Youngs Double Chocolate Stout

Brewed by Wells & Youngs
Style: Stout
Bedford, England

Appearance: Pours a jet black body with a thick, though quickly dissipating tan head. Smell: Fragrant and dessert-like, the aroma is primarily of melted milk chocolate. Beyond that, there’s a thin measure of smoke, spice, and bitterness. Taste: The taste is brimming with dusty, bittersweet chocolate flavor and sweet maltiness. Hints of espresso and smoke help to round out the flavor. There’s a quick burst of dry, hoppiness midway, but it quickly settles into a chalky, chocolaty finish with a sour note on the end. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Soft mouthfeel. Drinkability: A beer so good, that I suspect someone will soon come barging in here and try to disrupt all the fun I’m having. That’s how good I think it is!

Nice chocolate aroma and instant strong taste when first sipped. Beer itself is a little thin for the style, but the lingering aftertaste is nice. Overall, having not enjoyed too many chocolate stouts, this one just about gets in right.

Bottle: No doubt about the chocolate in the aroma. A slight coffee smell too, but mostly dominated by the chocolate. Appearance is very dark almost black. Nice tan creamy head that dies after a minute or so. Chocolate malt flavor is great. There’s a cream and coffee flavor too but it’s the chocolate that mostly stands out. Aftertaste is relatively short and suprise, it’s also chocolate. Great mouthfeel. I’ve never been a fan of dark beers, but this is incredible. Then again this is not your average dark beer. I know it’s early in my ratings, but I never thought a dark beer would ever top my list.

Had this many times before, but never from a bottle. Beer Swap 2.0 beer. I poured this into my snifter. I has a black body with a huge lasting creamy airy looking medium brown head. The aroma is dry chocolate powder and definite Fuggle hops. The flavor is chocolate silk pie filling, sugary mousse, light hopping. The palate is lightly dry and salivating, medium bodied, slick feel. I remember this being better. Perhaps the nitrocans and nitro tap I’ve had before make this beer significantly better. Some tartness from the bitter chocolate.

Light toasted/molasses malty aroma - very weak, though. Beautiful creamy, light brown head. Dark black beer. Watery in feel but the taste is great. Not sweet but a great chocolate flavor. I seem to remeber drinking a chocolate flavored soda once and this was similar.

Bottle: Had a stong chocolate presence for aroma. Like opening a herseys bar and the aroma the comes from underneath the foil. Nice chocolate body to it. Dark brown body with decent tan creamy head. Rich chocolate flavor with some roasted flavor on the aftertaste. Good stuff.

The perfect-looking stout. This stout is chocolaty for sure, but it doesn’t overdo it. It amazes me how some Youngs are so good and others are so bad - no middle road. Weakish finish is the only downside to this one...that and there are better stouts for equal or less money.

On tap: Never had such a chocolatey beer - like dark bitter baking chocolate. Something a little odd about the balance but it didn’t bother me on this one. Dark, chewy and bold, yet accessible (because of the chocolate).