Maredsous 8

Another Belgian strong ale... lets see how it holds up against the other big hitters. This brew pours dark red/brown with a fairly long lasting white head. The smell is of dark fruits, hops, sugar, molasses, and brown sugar. Very nice aroma. The taste is a little more on the bitter side than expected from the scent and consists of apples, caramel, brown sugar, and honey. Overall it is a pretty decent example of the style but is still lacking when compared to some others reviewed on this blog.

Appearance - 3.8

Smell - 4.2

Taste - 3.9

Texture - 4.0

Overall - 3.98/5

Rogue Chocolate Stout

Rogue is a well known microbrewery out of Oregon that, thankfully for those of us on the East coast, distribute around the country. Starting at the stouts is usually my style so I decided to go with their chocolate variety to begin with. This sweet stout pours black with a creamy chocolate colored head that disappears into nothingness rather quickly. The smell of dark chocolate is overwhelming on the nose but I can sense some roasted malts and hints of licorice in the background. For once this stout actually holds the same taste as with the smell: instant dark chocolate that fades into a nice bitter alcohol sting with a hint of roasted coffee taste. This defiantly tastes more like an imperial than a sweet stout, but the relatively low ABV (6.3%) tells the tale.

Appearance - 4.0

Smell - 4.2

Taste - 4.0

Texture - 4.0

Overall - 4.05/5

Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

Here's Brooklyn's highest-ranking specialty beers. The only thing better than this might be the BlackOps. So, I will treat this as a top-tier beer.

This brew poured pitch black, but, it seemed a little thing compared to other Imperial Stouts. It had a coffee-tan head and was completely opaque (dark as space). It had the classic Imperial Stout scent of chocolate, barley and hops. It was very sweet smelling; delightful. It had a nice, chocolate and coffee taste with an alcoholic bite (it's 10% - what do you expect?). It wasn't nearly as sweet as it smelled, though. By comparison, it was a weak imperial stout. The texture was disappointing. It was just as thin as it looked. It went in weak, the alcohol comes in too quick, and it's a tad rough going down. This was a pretty big letdown.

The brew looked and smelled great. The taste wasn't nearly what I expected and the texture was a huge letdown. For Imperial Stouts, I expect the texture to wow me. This brew would be in much higher regard if it had a fuller body. But, for what it is; an inexpensive Imperial Stout; it holds its own. Kudos to Brooklyn to trying - just work on the body and it's a real winner.

Appearance - 4.1
Smell - 4
Taste - 3.8
Texture - 3.6
Overall - 3.88/5