

Bottle, Cornelius, Edinburgh 19/07/08 (somehow managed to resist drinking it for the last two weeks) Pours solid black with a bubbly, tan head that disappears pretty quickly. Deep dark roasted chocolate/coffee aroma with fruity notes. Tastes rich burnt chocolate/coffee with just the right level of sweetness. Truly an amazing beer - 3rd bottle this year...why can’t you get more of the Brooklyn range in Scotland?!

Bottle, from Cornelius in Edinburgh. Deep black, just a little brown edge, small layer of fine dark tan bubbles. Dense chocolate cake aroma, pleasant charcoal edge, vanilla, date sugar. Flavor of warming melty milk chocolate spiked with dark rum, raisins, a nice burnt edge that keeps the sweetness from being too sticky. A solid, impressive imp. This is really a beautiful beer on it’s own, but also not so much of a prima donna that it couldn’t happily pair with a bunch of different food. It almost seems brewed with that in mind. A cellar full of this, and oh the pairings that would result!

On tap at Blind Tiger, vintage 2005. Pours black with a small dark tan head that dissipates quickly. Aroma of rich roasted malt and coffee. Flavor of coffee, chocolate, roast, with a bitter chocolate finish. Wow, this beer has a very rich and creamy palate! The age has smoothed this beer out and it is not bitter at all. It has a nice sweetness that is not too overpowering. Extremely drinkable, smooth, and delcious! Definitely age this if you can!

Thanks santa! Wow I really enjoyed this beer. Black pour, small brown head. Coats glass a nice brown color with each sip. Aromas of rich chocolate, caramel, dark dried fruits, syrup. Flavor is rich, creamy, sweet, malty, chocolatey and molasses for sure. Even some fresh cane syrup...just delicious.

Bottle in York, England. This has travelled well, and I’m stoked to be able to review a beer from my wish-list! What a beer too, Pitch black, caramel coloured head. Aroma of chocolate, figs, charred wood, and freshly turned earth. On the palate, it really is like liquidised chocolate steam pudding, with hints of smokiness, almost peaty - as if someone slipped and dropped in some Islay single malt scotch. The alcohol is evident late in the piece, and is maybe slightly too much, but that’s really the only bad thing I can say about this beer. I only wish I’d had a rich chocolate dessert, or maybe a nice cigar to match this with.

Bottle - 355ml. Opaque black body with low carbonation and a thin brown bubbly head. Wonderful malty aroma with dark chocolate and hoppy hints. Alcohol is very well hidden. Robust malty/hoppy taste with brown sugar, cocoa, and plummy notes. Ends with a long, warming bittersweet finish. Well done.

355 ml bottle. Pitch black with a dark beige small head. Not really much aroma. Some minty notes with dark chocolate syrup. Rich malty flavour with an enormous chocolate richness. Lots of dark chocolate. Some oxidized notes, almost with a sherry-like flavour. Very rich and really nice. Complex flavours. Dry bitter finish, much like in bitter chocolate.

Black/brown pour, brown head. Real good with the chocolate and grape type fruit. Roasted coffee with a clean bite at the finish. Alcohol let’s you know it’s their, but not overpowering. By far, Brooklyn’s best offering.