On the docket: Rogue’s Double Chocolate Stout
Poured into: Dogfish Head goblet
S: Opaque umber liquid fills up the glass, topped by a thick, mocha head. Minimal lacing and staying power. This is certainly not a fresh bottle, though the age is undetermined. Particulate settles on the bottom bowl of the glass.
A: Intense baking-chocolate aroma, malt sweetness, and a slight bright note from the Cascade hops. Rich and inviting.
T: As it warms, the chocolate is more apparent. Supporting flavors also include a licorice note, in addition to a slightly mineral chalkiness. Guinness-like. Is that the chocolate malt and roasted barley? There’s raisin here too, I thank the Caramel 120 malt. The sweetness and chocolate exit eventually, leaving a dry-ish, slightly bitter finish. Alcohol very well integrated, hardly noticeable.
F: For a 9% stout, this is easy to drink and lighter than expected- most likely due to the rolled oats. I do appreciate Rogue providing the grain and hop bill on the back of the bottle, as it helps parse out where the flavors originate.
O: Big, bold, chocolatey sipper. Ages well. Considering the amount of snow on the ground as I type this review (~19 inches, the last great snow storm of 2017- in March no less!), I feel the libation a perfect way to combat the elements.
Suggested food pairing: port-wine cheese, crème brûlée, Porterhouse steak dry rubbed in chocolate and coffee grounds, on its own as a “cocktail” beer