Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale
Atwater Brewery

Decadent Dark Chocolate AleDecadent Dark Chocolate Ale
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Atwater Brewery
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Brown Ale
Ranked #201
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
84
Ranked #22,673
Avg:
3.72 | pDev: 15.86%
Reviews:
138
Ratings:
582
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 01, 2023
Added:
Feb 02, 2012
Wants:
  36
Gots:
  148
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by chrisroarshack:
Photo of chrisroarshack
Rated by chrisroarshack from Alaska

3.5/5  rDev -5.9%

Dec 16, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of Brenden
Reviewed by Brenden from Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
L: Very dark brown, nearly black in color but not thick; an off-white head of foam fades at moderate speed and leaves a modicum of lacing behind
S: Syrupy / saucy chocolate on the nose with a hint of grains and a tinge of vanilla
T: More balance in the taste than one might expect, not running as sweet with a little leafy hops just to even it out; it fades a little into the finish, but malts carry it through
F: The body is a light medium and appropriate for the style, though carbonation is a bit high
O: If you like chocolate, there's no reason not to try this one; just don't expect a big, rich stout.
May 01, 2023
 
Rated: 2.89 by sbuck from New Mexico

Jul 31, 2021
Photo of klarcbarr3
Reviewed by klarcbarr3 from Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
I bought this not knowing what to expect. The reviews were mixed, but I love a good chocolate beer.. I couldn't resist trying it. So.. before I poured a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass, I took a whiff. A lovely, cocoa, malted chocolate smell teased the nostrils. The pour produced a half inch head that quickly faded into obscurity, but the color was a strong dark brown.. nice appearance. The taste is.. good, but strange, and disconcerting. I immediately thought of the NJ and NY soda fountains of my youth, and imagined Shemp Howard mixing a couple of pumps of chocolate syrup into a tall fountain cup of seltzer, then adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Yes, this beer makes me think of a 'black and white' ice cream soda. Beer? What beer? Yeah, there's a malty taste under the chocolate, but malt is found in chocolate almost as often as beer. This is absolutely tasty, but at 5.0% ABV, it barely gives a shadow of an iota of being a brew. I Imagine I will enjoy this more in the hot sun, it is light enough to be a summer beer. If you want a yummy chocolate seltzer, here it is. If you are a serious beer drinker, this is probably not your cup of tea.
Mar 19, 2021
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

3.17/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
12 oz bottle

Pours very dark brown but not quite black, thin cream colored head that fadss. Aroma is definitely chocolatey, fairly sweet. Similar taste, but overall the depth of flavor is lacking.and fairly thin. So overall a bit disapointing.
Mar 03, 2021
 
Rated: 4.11 by Danzifer from Ohio

Sep 19, 2020
Photo of DoubleDown248
Reviewed by DoubleDown248 from Michigan

5/5  rDev +34.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
I really enjoy a variety of beer more than having one go-to, however, if I were to be on a desert island, or death row, etc and could have just one last beer, it would be my favorite, the Atwater Decadent dark chocolate ale. unlike many of my other favorites--porters and stouts---the DDCA is not as heavy/thick and so easier to put more than 2 down. I have noticed that some six packs are a little better than others--maybe its the pairing, maybe its the brewing, but all are still really darn good.
Sep 12, 2020
 
Rated: 3 by n2492004 from Michigan

Jul 03, 2020
 
Rated: 3.85 by blissfulNemo from Michigan

Aug 03, 2019
Photo of JimboBrews54
Reviewed by JimboBrews54 from Michigan

3/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Poured clear dark brown with a thin tan head. Sweet cocoa aroma. Medium body, prickly carbonation, slightly chalky mouthfeel. Flavor of dark roast malts, notes of chocolate, vanilla, some pepper, a bit acidic.
Mar 31, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by freewill35 from Indiana

Feb 27, 2019
 
Rated: 3.73 by RickyBfromCT from Connecticut

Feb 13, 2019
Photo of Drak-Nib
Reviewed by Drak-Nib from Nebraska

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
First taste is sweet and somewhat thin, reminding me of the Johnnie Byrd porter. Smells delicious, but taste isn’t as sugary as I expected. The dark flavor comes through, making for a nice subtle choco-ale taste. All in all, this is an excellent ale. 2017/12/24
Nov 19, 2018
 
Rated: 3.85 by tylerjin from Michigan

Nov 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by MorbidKingCrab from Pennsylvania

Sep 15, 2018
Photo of dd53grif
Reviewed by dd53grif from Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours a dark brown color with a minimal tan head that disappears quickly. Aromas of chocolate, vanilla and spice. Tastes of sweet chocolate and vanilla with a spicy finish. Creamy mouth feel.
Aug 27, 2018
 
Rated: 4.04 by PackenGreen from Michigan

Aug 22, 2018
Photo of DanBrenda
Reviewed by DanBrenda from Washington

4.6/5  rDev +23.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Look: Poured into a 16 ounce regular beer glass. Dark like a porter, no head.

Smell: The smell is of a wonderful chocolate. Not dark chocolate, not milk chocolate, but more like a Hot cocoa mix. Maybe even with marshmallows. Imagine yourself sitting at the breakfast table with Maple syrup covered pancakes and a cup of hot cocoa. The smell and the taste match that.

Taste: On the front and you get maple syrup and dark chocolate. The chocolate carries through to the end where it almost tastes like vanilla cinnamon French toast because of the maltiness.

Mouthfeel: It’s a little thin, although they do say that it is a brown ale brewed with dark chocolate so it fits that description perfectly.

If you have ever had a Sam Smith organic chocolate Stout, this ranks right up there with it! Excellent beer!
Aug 20, 2018
Photo of chitoryu12
Reviewed by chitoryu12 from Florida

3.93/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Look: Black with amber highlights and a big white head with a lot of staying power. Reminds me of root beer.

Smell: A strong chocolate smell with a hint of malt at the back end. Reminds me of Yoo-Hoo.

Taste: Sweet chocolate with almost no malt flavor. A bit too thin with the “empty” aftertaste of Diet Coke.

Mouthfeel: Thick and decently carbonated.

Overall: Pretty far from beer, but still tasty.
Jun 05, 2018
Photo of Sable
Reviewed by Sable from Pennsylvania

2.71/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75
It was the label I was interested in. Crazy steampunk Willy Wonka with a dash of Twin Peaks Dr. Jacoby thrown in for good measure. I should have read a little more closely. Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale doesn't sound like a bad idea, though ... But that's all it is. Dark chocolate. You open the bottle and you smell chocolate. Pour and you smell chocolate. Smell with focus and you smell chocolate. Drink, and you taste chocolate and a little alcohol. But that's all you get out of this. It's an Ale, so it's way too thin to support all that chocolate. It's not quite as bad as that time you found the bar of baker's chocolate next to the flour in the pantry and chawed down on it without thinking it through, but it's close. That much chocolate needs a lot more body behind it, some creaminess to tone it down to the point of drinkability. Didn't end up in a sink pour, but it wasn't as good an experience as I had hoped.
Apr 03, 2018
Decadent Dark Chocolate Ale from Atwater Brewery
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 582 ratings