Appearance – pours almost the darkest of dark blacks with a small half finger of tam head on top. Good head retention and the colour eradicates light. Small cap of tan foam lingers for a good duration on top.
Smell – dark chocolate and some surprisingly cherry aroma too to add some complexity. Some mild earthiness with just a hint of vanilla and coffee on the nose, but sweetish on the nose with dark chocolate and cherry being the stars.
Taste – loads of dark chocolate, a prevalent but restrained bitterness. Some mild sweetness with a brief cherry intermission before a fine coffee ground flavour shines through as well. Complex with multiple levels of flavour there’s even a coffee, vanilla and caramel troika to close. Yum. Enough other flavours to make me think this is an American stout as opposed to a Russian imperial stout.
Mouthfeel – smooth with a heavy but slick body, creamy feel and adequate carbonation. Just right for the style.
Overall – while Brooklyn’s Dark Chocolate stout is not quite the pinnacle of the style, it is a delicious, flavourful stout loaded with dark chocolate and cherries that is certainly worth any beer advocates time. Highly recommended for this top notch brew.
Distiller: Brooklyn Brewery | ABV: 10% | €5
