Brooklyn Black Ops

Thanks to Sean for this sample! Black pour with a brown head. Woody aroma. Medium bodied. Espresso, chocolate, hops and vanilla. I was expecting it to be a little more rich, but it was still very good!

In short: A very woody chocolate stout. Just as good as the original
How: Bottle 750ml. Vintage, about 9 months old it seems. Shared by jimmack being his usual generous self. I owe you one Jim… another one
The look: Black body topped by a very small tan head
In long: Instead of describing this beer I’ll compare it to the regular non-barrel-aged Chocolate Stout that we all know and love. Body is much thinner than the original. A little less chocolaty with a buttery/greasy chocolate sensation instead of the pure black chocolate of the original. Not that much barrel on the nose but taste is very woody. Some vanilla notes that I don’t find in the original. Overall this one looses in chocolate richness and body but gains that cool wood flavour making it more easily drinkable than the original. I think they are about even. I’d buy this one as often as I buy the original one if it was as widely available. Unfortunately I’ll be offered a fashion show thong inspector job before I’m offered another bottle of this beer.

Pours opaque black, with a thick brown head that dissipates rather quickly into a thin ring around the edge of the glass. Aroma is a bit boozey at first, bourbon and vanilla some oak, but those notes strangely receded as the beer warmed, leaving behind a big, roasty dark chocolate note. Taste is surprisingly a bit mellow - dark roasty malt and a hint of cocoa combine with a hint of effervescence in the front, moving to a very roasty, almost charred note, smooth with a bit of cocoa, and just a hint of vanilla on the finish. Mouthfeel is smooth, thick but not oil-thick. Thinner than some impys, with a decent amount of carbonation.

Shared by jimmack? Definately an improvement over the regular version but was quite thin which proved to be a little of a turn off. Other than that not a bad beer at all.

750 ml bottle provided by jimmack at the Captain Lawrence batch 2 Cuvee de Castleton release, thanks Jim. Pours jet black and slick as oil with a small lacing of creamy beige head. Aroma of dark roasted malts, light bitter chocolate and oily butter. It’s almost like some one melted some chocolate and combined it with roasted malts. Smooth body but thinner then Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout but still rich and full. Flavor isn’t as chocolatey as other impy stous but loaded with lots of burnt and roasty malts. Great beer that I wish was available to purchase.