Grado Plato Chocarrubica

Brewed by Birrificio Grado Plato
Style: Spice/Herb/Vegetable
Chieri (TO), Italy

Black. Thick cocoa-colored, creamy, sudsy head. Nice creamy chocolatey nose. Creamy and lovely rich and delicious mid-palate: smoke, liquorice, chocolate, roast. Mild, brief finish. Delicious.

Interesting beer and I wondered if there was a bourbon element but discovered it was the chocolate substitute which gives it almost a bakers chocolate flavor. Ever eat those bitter bakers chocolate bars before baking and think hmmm, how bitter? Imagine it in a beer with a decent alcohol kick, unintentional sour flavors and vegetables. The mouthfeel has decent carbonation and it looks nice and dark though. Bottle at River St. Ale house in Pittston, PA.

Chocolate nose with roasted malts and some vanilla. Pours black with a tan head. Smooth chocolate, with some chocolate yogurt, its very smooth but a little too sweet for me.

Bottle from River’s Bend. Poured dark brown color with a large frothy off-white head that was mostly lasting with fair lacing. Moderate spice and dark chocolate aroma. Medium body with a smooth texture. Medium dark chocolate flavor with a medium dry dark sweet finish of moderated duration. Refreshing complex beer.

Bottle 75cl. Dark brown color with a average to large, frothy - creamy, good lacing, mostly lasting, beige head. Aroma is moderate yeasty, vanilla, medicine, hard to find the cacao. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet with a average to long duration, and a dry finish. Body is medium, texture is oily - creamy, carbonation is soft. (150308)

Pour is opaque brownish black with a dense tan head...smell is lightly woody and hints of sour with hints of fruity earthyness...Mike is right, it does smell like JPs Madrugada Obscura a little...taste is roasty with chocolate and yeast with some lightly funky wood notes...mouthfeel is very thin and very carbonated...finish is slightly dry...

RATING #3500 !

Big flip top bottle and served in my big Karmeliet glass: Black with a tan frothy head and okay lace. The aroma has notes of bakers chocolate, prune, fig, grape bubblegum, light heather and herbs and a distinct brettanomyces twang (on purpose methinks). The taste is twangy and fruity with a moderate sourness all about the palate. Chalky chocolate and carob nuggets on the finish. The mouth feel is far too thin for the flavor profile. Well it is different for sure, reminds me a bit of Jolly Pumpkin sour stout in a dark beer with bretty and lacto overtone. Not worth the money as is the case of so many of the big bottle Italian imports.

Jet black with a lasting tan head. Chocolate, dark fruits and brettanomyces in the aroma. Dry, with a bit of chocolate and some brett in the flavour - and the brett doesn’t seem like a good idea at all.