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Sexual Chocolate - Barrel-Aged
Foothills Brewing Company - Downtown Brewpub
- From:
- Foothills Brewing Company - Downtown Brewpub
- North Carolina, United States
- Style:
- Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #48 - ABV:
- 9.6%
- Score:
- 97
Ranked #740 - Avg:
- 4.36 | pDev: 8.94%
- Reviews:
- 240
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Jul 02, 2023
- Added:
- Jul 14, 2009
- Wants:
- 1,364
- Gots:
- 340
Barrel-aged Russian imperial stout brewed with organic cocoa nibs.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by deebo:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
4.26/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.26/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours a deep brown with a small bit of head that lingers. Creamy milk chocolate, vanilla and bourbon on the nose. More of the same on the palate. Sweet but with some charred oak, and roasted cacao nib towards the back end. Finish is balanced and lingers. Decadent.
Jul 02, 2023Reviewed by Howard_e2001
4.62/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.62/5 rDev +6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Enjoyed on tap at Hop's Burger Bar in Greensboro NC. Really good stout. Despite the name, chocolate does not overpower the beer. Not too syrupy or sweet. Moderate bourbon tones that complement the flavor. Would definitely have again.
Feb 17, 2023Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina
4.2/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.2/5 rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at Sticks and Stones in Greensboro into snifter. Pours dense pitch black color with a small dense tan head with great retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas and flavors of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, fudge, bourbon, toasted oak, dark bread, smoke, char, herbal, grass, pepper. Light molasses, licorice, dark fruit, vanilla. Some boozy aromas as it warms. Moderate hop/char bitterness and oak tannin spiciness on the finish. Light-medium carbonation. Full body creamy/silky malts. Some sticky hop, chalky roast, and tannic oak drying on a long finish. No acrid/astringent flavors. Plenty of barrel presence with great integration and complexity. Warming and slightly boozy finish. I can see why it has a cult following, but it did not blow me away. It's a very clean and well done RIS style all around. Worthy of aging. Fantastic style example.
Apr 12, 2022Reviewed by hopley from Massachusetts
4.43/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.43/5 rDev +1.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
2016 Version drank 09.04.20 out of a tulip. Nice head which settled down. Cold out of the fridge had a roasty taste, when warmed had a nicer more balanced chocolate RIS taste. Not a lot of barrel, would have liked more but I've been spoiled by the likes of Bottle Logic and Goose. This is a fine RIS, especially at 9.7%, worth seeking out.
Sep 05, 2020Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
4.03/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Drank this at March Madness 2016.
Russian Imperial Stout pours black. Head settled in around 1/3" light brown/beige in color. Standard barrel aged stout aroma, bourbon, roasted malt and oak, for my preferences, I was happy that the dark fruit yeast edge of a RIS wasn't overpowering anything else in the aroma (or taste).
Taste was an average amount of bourbon barrel influence, came off around 6 months of aging. That's a good amount, Black Gold was so big on the bourbon, 3 years, too much in my book. Good viscosity, they didn't go for sludge patrol on this one. I think I could dome this by myself, but why? Mild chocolate notes with it, not sugary at all. You know I can really get into these barrel aged stouts that are less than 10% abv, big ups. Its not thin, its in a good place in that aspect. I should also mention this was aged a few years. Restrained bitterness, not overly hopped or excessive roasted scorched malt. Its good, but we've all had plenty of imperial stouts in bourbon barrels, this is standard, good fare.
Sep 02, 2020Russian Imperial Stout pours black. Head settled in around 1/3" light brown/beige in color. Standard barrel aged stout aroma, bourbon, roasted malt and oak, for my preferences, I was happy that the dark fruit yeast edge of a RIS wasn't overpowering anything else in the aroma (or taste).
Taste was an average amount of bourbon barrel influence, came off around 6 months of aging. That's a good amount, Black Gold was so big on the bourbon, 3 years, too much in my book. Good viscosity, they didn't go for sludge patrol on this one. I think I could dome this by myself, but why? Mild chocolate notes with it, not sugary at all. You know I can really get into these barrel aged stouts that are less than 10% abv, big ups. Its not thin, its in a good place in that aspect. I should also mention this was aged a few years. Restrained bitterness, not overly hopped or excessive roasted scorched malt. Its good, but we've all had plenty of imperial stouts in bourbon barrels, this is standard, good fare.
Reviewed by Sandis from Minnesota
4.03/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2017 version poured into a snifter. I can't help but wonder if I held this too long before opening. I get some nice chocolate and fruit flavor but the body is a little thin and I feel like the taste doesn't match the hype.
Feb 19, 2020Reviewed by kwakwhore from North Carolina
4.25/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2017 vintage. Completely opaque dark pour, with very little head. Boozy nose with some notes of chocolate. Bourbon and dark chocolate dominate the flavors. I think I might have waited a bit too long to drink this as it was a bit less complex than I remembered. The mouthfeel is a bit on the thin side as well. I think the sweet spot for this beer might be about two years after bottling.
Feb 15, 2020Rated by pkalix from California
4.52/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.52/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
super nice carbonation! looks beautiful.... smells like chocolate, taste has more bitterness than i was expecting but it plays well into it!
Nov 27, 2019Reviewed by VABA from Virginia
4.5/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A-Pours a dark color with a nice tan head and lacing
A-Aroma has generous chocolate and Bourbon hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a very generous and well balanced chocolate and Bourbon flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A great Imperial Stout
Oct 27, 2019A-Aroma has generous chocolate and Bourbon hints
T-The taste follows the nose with a very generous and well balanced chocolate and Bourbon flavor
M-A medium bodied well carbonated beer
O-A great Imperial Stout
Reviewed by Buckeye55 from North Carolina
4.6/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Just like the original only better. Pours dark brown/black with a solid light brown slowly fading head. Aroma is of malt, chocolate, coffee and kinda boozy. Chocolate takes the front in taste, with the bourbon barrel and malts lending a hand. Full bodied mouth feel with medium carbonation. Aftertaste is of chocolate and lingering alcohol. Oustanding brew!
Sep 12, 2019Reviewed by sulldaddy from Connecticut
4.22/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.22/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Sampling a cellar temp 22 oz bomber poured into my snifter. The beer is part of a trade with Krubes, thanks man!
The beer pours a dark chocolate brown color with a creamy khaki colored head that fades to a sturdy edge layer slowly after that pour. THis edge layer remains throughout the sampling,
Aroma is roasted malt and some dark chocolate. I also get molasses and some brown sugar. There isnt any hop presence to speak of nor any hint of the abv.
First sip reveals a medium to thick body with gentle mild carbonation that rolls softly across my palate. The flavor is sweet chocolate, some light roasted malt and a big hit of booze. This is black peppery notes and a certain warming after each swallow. No hiding the booze here, but again the hops take a backseat. The beer is chocolatey, but not sweet like easter candy. A nice robust stout with some good complexity, but I think I like the regular version over the barrel aged one.
Still worth grabbing if you see it.!
Jul 28, 2019The beer pours a dark chocolate brown color with a creamy khaki colored head that fades to a sturdy edge layer slowly after that pour. THis edge layer remains throughout the sampling,
Aroma is roasted malt and some dark chocolate. I also get molasses and some brown sugar. There isnt any hop presence to speak of nor any hint of the abv.
First sip reveals a medium to thick body with gentle mild carbonation that rolls softly across my palate. The flavor is sweet chocolate, some light roasted malt and a big hit of booze. This is black peppery notes and a certain warming after each swallow. No hiding the booze here, but again the hops take a backseat. The beer is chocolatey, but not sweet like easter candy. A nice robust stout with some good complexity, but I think I like the regular version over the barrel aged one.
Still worth grabbing if you see it.!
Reviewed by Oh_Dark_Star from Washington
4.27/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.27/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
What a beer. Classy. With a name like this and an ebony afro'ed goddess to the likes of the painting on the wall in The Shining, who could resist trying this! Honestly not to the level of the Fremont gem I traded for it, but it was fun. Square in the 4.2-4.3 and worth a try if you can get it not at a premium.
Apr 21, 2019
Sexual Chocolate - Barrel-Aged from Foothills Brewing Company - Downtown Brewpub
Beer rating:
97 out of
100 with
1287 ratings
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