Shenandoah Chocolate Donut Beer
Shenandoah Brewing Co.

Shenandoah Chocolate Donut BeerShenandoah Chocolate Donut Beer
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Shenandoah Brewing Co.
 
Virginia, United States
Style:
American Stout
ABV:
7%
Score:
80
Avg:
3.5 | pDev: 21.43%
Reviews:
74
Ratings:
79
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 05, 2013
Added:
Jul 09, 2005
Wants:
  74
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by israel:
Photo of israel
Reviewed by israel from New York

4.09/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
thanks to dyan for this beer; poured into an ommegang tulip.

A - pours a dark mass with a nice tannish head due to an aggressive pour, but the head quickly runs away never to be seen again. some bubbles reamin clinging to the edge of the glass but nothing of significance.

S - Theres a smell here that I can't quit identify, but want to say buttery popcorn or even fried dough. Either way it smells really nice and definitely adds to the appeal of this beer. Maybe a slight malt backbone in the aroma but really the smell is dominated by the scent of butter or dough.

T- if your able to take a big smell along with a decent gulp it really could resemble a chocolate pastry of some sort. flavors of chocolate are most dominate, but i can identifyu some roasted notes and coffee.

M - medium to light bodied with low carbonation.

D - it would be pretty easy to go through a few of these
Jun 27, 2008
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.25 by t0rin0 from California

Jan 05, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by thebouch01 from Pennsylvania

Jan 02, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by dtx00 from Pennsylvania

Dec 30, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by jawneyt from Wisconsin

Mar 26, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by Jefe73 from Florida

Jan 20, 2012
Photo of ChadQuest
Reviewed by ChadQuest from Illinois

3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Dark brown that is fairly opaque with a finger of light tan head.
How the heck did they do this, the aroma instantly smells exactly like a chocolate donut, bready dough with sweet chocolate frosting. Same thing with the flavors, i have rarely had something match so closely what it wants or claims to be. The flavors have a bit of hops in there that distract a bit, but other then that i can't say to much other then chocolate donut is whats in this bottle.

An Average beer, i could give it points for being exactly what the labels says, but i can't, very interesting, but a one time and done beer.
May 06, 2011
Photo of Chaney
Reviewed by Chaney from District of Columbia

3.72/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
I've been wanting to try this one for a while, and one of my friends who knew this fact gave one of these to me at a Christmas party at my house that my wife hosted. Lucky me!

A couple of things have changed about this beer here recently: a) The ABV has been lowered to 6.5%. b) The bottle art has been completely revamped and now has a big pic of a half bitten chocolate donut and big cheesy "As Seen On TV" emblem on it.

A: Poured a dark brown color, mildly cloudy (from what I can tell) and about a two finger head that quickly melted away into a mere flimsy froth.

S: I don't know how they did it, but the title of the brew is no gimmick, it's the real deal! I'm not just saying this thing has some chocolate notes in it, I'm saying it literally has the smell of freshly baked dough with chocolate frosting.

T: The taste was a little more suspect. It's funny that it really tasted like root beer, through and through! The sweetness was tempered and seemed a bit fake.... sort of like Nutri-sweet. The doughy quality I got on the nose was present as well in sort of a "sour dough-like" way, which wasn't entirely unpleasant.

M: A bit on the thin side, and when I looked at the brew about half way through my session, I noticed that it looked almost completely flat, which indicated to me that there were some carbonation problems. To my taste though, there are times when I find mildly flat soda to be a guilty pleasure.

D: I never know what to expect out of Shenandoah Brewing Co. Heck, the brewery is right down the street from my home and few selections I've had on tap from them in the past have ranged from barely passable to pretty good. I'd try this one again for the novelty alone, if for no other reason.
Dec 21, 2010
Photo of Gobzilla
Reviewed by Gobzilla from California

4.02/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured a very dark brown with reddish brown highlights that had a half finger of head and left some bubbly lacing sticking to the glass. The aroma definitely reminded me of a donut with chocolate cream notes popping out first with fruit, jelly, and slight toasty notes. It didi have a little bready character as well. The taste was also right on with donut like qualities but in beer form. Off the bat the fruity jelly flavors are dominate alogside chocolate cream and sweet sugar accents; really intresting beer. The brew was medium in body with a fair amount of carbonation which had a sweet, suagry, slight toasty, and silky finish. It drank pretty good but was quite sweet and made it a little hard to drink. Other than that it was a very intresting beer but could probably only stomach about 6 oz at a time.
Dec 17, 2010
Photo of beerwolf77
Reviewed by beerwolf77 from Wisconsin

4.02/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Huge thanks goes to bilab914 for this beer. Just one of many that he sent in a surprise unsolicited box. Thanks Bill you are an outstanding BA. Straight from the box into my pint glass.

A: Dark brown hue with blood red edges when held to the light. Solid two fingers of light tan head. Not much lace but a nice cap.

S: The aroma is full on sweet chocolate glaze. This smells just like a chocolate frosted chocolate donut. I reall y can't pick out anything else. Smells great.

T: The flavor is not as sweet as the nose. More dark chocolate, roast malt and coffee with solid dose of bitterness. Reminds me a lot of a brown ale.

M: Medium to light body. Maybe a touch thin. Soft carbonation.

D: Overall a absolute pleasure to try. Easy drinking for sure.
Nov 03, 2010
Photo of maximum12
Reviewed by maximum12 from Minnesota

1.06/5  rDev -69.7%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
Thanks to a fine BA for sending a bottle of this my way, always up for a good stout & well, always up for chocolate. Meld the two & I'm a happy guy.

Pours...oh, oh. Foam splatters & rises like a vengeful god, & I can barely trickle half the bottle before I have to give it a rest. Hopefully just over-carbonated? Probably not. The nose is...bad. Bad. Not right bad.

This beer is obviously infected. It tastes like a chocolate donut that's been smeared with bad mayo & left in the sun for a while. Absolutely, totally, completely god-awful. I'd like to try this beer in its real state, but the Godzilla of infections has rendered this the worst beer I have ever had. One sip. Now I'm going to go search out some steel wool to scrub my tongue. Too bad. I was looking forward to this one.
Sep 22, 2010
Photo of BigTomZ
Reviewed by BigTomZ from Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: Pours a nice dark brown, almost black but just a bit of light comes through.

S: Smells of chocolate, vanilla, caramel.

T: This is very sweet. Kind of reminds me of a glazed chocolate donut. Lots of chocolate, caramel, vanilla, bread.

M: Just a bit thin for a stout with just enough carbonation.

D: While this did taste good and has low ABV, this is more of a dessert beer. A nice bottle to have after a meal but not something to have several bottles of in one sitting.
Jul 29, 2010
Photo of nickd717
Reviewed by nickd717 from California

1.63/5  rDev -53.4%
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1
12oz bottle via trade.

Pours dark brown with a small off-white head. Fades very quickly and looks a little strange. Chunks floating in the beer.

Aroma is very metallic and a little tart. Chocolate in the background. Infection is evident.

Flavor is Entenmann's chocolate donuts and sour infection. Not good.

Palate is wrecked from the likely infection. Medium-bodied and sour with a lasting bad finish.

Not good. No-hesitation drain pour for this one. Real bummer because I wanted to try this novelty beer in its intended state.
Jul 08, 2010
Photo of KAP1356
Reviewed by KAP1356 from Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
12 oz. bottle received in a trade with 321jeff. Poured into a mini snifter as I was tasting this with my girlfriend (who brought my attention to this beer after seeing a spotlight on it on the Food Network).

A - Black as can be expected. Head recedes to a slightly off-white boundary where glass meets beer. Pretty common for a stout.

S - Very sweet. Chocolate is the main component with a slight vanilla undertone. Malty and slight caramel aromas also reach out to entice my already intrigued senses.

T - Well the chocolate portion certainly delivers. However I am quite disappointed with a lack of any "donut" taste at all. Chocolate is the main star with vanilla and caramel in the back palate. I am assuming that the vanilla undertones is supposed to relay the idea of "donut" to the taster. Honestly, this reminds me of a lighter version of Southern Tier;s Choklat.

M - Very smooth with a slight carbonation feel towards the end. Smooth and creamy for the most part.

D - I have no idea what the ABV is on this beer, but if I was in the mood for a dessert beer or some type of sweet beer to accompany a meal, this would be a good grab.
Apr 11, 2010
Photo of TMoney2591
Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Served in a shaker pint glass.

Pours a nearly completely opaque black-brown with a finger-and-a-half of ecru foamy head that leaves a bit of sudsy lacing behind. The nose follows its name: chocolate is the primary smell, along with some molasses and vanilla. As for the taste, I don't think I've ever had a beer that so lived up to its title before. Basically, this brew drinks like liquified double-chocolate donuts, with not only a milk chocolate character, but also a bit of cocoa as well, with brown sugar, molasses, vanilla extract, and a subtle bit of roasted coffee. Very tasty, to say the least. The body is on the heavier side of medium, with light carbonation and a nice chewy feel. Overall, a tasty dessert brew (kinda literally) with a very high drinkability, though those who stand against sweetness in their beers would definitely be turned off.
Mar 12, 2010
Photo of PDXHops
Reviewed by PDXHops from South Carolina

1.42/5  rDev -59.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
12 oz bottle, poured into a Duvel tulip.

Looks pretty good, cloudy deep brown with red highlights and a nice cap of frothy light tan foam. Nice retention and lacing. Sadly, the pleasant part of the experience ends here.

Smells exceedingly, shockingly sweet and tastes even moreso. I don't detect any donut, but there's plenty of chocolate- Yoohoo, Hershey's sauce, melted chocolate chips. A weird artificial flavor. Hints of dark fruit and maybe a hint of roasted malt, but this beer is overwhelmingly sweet. Did any of the sugar actually get fermented here? Sickly sweet (and slightly sour) chocolate lingers and lingers. Any time you have to grab an emergency bag of Cheetos for some saltiness to counteract all the sweetness in a beer, that's not a good thing.

Overall impression: I felt like I needed to go to the dentist after this. Sugar bomb beers are not for me. Drain pour.
Feb 25, 2010
Photo of travduke
Reviewed by travduke from North Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: Deep dark brown with a nice 2 finger tan head. Generous lacing.

Smell: Bready, sweet, roasted malts. Chocolate is present but I was expecting more.

Taste: There's the chocolate and again with the bread notes. Very sweet. I wouldn't think of chocolate donuts when drinking this if I was blinded though.

Drinkability: One is enough for me due to the sweetness. Nice novelty though.
Feb 07, 2010
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2
Bottle courtesy of bmanning in a recent "not my favorite beer" trade.

Poured a very dark brown with a fairly-nice off-white head and a bit of lacing. The smell was of moderately-dark chocolate as well as a little bit of cream and some roasted malt. The taste was quite similar, although there was some sort of off-tasting astringent bitterness that I couldn't quite identify. This affected the mouthfeel, which was otherwise nice and creamy. Drinkability was on the low side. Definitely a beer worth trying--very interesting.
Jan 23, 2010
Photo of theghost3
Reviewed by theghost3 from Louisiana

3.63/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours a deep mahogany with a 4-finger, overflowing, frothy beige head. Lots of layered lacing.

The scent is like a chocolate donut--yeast, bread & chocolate. The taste is sweet chocolate malt with some artificial, bitter dark chocolate at the end. Mouthfeel is light to medium-bodied, carbonated.

This is a fairly drinkable beer but is a novelty first. I wish the chocolate flavor was not as artificial.
Jan 13, 2010
Photo of brokensail
Reviewed by brokensail from California

3.65/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: The pour is dark brown in color with an off-white head with excellent retention.

S: A very sweet, almost artificial, chocolate frosting aroma. There is also a bit of fruit-like sweetness that would seem to be "jelly", if we're thinking in terms of donuts.

T: The beer is a bit sweeter than even I was expecting. Once again, that artificial chocolate character is there, along with some cream, perhaps.

M: The body is on the lighter end of medium with fairly lively carbonation.

D: It's definitely a novelty beer, but it's actually not too bad. I found it enjoyable, especially for what it is. The only reason I couldn't see myself drinking much of it is the high level of sweetness.
Jan 12, 2010
Shenandoah Chocolate Donut Beer from Shenandoah Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 80 out of 100 with 79 ratings