The Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)
The Brew: Black Chocolate Stout (Imperial Stout)
Availability: 12 oz 4-packs & draft (seasonal)
ABV: 10.0%
Rating: 9.3/10
Location: Home
The Story? There's always that beer. The one you haven't tried from a brewery you've literally tried everything that they bottle. You'll get to it and it'll be great, no doubt. Most of your friends who care about beer have had it. It's no secret or rarity - even if its a seasonal, you still see it around
Enter Brooklyn's Black Chocolate Stout. I've known about this dark passenger since before I would touch anything that wasn't an IPA or at least a strong Pale Ale. Their Monster (RIP) is one of my favorite barelywines, their Sorachi Ace was delectable, their Local 1 was part of one of my favorite cold camping adventures, and their year-round offerings have frequented our fridge and parties.
While picking up singles for the Pumpkin Ale series, a few beers that keep calling to me made their way into the basket - including this shadowed one. Technically available Oct-March, at 10%, sipping on this in August is going to be a real treat.
The Beer? The pour releases a beautiful obsidian liquid with a rich, deep, mocha colored head. Thick and resilient, the head itself tastes of bitter, burnt cocoa. Lots of chocolate and espresso on the nose.
Pleasant mouthfeel to start - refreshing, dark, and bit oily with a long dry finish. Not nearly as sweet as the chocolate on the noise may imply. A pleasing equilibrium of chocolate sweetness and roasted malt. The 51 IBUs are very apparent and quite welcomed. That stated bitterness really rises about halfway through the glass, especially in the finish, but begins to take center stage.
Two-thirds of the way through and we're into a dark, earthy monolith of a beer. It's ABV fully unleashed, into an oily, sipper of a brew. An excellent transition.
Overall, a sneaky, relatively drinkable and complex stout masking a sinister sipper. A wonderful departure for a cool, summer evening.
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