Chocolate Beers

[SBonner]

Just wondering if any of you have had any amazing chocolate beers lately. In the past three months we have had three while travelling overseas. In London, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, at Redoak Brewing in Sydney Australia (Chocolate Cherry Stout) and in Barcelona (Xocoa beer). All tasty and unusual. Our favourite to date was the Redoak Chocolate Stout with it's rich and creamy texture and flavours of Black Forest Cake

Cheers,

Stephen

Vancouver

Edited February 9, 2006 by SBonner (log)

[BonVivant]

i've only had Young's. lucky you, Stephen! i'm a woman so of course i love choco beers! Barcelona is closer to me so that's a possibility. black forest cake tasting beer...hmm....

[lambretta76]

Brooklyn Brewery in NYC has a Black Chocolate Stout, although I'm not a fan. (Many are.)

[eje]

I've had the Rogue Mocha Porter and think it is pretty good.

(I don't think it has any actual chocolate in it, only "Beeston Chocolate" malt.)

[greystreak]

If you haven't tried it already I would suggest Optimater . It's not a chocolate beer but it has toffee flavor tones that make it interesting .

[Gruzia]

Haven't had a chance to try it but it is highly rated for chocolate-y tastiness - Rogue's Chocolate Stout

[jesskidden]

Brooklyn Brewery in NYC has a Black Chocolate Stout, although I'm not a fan. (Many are.)

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Not all beers that use the word "Chocolate" in the name or description contain actual chocolate. "Chocolate" also refers to a type of malted barley that is roasted to the color of chocolate -aka "chocolate malt" (which sounds like something one should order down at the shake shop or drive-in)- other malts include "crystal malt" and "black patent malt" (which does NOT contain Catholic school girls' shoes). In addition, the multiple flavors that roasted grains and the sugars that result after processing often includes ones that can be described as "chocolate".

F'r'instance- from the site you cite- "We use three mashes to brew each batch of this beer, achieving a luscious deep dark chocolate flavor through a blend of specially roasted malts."

I agree that with some many brewers now adding actual chocolate, it is confusing. (Much like some "Oyster Stouts" that now longer contain oysters/shells, but are said to "go well with oysters"). Surprised that, in the US particularly, that the labeling police aren't as concerned with the word's usage as they are (were?) with terms like "barleywine".

[eje]

A small write up of a couple Chocolate-ish beers in yesterday's SF Chronicle Wine section:

Life's just a bock of chocolate

The article makes it sound like the Sam Adams Chocolate bock has Scharffen Berger chocolate in it.

edit - Yep, according to this webpage, Sam Adams "ages the beer on a bed of cocoa nibs".

Edited February 10, 2006 by eje (log)

[Walter Moar]

Just wondering if any of you have had any amazing chocolate beers lately. In the past three months we have had three while travelling overseas. In London, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, at Redoak Brewing in Sydney Australia (Chocolate Cherry Stout) and in Barcelona (Xocoa beer). All tasty and unusual. Our favourite to date was the Redoak Chocolate Stout with it's rich and creamy texture and flavours of Black Forest Cake

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I don't know if you've had Phillips Chocolate Porter, but you should be able to find at the specialty LDBs in Vancouver (it's obviously widely available on the island). They use chocolate to make it, so it actually tastes like chocolate, where I find that many other "chocolate" beers taste more like powdery cocoa.

[BrentKulman]

Not my absolute favorite, but a just finished a reasonably good one - Bison Organic Chocolate Stout. Dutch cocoa is added to the mash and the taste really comes through.