Style: Imperial Stout

ABV: 9.0 IBU: 27.0

96/100

Aroma:	12
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	19
Mouthfeel:	4

Coronado German Chocolate Cake 2018

What the brewers say

“The beer starts off as a bold imperial stout. It then spent 6 months aging in freshly dumped bourbon barrels before being treated with a healthy addition of toasted coconut and cacao nibs. The result is [a] complex beer with abundant flavors of chocolate, vanilla, coconut, and espresso.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Coconut and chocolate up front. There’s a nice roasted malt character that’s also very prominent and works nicely with the adjuncts. The barrel isn’t overpowering but provides some whiskey and vanilla to tie it all together.”

Flavor: “Intense dark bitterness up front: roast, dark chocolate, dried fruit, with a drying oak character. Some residual sweetness, but the bitter qualities dominate overall. Pleasant nutty coconut on the finish. Lingering vanilla and chocolate on the swallow. Some nice warming alcohol notes.”

Overall: “Sweet and smooth. The coconut comes through in the aroma, and the chocolate dominates the flavor. Very much a desert beer because of the sweetness and full mouthfeel.”

What our editors thought

Review printed in: Wood-aged Beer (Dec 2018-Jan 2019) (View All Issues)

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How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Pontoon Brewing Company Barrel Aged German Chocolate Cake

“Complex aroma: dark-chocolate cake, pecans, coconut, vanilla, and cookies. Tastes like a decadent chocolate-vanilla pastry, with blackstrap molasses-laced graham crackers. Finishes very sweet.”

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company Narwhal

**Aroma:** “Nice dark malt sweetness. Some caramel, a little toffee, some roast, chocolate, and coffee in the back. Prunes and dark fruit character is very strong, with cherry the strongest. Spicy alcohol and mild malt. Not an aggressive nose.” **Flavor:** “Roast character is blended and balanced with dark fruit esters. Caramel, chocolate, and slight hints of toffee come in later. Very low hops character. Nice sweet dark malt character. Dark fruit sweetness, cherry, raisin, and prune.Finishes slightly sweet and creamy with no lingering bitterness but a slight warmth.” **Overall:** “Enjoyable and has nice malt richness. A well-done beer that is balanced and sufficiently thought out. Malt complexity is nice. The sweetness from the fruity esters as well as the malt sweetness carry through. The heat helps to finish this beer to keep it from being too sweet. This is another barleywine interpretation of the style but the stout foundation is intact. It needs a little age to soften the alcohol edge.”

Three Taverns German Chocolate Helm's Deep

Aroma: “Overwhelming toasted coconut with vanilla notes. Roasted, nutty coconut flavor. Fairly unattractive—no head retention with an oily/chunky sheen.” Flavor: “Syrupy sweet toasted coconut floating in hot chocolate. The alcohol balances the sweet, but it’s right at the edge of cloying (if not over). The aftertaste lets more of the roast shine through. A bit of a barrel note on the swallow. It’s gloriously and unapologetically unbalanced in the best of ways.” Overall: “Fantastic coconut character, though it’s a shame it gives it such a lackluster appearance. Chocolate bar meets whiskey shot meets crème brûlée, meets STFU and drink this! A bit too sweet overall, but enough rich complexity emerges on your palate after that initial sugar shock to keep it interesting. Oily, chunky, uncarbonated, but delicious!”

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