Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

Brewed by Brooklyn Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Brooklyn, New York USA

Bottled. Pours pitch black with a medium sized brown head. Roasted and malty with notes of chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, dark berries and liqourice.

bottle. 2005. pours a deep black body with a small ring of mocha head. the aroma is very rich, inviting, and complex - cheesey yeast, chocolate, vinous, raisin sweetness. flavours of bittersweet chocolate and a delicate soft creaminess. very smooth yeasty body. full of chocolate and toasted caramel. assertive bitter finish. I like this stuff!

2006-7. black. minimal brown head. potent chocolate and roasted malts. palate starts sweet with alcohol then dries out and becomes roasted and chocolaty. 2007-8. cellared 1 year. black with a small brown head. dark chocolate aroma with some noticeable alcohol. flavor is chocolaty with some sweetness and molasses and raisins. flavor has rounded out but aroma is still boozy. 2008-9. sampled alongside 07-08. chocolate with alcohol aroma. body is slightly thinner than the 07. sharper carbonation. not as smooth.

One of my favorites. I had the special reserve at a beer dinner too. It was a 6 month old reserve. It was so smooth and flavorful with coffee and chocolate overtones.

Strong and sweet, like an Imperial Stout (which is what the label claims it to be) A winner - and a must-try if you like Imperials.

The 00-01 left me inspired. The 01-02 left me wondering what happened. The 02-03 left me saying 'It's back!' Gorgeous whipped cuppuccino gray/brown foam. The thickness of the opaque liquid is unmatched. Very solid aroma, full of caramel, vanilla coffee bean, peanut, coconut, leather, milk chocolate, bourbon, faint plum whisper, and malted milk. It somehow achieves such complexity without exuding any vinous or charred traits. Sits like heavy silk on the palate. Front flavors of feathery charred barley textures and milk chocolate. An amazingly long and ingeniusly complex finish with an interplay of light plum fruitiness, raw coffeee bean, and borderline acidity. Overall, its downfalls are the lighter than expected palate and the subtle traces of acidity. Probably not a good one to age. Otherwise, arguably the classiest in its lineage. Moreover, after a year in the cellar, the body thickens, which plays really well off the developing vinous acidity and plummyness. Ends with burnt matchstick and molasses. About as voloptuous as it can get. '03-'04: Recipe change? Contract brewed? Far too acidic than the previous version, which ruins the what used to be creamy mouthfeel and rich chocolate layers.

Near black in colour. Aroma had some alcohol, chocolate and mild cherries. Flavour of dark chocolate, mild coffee with a rather light body. Finished with a very mild bitterness.

Lots of appreciation to Beerdrenched for sliding this to me on a trade. Pours almost black with a faint reddish tint and a good sized dark orange head. The aroma has dark fruits, alcohol warmth, milk & dark chocolate and roasted malt. Full thick body with an oily feel and more carbonation than expected. Taste starts with bitter chocolate, alcohol, some coffee notes and lots of charred malts, but it is not rough tasting. Surprisingly, while the alcohol is very obvious it fits well and is not overwhelming. The finish has quite a bit of charm, but for the strength and full flavors of the beer it is fairly crisp. Excellent imperial stout.