Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout

-On the Label-
"In the last century, British brewers made strong stouts for the Czar's Court. They were called Imperial Stouts. Our Black Chocolate Stout, brewed once yearly for the winter season, achieves a chocolate aroma and flavor through the artful blending of six varieties of black, chocolate and roasted malts."

-Brewer's Words-
"This is the famous Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, our award-winning rendition of the Imperial Stout style, once made exclusively for Catherine the Great. We use three mashes to brew each batch of this beer, achieving a luscious deep dark chocolate flavor through a blend of specially roasted malts. We brew it every year for the winter season. It is delicious when newly bottled, but also ages beautifully for years."

-Tasting Notes-
Black is a really great word for this beer. There isn't really any other way of describing it, other than to say that the blackness, the darkness, is so deep it almost seems never-ending. No discernible traces of ambient light can be detected around even the furthest edges of the beer.

A creamy tan colored head, with initial notes of dirty brown, works to ease and soften the potential anxiety that may have been instilled by glimpsing the total darkness of the coloring. The foaming subsides quickly and into a thin, wispy swirl on the top of the beer. Minimal webbing remains as the Black Chocolate Stout is consumed. Webbing isn't the right descriptor for what remains, it's less like traditional webbing and more... amoeboid.

There is a strong aroma from this Imperial, it's even detectable across the table. The first scents to present themselves aren't chocolates at all, but aggressive malts and coffees. Deeper sampling reveals notes of smokey peats and even the slightest note of nuttiness. The nosefeel is a light-medium, not heavy or thick. The feel is likely inconsistent with what one may think is a characteristic nose for an Imperial Stout, which may usually present as heavy, thick and almost humid.

The flavors and presentation are likely to deter the new craft beer drinker. There is a strong, upfront, almost assaulting bitterness at the first taste. One may think that this would be sweet with chocolate and malt, but no chocolate is ultimately noticed at first, mostly strong black coffees and even stronger, robust malts. The mouthfeel of the beer is almost secondary to the strong initial flavor; it's, again, a light-medium feeling that flows across the mouth with ease. The initial taste envisages a feeling of hardness, but after a bit the soft tones of the malt take over. They smother and smooth away the bitterness, the hardness gives way to softness.

Once the mouth has adjusted, the subsequent tastes reveal much more chocolate, and ever less bitterness. Again though, if you're looking for sweetness when you think chocolate, you're in the wrong place. This is a dark chocolate lovers dream, bitter with loads of chocolate, roasted malts and coffees with hints of caramel. At the end, the last sip, the last morsel, the bitterness is gone and, in all it's glory, all that is left is full-bodied flavors that really wrap your tongue in a blanket while notes of chocolate continue to kick it while it's down. That's not to say that the flavors are aggressive, even at the very end of the beer, but to say that as you drink this down, more flavors, different flavors, show themselves.

Calling this a strong stout is certainly accurate. Some may think that the higher alcohol content would make the Black Chocolate Stout rather hard to drink, but the work of the incredible flavors do a great job of confusing and masking the alcohol. One could not be faulted for feeling that the mouth- and nosefeel are more consistent with a Strong Porter and not a heavier, more meaty, Imperial Stout. But, that lighter presentation and interaction make this beer more approachable, more drinkable and easier to be friends with. The Black Chocolate Stout really is the perfect accompaniment for a dessert of equally full-bodied flavors after a heavy holiday meal. It's a good sleep-inducer.

This is an excellent beer, full stop. Some will be turned away by the initial bitterness--which, again, dissipates greatly from start to finish. Those more experienced will know that regardless of the beer, a tempering of the palate is always needed in the beginning. Make sure you enjoy it; sample chocolates, coffees and strong cheeses between tastes. And follow your doctor's orders: drink only one a day.

-Stats-
Style: American Imperial Stout (Double Stout)
ABV: 10.0%
IBU: 51
Gravity: 21.7° Plato

-Malts-
American Two-Row Pale Malt
Caramel Malt
Malted Wheat
Blended American Roasted Malts and Barleys

-Hops-
Willamette Hops
American Fuggle Hops

-Consumption-
Pour into a snifter glass, allow for thicker heads to wither to a semi-thin (<1/8") film.

-Pairing-
"Excellent with any chocolate desserts, cheesecakes, fruit tarts and ice cream. Also a very good accompaniment to strong cheeses."