Chocolat

I figured with a title based on this movie, I would be sure to score way higher on the gender analyzer, just for kicks.


I did pick the title, though, based on this week's selection: Ommegang's Chocolate Indulgence Stout.

I had been eyeballing this beer for some time at my local beer mecca, and decided to buy a bottle for a dessert drink after the Thanksgiving gorge-fest a few weeks ago. The cashier, who was not one of the ones I recognized as one of the true gurus of the mecca, told me it was "more chocolate than beer" so I figured maybe it'd be a hit for those at dinner who might be skeptical of a beer like this.

Served corked-and-caged in a 750 mL bottle, it definitely got some interested looks from those willing to try it out.

The beer itself poured a dark brown, just edging towards black. I poured it slowly and evenly into several glasses so as not to disturb the yeast. Each glass yielded a thin but persistent tan head. So far, so good.

The aroma was weaker than what I expected. I barely detected any chocolate at all, quite counter to the bottles' promise. In fact, I didn't smell much of anything, which was disappointing. As the beer warned, all I really got was a hint of roastiness. I shook the glass, I raised the head a bit more, I did what I could, but still, nothing but a bit of roastiness. Certainly for a beer entitled "indulgence" I thought I should be getting a much broader array of aroma.

The taste was...fine. For a dubble. Imagine a Belgian dubbel with a bit more roastiness than usual, and then you'd have this stout. And again, I am using the term "stout" loosely. Mind you, this beer isn't bad, it's more just a different kind of beer than a stout. Finally, that hint of chocolate came through in the taste. It was there, in the background, subservient to the roasty flavor, which were also pretty mild for a stout. The sweet Belgian chocolate combined with the Belgian ale yeast to make a sort of interesting sweet-and-sour combination, but really, when I get more chocolate out of Founders Breakfast Stout than I do out of a beer called Chocolate Indulgence...something is awry.

The mouthfeel was a bit light-bodied for a stout, in part due to the higher carbonation. A tint of hop bitterness, and an unfortunate metallic taste that persisted throughout the beer. At 7% abv, I honestly didn't notice any alcohol warmth, aromas or flavors.

For the price, the on-bottle boasts, and word of the cashier, this beer was a disappointment. I wasn't a bad beer; nothing was horrid. It was just mediocre. It got some nods from the non-beer crowd at dinner, but the beer drinkers were left wanting. It was neither chocolate nor really very indulgent, unless you consider inflated prices for average products a form of indulgence.

My advice: spend less money and get Rogue Chocolate Stout or Young's Double Chocolate Stout. You'll get a stout for sure, and Young's has enough chocolate to be considered indulgent.