Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence

750ml bottle. Aroma of roasty malt, cocoa and vanilla, with lighter notes of coffee, earthiness and faint ash, perhaps some mild toffeeish sweetness lurking underneath. Thoroughly ebony in color, with a lasting, very fine head. Flavor profile is similarly roasty and lightly smoky with grainy bitterness throughout and only faint suggestions of the chocolate its brewed with, paired with a dry, mildly spicy, somewhat metallic finish, which I’m not the only one to have noted, apparently. Palate is finely carbonated and bitter, body is medium-full. Good enough, though I have to admit I was expecting a bit more.

Chocolate Indulgence 2007. Taps Capital Ale House 08/25/2008. Roasty malt aromas. Dark 40+ Brown with large creamy tan head. Slightly bitter sour roast malt astringency. Touch of wood and sherry notes. Light body with medium mouthfeel. Okay but lacking in complexity and a touch astringent.

75cl bottle from Willow Bend Liquors (Tampa, FL). Pours a dark brown to black with a thick and frothy tan head. Aroma is sweet roasted malt with hints of chocolate, dark ripe fruit, bitter hops, some yeast. Flavor is definitely roasted sweet malt with notes of candy sugar, molasses, some coffee, toffee, and some hints of hops. Generally medium to full body with a sweet malty and coffee finish.

750ml bottle. Based on the name, I expected lots of chocolate from start to finish. Instead, the chocolate is muted and the aftertaste highlights the Belgian yeast. This tasted more like Allagash Black than a robust chocolate stout. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Average size, frothy brown head that sticks around. Dark brown to black body. The aroma contains notes of roasted malts, espresso, sweet chocolate and cherry. The flavor was moderately sweet and lightly to moderately bitter. The finish was moderately dry and moderately bitter. Medium body with a smooth texture and lively carbonation. There was a slight chalkiness in the texture at the finish. The aftertaste had notes earthiness and mustiness. Enjoyable.

Bottle courtesy of RidleyBrewery. Pours black with brownish head. Aroma, notes of bitter chocolat and roastiness. Taste is roasted, charred smokeyness, light bitter chocoloat mixed with hops. I found it to be weak in chocolat. With a name like indulgence, one would think this would be loaded with the latter. Mouthfeel was a let down.