Chocolate Rain - Cherry
The Bruery

Chocolate Rain - CherryChocolate Rain - Cherry
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From:
The Bruery
 
California, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #274
ABV:
19.5%
Score:
96
Ranked #813
Avg:
4.4 | pDev: 10.45%
Reviews:
32
Ratings:
82
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 13, 2024
Added:
Aug 24, 2010
Wants:
  49
Gots:
  10
Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels, and with tart cherries, vanilla, and cacao nibs.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MrFootstones:
Photo of MrFootstones
Rated by MrFootstones from California

5/5  rDev +13.6%

Nov 15, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.37 by BirdsandHops from Oregon

Mar 13, 2024
Photo of mwilbur
Reviewed by mwilbur from Minnesota

4.34/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2019 vintage. Poured from 750 mL bottle into snifter.
A: Pours an extremely dark brown hue with bubbly/fizzy dark mocha head that quickly recedes.
S: Smooth dark chocolate, cherries, whiskey, molasses, vanilla, dark dried fruit, vinous note, and hint of brown sugar.
T: Plush cherries, super smooth dark chocolate, whiskey burn, oak, vanilla, molasses, red wine, brown sugar, and some dark dried fruit.
M: Medium heavy body. Smooth and oily. Layers of dark sweetness with some dark fruits. Mild alcohol burn hidden and softened a lot by the layers of smooth sweetness.
D: Amazingly drinkable for the extremely high 19% ABV. Complex and extremely well crafted.
May 16, 2023
Photo of StraightNoChaser
Reviewed by StraightNoChaser from Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Look: super dark BT base color, modest mocha head on the pour. Oily, messy lacing.
Smell: like Rain, that world class BT base, subtle chocolate and vanilla, hint of cherry.
Taste: more cherry, and there’s the rye spice.
Dec 11, 2022
 
Rated: 4.31 by smithj4 from New York

Oct 23, 2022
 
Rated: 2.27 by Rhettroactive from Virginia

Aug 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4.54 by Buck_Jones from Michigan

Feb 26, 2022
Photo of Beersnake
Reviewed by Beersnake from California

4.35/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2019 bottle poured from fridge temp. As expected, pours pitch black with little head. The aroma immediately screams Chocolate Rain. The tart cherries are there, but not dominant. Reminds me of a cherry chocolate that we used to buy when I was a kid. The vanilla is perfectly mixed in here, along with notes of brown sugar, yeast, and wood. The high ABV doesn't really make itself known on the nose. The taste is where this one shines! Wow - chocolate covered cherries all the way. It immediately tastes like a typical Chocolate Rain, but the cherry jumps in after a half a second and mixes perfectly. The intense cherry note takes some of the vanilla away. Bourbon, oak, and sweet candy. I don't find it too sweet - it tastes very fresh and "real". Not overly syrupy either. A very nice balance, in my opinion. As is typical with big Bruery stouts, the body really isn't thick and creamy - kind of mid-level. The ABV is very well obstructed, making this a dangerous sipper!
Aug 22, 2021
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Murky body, much more in line with an old ale or strong ale (or even barleywine) than stout).

Nose is a wonderful blend of strong sweetness, tartness, and booze. The bourbon, tart cherries, and sky-high ABV come together in a way reminiscent both of port and red wine (cabernet/pinot noir) barrel aging. Notes include brown sugar, bourbon, raisin, port, booze, red wine, red grape, prune, brownie.

The aroma translates very well to the palate. Very sweet at first, but grows more fruity over the sip, along with a very boozy finish with coconut from the bourbon. Fruity tones include raisins (including very strong on the back end), dates, plums, red grapes, a hint of banana, and of course cherries. Other tones include brown sugar, sweet chocolate, molasses, honeycomb. I really get a lot of red grape and cherry more than anything. Very light but noticeable tartness.

The bourbon doesn't stand out quite as much as in some of The Bruery's other massive stouts, at least not as much bourbon mash flavor, but that's partially based on the predominance of the cherries and chocolate. Vanilla is entirely complementary, adding to the overall richness, but not standing out on its own.

This is an absolutely fantastic beer, and could rightfully be described as a boozy chocolate-dipped cherry.
Dec 26, 2020
 
Rated: 4.32 by InfernoBoss from California

Nov 22, 2020
 
Rated: 4.55 by JamieDuncan from Maryland

Jul 31, 2020
 
Rated: 4.43 by BAsbill from California

Jun 13, 2020
 
Rated: 4.47 by taospowder from New Mexico

Jun 01, 2020
 
Rated: 4.75 by RobMichel from Maryland

Apr 01, 2020
Photo of johnInLA
Rated by johnInLA from California

4.43/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
The cherry balances well with the CR flavors.
Mar 15, 2020
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

4.39/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Received from @2beerdogs in NBS BIF 10 – Thanks Derek! Reviewed 12/1/19.
“03/19/18” etched on shoulder. Stored at home at 42 degrees and served at 55 degrees (As stated on bottle) in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. It should have been stored, according to the bottle, at 55 degrees.
Appearance – 3.5.
First pour – Dark amber, slight haze.
Body – Dark brown/black, opaque. When held to direct light, opaque.
Head – Small (Maximum two cm, aggressive center pour), light tan, low density, short retention, diminishing to a few short pieces of crown constantly being renewed by effervescence.
Lacing – None – as expected at 19% ABV.
Aroma – 4.5 – Cherry cordial with a vanilla and alcohol ending. No malt, no hops.
Flavor – 4.5 - Cherry and chocolate are well-blended, reaching their synergistic potential. No alcohol (19.0 % ABV as stated on label) flavor, although the first swallow burned all the way down and built a gastric fire; subsequent swallows were markedly less incendiary. Allowing this brew to further warm in my mouth before swallowing, the bourbon barrels make their appearance, sans tannins. No diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide, no malt, no hops.
Palate – 4 - Full, a bit syrupy, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4.5. Appearance is unremarkable for an Imperial Stout. Aroma and flavor both showcase the cacao and cherries, although I had to actively seek the bourbon barrel – not a bad thing, showcasing the consideration taken in the aging and blending. The palate was a bit syrupy, but this worked with the chocolate-cherry cordial flavor. Overall, an excellent brew of which I would happily purchase a case or two.
Dec 01, 2019
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Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

4.54/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pitch black with a thin brown collar. Hello cherries! Huge in the smell with whiskey laden waves of chocolate, rich vanilla, and undergirding rye and wood. Taste is hot with the booze, even more than expected, but has enough vanilla, cherry, and tons of chocolate, to decadently cover enough, with the resulting interactions giving off notes of brown sugar, wood, rye, caramel, and more tones of chocolate. Feel is boozy, so boozy, with thick decadence and weight, a lot to wrap the palate around. Like the original better as the ridiculous decadent beast, but this is very, very good too
Nov 26, 2019
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Reviewed by sfielder001 from California

4.62/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Pours a dark Coca Cola brown, with a light mocha head that doesn’t stick around long. The aroma is cherries, vanilla, a wonderful wood barrel character and hints of chocolate. The taste is sweet vanilla, tartness from the cherries and a warm, smooth and light mouthfeel considering the 19% ABV. The warm finish lasts, making this a sipper and probably wonderful with dessert.
Apr 29, 2019
 
Rated: 4.38 by Beer21 from Florida

Feb 26, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by smartassboiler from Illinois

Feb 23, 2019
Chocolate Rain - Cherry from The Bruery
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 82 ratings