Stone Brewing Company Bitter Chocolate Oakmeal
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What the brewers say
“A recipe of unsweetened chocolate, flaked oats, and dark-roasted malts is made even more complex, care of bourbon oak barrels that impart oak and coconut-like flavors up front while accentuating the smooth mid-palate with oak vanillin notes.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Strong cinnamon, nutmeg, and spice, with moderate chocolate, a touch of vanilla, and light roast. Light phenolic, with moderate alcohol and a light aerosol aroma. Some oak is also present from the barrel. As it begins to warm, a mild vegetal or spicy chile aroma emerges.”
Flavor: “Moderate chocolate, with a touch of cinnamon and vanilla plus moderate piney hops bitterness. Light oak tannins give some bite, with lingering acidity and a moderate alcohol burn. Some chile spiciness with a vegetal type of flavor as well.”
Overall: “Very dark roasty chocolate, with a touch of sweetness. There’s a roasty or tannic bitterness present throughout, perhaps from too much contact time with the chocolate? But the lighter cinnamon notes enhance the chocolate—this is a beer for very dark chocolate lovers. A complex, fun beer.”
