Southern Tier Choklat

A healthy pour produces an almost three-finger thick, lightly browned, tan colored head. The beer is a deep black color, though if held up directly to the light it shows hints of concentrated ruby hues around the edges. This has a huge chocolate aroma, sweet, like a dense, dark chocolate mousse. Really this just has an intense, rich, full chocolate aroma to it. Perhaps a touch of toasted grain and burnt malt is noticeable underneath all this chocolate, but it is really hard to tell. If you really like chocolate you will like this aroma; rich, full and complex in its chocolate notes, but there is little else noticeable.

Thick and rich as it first hits my tongue, it becomes more viscous as it slides down my throat. Up front is lots of sweet, dark grain notes that quickly get engulfed by rich, dark-milk-chocolate like flavors. The beer picks up some substantial bitterness both likely from the chocolate and the roasted malt, but there is also some lingering hop bitterness in the finish that is not quite as potent, but does a better job of lingering on in the palate after the beer has slid down my throat. The bitterness is definitely quite needed for balance to the sweet malt and chocolate, but still plays only a secondary role. The carbonation, though light, adds a bit of acidity to this brew that accentuates some acrid, burnt grain notes. As it loses the carbonation it loses this acidic, acridness. It even seems to lose a touch of the sharp, biting bitterness, that while not overwhelming at first was almost a bit harsh at times despite the huge, sweet, chocolate character.

This really has an over-the-top chocolate character to it (both aroma and flavor), so if you enjoy nibbling on dark, fairly sweet chocolate then this should be right up your alley. This is definitely dessert in a glass, as it warms up it loses a bit of sweetness, but it becomes a bit more thick and rich to make up for this. I waffle back and forth between thinking the aggressive, almost harsh bitterness is too much with thinking that it is absolutely needed to help balance the thick, viscous, over-the-top chocolate character. I suppose it does distract me from a chocolate character that might be too much other wise, so in that sense it is good. At times I feel like I should be able to actually bite into and chew this beer, it is that rich and chocolaty. In the end this is a tasty brew, one which I would be happy to have more of.

22 oz bottle, via puzzl. Pours a deep dark brown with a nice foamy tight bubbled light brown head that faded slowly to a thin covering. Some minimal lacing remained. The nose is just ridiculous. Huge chocolate syrup and cocoa powder screams big chewy Tootsie Roll candies. No alcohol apparent in the nose at all. There really isn’t even a whole lot of roast or malt here cause it’s so chocolaty. Very candy like flavor, tootsie rolls covered in Hershey’s syrup! The roastiness does sneak past the chocolate later on in the finish. Just a touch of alcohol, which is pretty amazing for the ABV. Mouthfeel is full and creamy without getting sticky or cloying, the hops give a nice little twang on the finish keeping it from getting too sweet. It’s almost the consistency and flavor of a melted Wendy’s Frosty. Overall, this was just really a nice surprise. When I had this before, and I just had a small sample, I couldn’t see myself enjoying a whole bottle of it, but this bomber will be no effort to finish at all.

22oz bomber. Deep brown-black color. Intense cocoa aroma. Deep chocolaty taste. Really over the top chocolate-wise, almost deserving of a new style category. There is a great malt backbone underneath it all, and the hops really balance the whole thing out. This one really hides the alcohol exceptionally. A new classic.

Bomber bottle...sooo dark brown that appears black...dark brown sugar head...the aroma takes my breath away, pure dark chocolate, and very much like a malted milk ball (whopper)...heaven has entered my nostrils, if heaven does exists its in the form of this inhale...can barely get away from the aroma to take a sip....damn. its a liquid dark chocolate bar...some solid malt to back up this phenomenon...its like a chocolate milkshake with added chunks of chocolate, just delicious...and the palate is simply luscious, glass has taken on some nice lacing as well...I could bathe in this beer, or create a lake with chocolate fishes and candy eels...:)

bottle. i think this one is from hog town harry, but it may be blankboy. this is my first live rating in a long ass time. i’ve been on the road for so long it seems. i left the house of the mountain dew junkie. stayed with the brother who sires angry children then just was for a bit. but now i am in the new place tapping inot someone else’s internet and just back from the new mountain sun in denver that is just a short walk from my hobbit hole. java porter in walking distance is such a good thing. . o.k, time to open the bottle. hmmmm, chocolate hits me as i’m pouring it. it really smells like hershey syrup. f’ing cool. a bit of chocolate covered cherry in the nose lets me know there is some alcohol ready to jump in here. slight roast scent, with a dick hardening s’more aroma. chocolate covered marshmallow is the first thing i think of. so damn sweet and rich, i’m thinking i should have held off to share this with someone, oh well. strong bitter coffee bean finish that is still rich, the fat content of this beer is beautiful(fuck, can beer really have a fat content like mmilk with 2% skim whole half half and whatnot, i doubt it) reminds me of the dry dock impy original version i had aged. and that is a high compliment. the cherry alcohol note is a bit too strong, but other than that this is a lusciously tasty rew. the kind of beer that makes me forget i am sleeping on the floor for a while. well i could walk down to the thrift shop and buy a couch, but i just don’t want the added possesions. i’ve to look at marcus’ rating i can only imagine how he thought heavily upon how to portray the marshmallow taste here. may be the best finish i’ve had in a beer. it’s like a sundae evolving in my mouth. this is phenomenal, a bit dusty, but barely so, the alcohol is a bit aggressive but fucking christwagons it tastes so good. imagine what your drunk uncle tasted when he took you to dairy queen as akid and he grabbed your spoon and took a bite. fucking awesome, and i miss my uncle. good man, good times, good beer.

22 oz bottle @Vero Beach Throwdown-pours with no head and black color. Aroma is Hershey syrup. Taste is semi bitter Hershey syrup, some hops bite. OK carbonation. Interesting, occasional. Thanks beerlando for sharing.

Bottle sampled. Pours black with a small solid tan head. Aroma of dark chocolate. The flavor is smooth, alcohol well masked, chocolate, nice body with good mouthfeel. Grew brew.

This was my last beer on my NYC trip and one I had high hopes for...... I was ultimately disappointed. Pours close to black with a deep brown hue when held to the light and has a rich tan head. The aroma is delicious with semi-dark chocolate, cream and very roasted malt ~ everything is very smooth, rich and wonderful. Medium / full body with some bite on the finish and moderate carbonation. The taste starts with bitter chocolate, some char, spice a lot of alcohol heat and some metallicness. The finish is sour with even more alcohol prevalent. There is a lingering taste in the mouth of sucking on a penny. I guess you can’t be impressed with everything that is highly rated that most people see to love. (8/4/6/3/14/14 -3.5)
Rerate notes ~ original notes for aroma and appearance still stand, but, wow, everything else goes up. Medium / thick lush body with fairly soft carbonation. Taste has a balance between milk and dark chocolate, roasted malt, light char and lots of cream. abv is very very subdued for 11%. Finish gets a bit more sharp, but is still flavorful as can be. The bottle I rated was at least five months old and I don’t know the condition it was kept at the store. This one is within a week of coming to my fair city & I’m glad I got to try this the way it should be. Thumbs way up for this tasty as can be impy stout.