Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence

I had heard inklings of Ommegang taking their brewing skills and throwing chocolate into the mix. It was not just any chocolate, but real Belgian chocolate. For the chocolate lover in any and all of us, that can mean only one thing; divinity. Of course, the perfect complement to chocolate is a stout because they already have hints of chocolate as a result of the brewing process and particular ingredients used. Knowing all this, the fine folks over at Ommegang have brought before me their Chocolate Indulgence, a Belgian stout brewed with real Belgian chocolate.
On a late fall morning my Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence poured with a huge tan head of foam. As I slowly pour more of her rich dark brown/black depths into my glass, I take note of the layer of foam she leaves alongside the glass. This is no brussels lace, this is a veritable brussels blanket. Her nose; thick, decadent dark and milk chocolate fighting for dominance while fresh vanilla notes dance in the background. A very light body belies her thick and heavy appearance. A pleasant surprise, but also typical of bottle fermented beers. Her mouthfeel is one of smooth milk and cream with bitter-sweet chocolate notes in every quaff. Her creamy and sweet nature greets me first while the bitter dark chocolate and espresso notes are especially prevalent in the finish. A full, airy mouthfeel and palate, I imagine a decadent slice of cheesecake or fresh chocolate truffles of innumerable varieties on a plate in front of me as I savor my Chocolate Indulgence.
A magnificent twist on a Belgian stout from Ommegang out of Cooperstown, New York. Lacking the heaviness of a more traditional stout or imperial stout, I could easily quaff the whole bottle in one sitting, a fitting tribute to her balanced nature. My only regret is that I bought only one bottle of this when I should have bought 2 or 3.

Spring ’08 notes: poured from bottle as sampler at Brewery. Color is dark brown, with a decent size head. Aroma of chocolate malt, dark chocolate, malt and some spice. Body is surprisingly light, it reminded me of a hybrid between a Belgian Ale and a Stout. Flavor was a little light for me, but featured nice notes of semi-sweet chocolate. Overall, a quality offering, but I think Ommegang does the Belgian stuff better.

Pours drak brown with a short tan head. Roasty cocoa aroma with an earthy yeastiness. I expected more chocolateyness (if that is a word), but the taste was still good. The Belgian chocolate’s sweetness mixed with the yeast to produce a very nice sweet-and-sour combo similar to baker’s chocolate. One of the better "Belgian" stout’s I’ve had.

Dark brown pour with an elegant tan head. Aroma was a little understated, but had some nice chocolate and roasted notes. Flavor wasn’t great at first, but grew on me as the beer warmed. Mostly roasted malts and chocolate, with some mild funky fruit. The flavor remains curiously dry (unlike most chocolate stouts). Nice chocolate finish. Slightly thin, but still pretty good mouthfeel. Pretty tasty.

Pours a dark dark brown with a light tan head. Aroma was lots of chocolate and deep roasted malts. Flavor wasnt nearly as chocolatey as I had expected, more dry roastedness and coffee flavors, but thats not a bad thing, just not what its advertised as. Great stuff!

On-tap at Stone. Another let down from Ommegang for me. Pours dark brown with a moderate offwhite head, spiderweb lace. Smells very dark and malty, black licorice with a hint of funky sweet dark chocolate. Tastes a bit funky sweet, weird sour dark chocolate flavor. Sour malts taste like black licorice. Where’s the chocolate? Full body, good carbonation.

Not great. Pours very dark wit a musty smell. Somewhat sweet, but also a bit watery, didn’t punch you with a good chocolate bite.

Bottle. This beer stands out as being different than other chocolate stouts, insofar as its alcohol content is low enough for the rich cocoa powder taste to take control of the finish. The head of the beer is thick to medium in its consistency and the head laces the glass in an inconsistently. The beer is thin-to-medium bodied and leaves a brief moment of sweetness before the cocoa powder comes out. There is a roasty espresso quality to the finish but it is certainly more of a bitter chocolate taste than a bitter coffee. It does not have the burnt tobacco notes that an espresso finish implies. Very Good.