Hi guys. For today’s craft beer review I’m going to be sipping on the Southern Tier Choklat produced by the Southern Tier Brewing Company located in Lakewood, New York.
No need for small talk when it comes to Southern Tier. We all know that they make great beer.
From the website, southerntierbrewing.com, we find this description of the Choklat.
The Popol Vuh, the sacred book of the Maya, unfolds a complex web of mystery around a beverage known as xocoatl (ch-co-atle). At Southern Tier, we’re not surprised that hieroglyphs of the ancient Maya depict chocolate being poured for rulers and gods. Even through the many voyages of Columbus, the mystical bean remained nothing more than a strange currency of the native peoples.
Moving through centuries, the circular journey of cacao has been realized in our brew house, encompassing the complexity of the darkest, bittersweet candy together with the original frothy cold beverage of the ancient Maya to bring to you our Blackwater Series Choklat Stout. We have combined the finest ingredients to tempt your senses and renew the power and interrelation of history in every bottle.
Let’s take a drink or two shall we?
This brew comes in a 22 oz. bottle with an ABV of 10.0%.
From a very easy pour this beer had a very dark brown to black color with absolutely no highlights showing through at all. The head was tan in color with a very smooth, creamy and soft texture. The size was about a finger and a half with an excellent retention time and real nice lacing. Once the head settled it left a decent ring around the top of the liquid, which allowed for some beautiful alcohol legs to be seen when tilted from side to side.
The nose was….. well…. chocolate. Exquisite hints of chocolate milk and cocoa. It literally smelled like a liquid Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar. I did pick up on tiny bit of hops and roasted grain, but not much really. The chocolate was, obviously, the star of the show….. and I loved it. A beautiful smelling beer right here.
The taste was more of the same. Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. The hops added a decent touch of bitterness while tones of grain and roasted barley kept it from being too one dimensional. It’s sweet, but not near what one would think. It’s very soothing and enjoyable without being overly rich in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, it was big and robust, however easily bearable. Just a touch of alcohol started to become noticeable after the brew warmed somewhat. Again, just an added characteristic that never overtook the chocolate.
The mouthfeel was medium to full bodied. Smooth, chewy, thick, creamy and sticky. The carbonation was about right for a beer of this type and more than enough flavor was left behind after each sip. A slight burn of alcohol was felt with the first few sips, however my palate quickly adjusted and it became much less noticeable.
Well, If you have followed this blog for awhile you are well aware of the fact that I love Chocolate Stouts, and folks…… this is a world class Chocolate Stout!!! It has to be one of the best that’s produced. I know I haven’t tried all that’s available, so I could be missing one or two, but this brew was a treat to drink to say the least. For me, it ranks right up there with the Rogue Chocolate Stout (which is one of my all-time favorites). If for some reason you have not tried the Southern Tier Choklat, I would highly recommend it. It may be too much for some and the drinkability factor is a touch low, but if you are looking for dessert in a bottle, this beer is it. It’s probably best suited for cooler weather, but I could definitely see myself enjoying this with some vanilla ice cream during the Summer months. Have you guys ever tried the Southern Tier Choklat? What did you think of it? Be sure to let me know your opinion.
Thanks for reading and commenting everyone. I really appreciate it.
Until next time. Cheers.
Score: 4.8 out of 5
Grade: A+
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
Beer Apprentice - Craft Beer News, Reviews, Interviews and Info. 