Three Taverns German Chocolate Helm's Deep

Aroma: “Rich chocolate roast character with vinous dark fruit and white pepper.” Flavor: “Fantastic rich and chewy stout character, huge chocolate and dried cherry, with hints of vanilla. The finish is quite sweet, but cut by the tannic barrel-aged character. Not as much red-wine character as in the nose, but it still adds some complexity.” Overall: “Wow! This is an awesome beer. The milk stout borders on being overly sweet, but it has some really nice complexity and when paired with the barrel-aged qualities, it leads to a fantastic rich and chewy finish. The red-wine qualities from the barrel are evident throughout and accentuate the complexity.”

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.”

Aroma: “A bit of whiskey booze followed by rich vanilla, white chocolate, raisin, and less caramel than one might think and more crème brûlée.” Flavor: “Really mellow layers of raisin and fruity character that actually work really well together. Alcohol astringency is mildly distracting, but is rounded by deep vanilla. This has a nice body with a slight coating of the mouth, some hop bitterness, and it finishes with a milky chocolate body.” Overall: “Despite the shock of the color, the beer drinks very much like barleywine—rich malt and barrel character defy expectations harbored by the light color. A complex chili and chocolate flavor with an underlining smokiness creates an interesting taste on the palate, too. A unique and interesting riff on the style.”