The Swill: Rogue Chocolate Stout
The Still: Rogue Ales
Newport, Oregon
http://www.rogue.com/
The Drill: American-style Stout brewed with Dutch bittersweet chocolate, 22oz bottle, 6% ABV
The Spill: Dessert, anyone? This beauty pours black with a rocky, mahogany head, which dissipates quickly if carefully poured. When poured quickly, the head piles up, then cascades from the bottom up, much like Guinness. It collapses in on itself in good time, averting any danger of a beerstache. The aroma is reminiscent of chocolate truffles, a rich, powdery, bittersweet smell accompanied by notes of subtle coffee. The taste is exactly what the smell leads you to believe: dark chocolate and a mellow French roast. The mouthfeel is slippery and inky, though not quite motor oil, so as to please even the mellower drinkers.
Says Bill: This is the very kind of thing that people hope to try when they see the word chocolate on the front of a bottle of beer. The first swallow is magical, and the first glass is heavenly. It's a teeny bit mellow for my liking, and it lost a little bit of its character by the end. If you really take your time on this one, letting it warm up as you go, the warmth should bring out more of the flavor as your tastebuds tire out. If Rogue tried making an Imperial version of this and really got it right, it might become my favorite beer ever.
Refill?: Hey, you gotta respect a beer that has its own blog: http://roguechocolatestout.blogspot.com/ : 4.5 taps out of 5.