Frederick Miller's Classic Chocolate Lager
Miller Brewing Co.

Frederick Miller's Classic Chocolate LagerFrederick Miller's Classic Chocolate Lager
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From:
Miller Brewing Co.
 
Wisconsin, United States
Style:
Herb and Spice Beer
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
77
Avg:
3.29 | pDev: 23.4%
Reviews:
46
Ratings:
55
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 11, 2014
Added:
Sep 18, 2006
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
Gold Medal winner entered as "Temptation Bock" at the 2005 GABF in the Herb and Spice Beer category.
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Ratings by MrVisegrips:
Photo of MrVisegrips
Reviewed by MrVisegrips from Wisconsin

3.03/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
The pour is a deep dark brown with a medium head. The aroma is heavy on cocoa powder with light vanilla and caramel. Flavors follow that of the aroma. Not a particularly interesting beer but not bad either. Overall, this brew is worth a try. Some will like it more than many.
Nov 01, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by jeff96gt from Indiana

Mar 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by matjack85 from Illinois

Jan 26, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by spycow from Illinois

Jan 17, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by bozodogbreath from Indiana

Oct 30, 2012
 
Rated: 2.75 by bzach from Indiana

Oct 16, 2012
Photo of thebigredone
Reviewed by thebigredone from Wisconsin

3.3/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Wow. I never even knew this beer was produced until tonight. My neighbor bought several cases of this back in 2006 and has been cellaring/slowly drinking them since.

This beer surprises me for two reasons. First, Miller actually branched out and tried to produce something different (different for them, at least). Second, this beer weighs in at 5.5% ABV, my neighbor has cellared it for six years, and it still tastes pretty good.

Think of this as Choklat with a thinner mouthfeel and a more Hershey's/artifical chocolate taste. Overall, surprisingly a decent offering from Miller. Does it compare to some of the craft brew offerings, not really. However, this is a step up from the normal BMC products in my opinion, especially being six years old.
Jul 11, 2012
 
Rated: 4.25 by wakajawaka76 from Illinois

May 30, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by Mfoucault

Apr 10, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by NEDmiller from Wisconsin

Feb 18, 2012
 
Rated: 1.5 by MaxOfMetal from Wisconsin

Jan 15, 2012
Photo of TATTORSO
Reviewed by TATTORSO from Illinois

2.77/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
12 oz. bottle...one time 2006 release. A gracious offering from a neighbor. I can only assume it's been in his refrigerator since it was purchased.

A vigorous pour into a 16 oz. Pilsner trumpet.
Dark, caramel colored with a solid, dense three finger vanilla ice cream colored head that rose above the top of the glass. Stiff enough to hold & not spill over. By the time it was over...no evidence of head or lace.

Smells of creamy dark chocolate, cocoa powder, toasted marshmallows, with a hint of vanilla & a trace of mint(?). A surprising, faint whiff of alcohol.

Taste is like flat Ovaltine & stale malted milk balls. Like fermented YooHoo. Thin & a little watery with a semi sweet finish. After taste reminds me of chewing on a spent fudgsicle stick.

The mouth is flat with absolutely no hop presence to speak of. IF...there ever was any, it's long gone. Not surprising. Finish is flat & sweet. Any initial carbonation was apparently released on the pour.

Palatable...this is a novelty beer (beer is a stretch here). It's not surprising that they only brewed it one time...I only needed to try it once.
Jul 27, 2008
Photo of NOOGIE
Reviewed by NOOGIE from Wisconsin

4.03/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Its been a while since I enjoyed this beer.

I was hoping to get my hands on this beer before Miller took this one away. It was a really good holiday beer, I could see my family members enjoying this one.

Apperance chocolate dark color through and through. Smell I'm not a big fan of chocolate so that kinda turned me off, also I poured the beer into a mug and the smell and apperance stuck around in the mug to long for my liking. Also had a bit of foam on the top once you let it settle it pays off though. The taste was really good, I didn't want to slam this beer I sat back and but on some good tunes and drank every ounce of this beer. Overall the taste, mouthfeel and drinkabilty are very good. If you can find some of this beer, GRAB it. Also goes good with a great cigar.
Apr 24, 2008
Photo of orbitalr0x
Reviewed by orbitalr0x from Illinois

3.31/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
12oz bottle found hiding in my cellar. Let's see how it does. Pours into my glass a dark cola brown with hints of garnet poking through. A fizzy off white head appears and sticks around for awhile. Aromas begin with chocolate upfront, but it's a bit of an odd aroma akin to unsweetened cocoa powder. Crisp wheat grain in the background and that's about it. Aroma seems a bit artificial to me.

First sip brings a crisp wheat grain malt upfront met by a Tootsie Roll-esque chocolate flavor that again reminds me of cocoa powder. It flows down with some sweetness and a touch of caramel. Finishes with only a kiss of bitterness and a lingering chocolate flavor.

Mouthfeel is light and crisp with fast flowing carbonation that helps to add some creaminess to the body. This one goes down easy enough. It faults in the fact that there's really no way I'd want to drink more than one of these in a sitting. It's an interesting brew and I'm glad to see Miller trying something like this, but in the end this one is still a one trick pony.
Dec 29, 2007
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

3.55/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pours a clear, thinnish dark brown body. As for the head, well, no amount of swirling can seem to coax more than a few bubbles out of this beer.

Smell: Tootsie Rolls!

Taste: More Tootsie Rolls, but without all those God-forsaken wrappers and all that pesky chewing (what a chore)! All in all, a toothsome sweetness that's cloying to the point that I had to wash (and re-wash) the glass to get the smell and taste out.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied. Very mild carbonation.

Drinkability: How many sips will it take for me to reach the bottom of my glass? Let's find out. One, two-hoo, three. Three!
Dec 23, 2007
Photo of botham
Reviewed by botham from New York

3.06/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
pours a chocolate brown (no pun intended), with one finger of light brown head that retains for a minute or so. the beer is somewhat transparent for the color, with a dark ruby brown hue showing through in light.

smells strongly of chocolate. little else. hints of coffee, toffee, and a touch of graininess are present, but the chocolate overpowers them. just like smelling a liquidated hershey's bar.

taste is still chocolate, but with much more to work with. the roasted malts are right alongside the cocoa bean, with a hint of grain to add to the mix. the taste is sweet, but not as sweet as it smells.

aftertaste is mostly hops, with some chocolate residue. a good one for dessert.

mouthfeel is thick and smooth, like melted chocolate. the thickness adds to the richness of the brew, lowering the drinkability.

drinkability is not very good. this one is very sweet and rich, which can be great in certain circumstances, but multiple bottles would take a toll on the stomach.

overall, this is a wonderful beer for chocolate lovers. very smooth, thick and rich, it moves away from the term "beer" a bit, but is crafted well for its purposes.
Jun 16, 2007
Photo of tapman
Reviewed by tapman from Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Miller makes a decent beer,
wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles.

Dark, rosewood color with a coffee head that dissipates within about a minute and a half but leaves a decent lacing that stays constant. Highly carbonated.

Aromas of chocolate and either lactase or vanilla, or both to add a creaminess to the brew. No hops that I can smell.

Very chocolaty. Reminds me of Hershey's chocolate syrup, which isn't necessarily a good thing, much too sweet for repeat drinking. Vanilla is present upon tasting, also. Not much else to this beer. Maybe they used a little bit of oatmeal to darken it up, but its hard to say.

Feels syrupy.

An interesting beer, this dark chocolate lager, but I'm always skeptical of the Macros. I'm thinking chocolate flavored syrup and corn syrup for added sweetness. I don't drink soda-pop because of the processed sugar in it, and this beer rubs me in a similar wrong way. Still, its a good Miller product and that's saying something. Worth a try.
Jun 14, 2007
Photo of shadow1961
Reviewed by shadow1961 from Minnesota

3.65/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Frederick Miller Classic Chocolate Lager pours out a
stiff beige head over a deep brown, almost black brew.
Carbonation is active, and the nose is basically baker's
chocolate. The taste is nuts and semi-sweet chocolate,
with a ghost of a suggestion of hop in the finish. The mouth-
feel is crisp, clean, and light. Never let it be said that Miller's
brewers don't know their stuff- this is one tasty brew and not
a bit of corn or rice in it. The flavors only deepen as the brew
warms. Unfortunately, Miller's average customers don't agree-
released as a holiday special, there's a pallet of the stuff on
sale at the Baxter Esser's. No doubt the same situation may
be in force in your location- take advantage while you can.
This is an experiment Miller might not revisit. A really tasty
dessert beer.
Apr 26, 2007
Photo of Gump
Reviewed by Gump from Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Semi-cloudy, dark amber with light brown head.
Smell is all chocolate coffee and hazelnut. (like the hazelnut coffee creamer)
Dry mouthfeel, sweet nutty taste. This is closer to a cold coffee beverage than a beer. Might make a good breakfast beer.

Probably the best Miller product I have had.
Mar 29, 2007
Photo of BuckeyeNation
Reviewed by BuckeyeNation from Iowa

4.12/5  rDev +25.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark bronze that becomes dusky ruby when backlit. The cap is impressive and is probably the nicest looking lid that I've ever seen on a Miller beer. It's toasted ecru in color, is frothily creamy, retreats slowly and leaves a few arcing streamers of soapy lace. This is pretty much how a chocolate lager ought to look.

I could smell chocolate as soon as I poured. It isn't until I get my nose over the glass, though, that I realize how wonderful the aroma actually is. The brewery has used both cocao nibs and chocolate malt and has created one of the most perfect chocolate beer noses that I've ever smelled. Are we sure this is a Miller product?

Although the flavor couldn't possibly measure up, it certainly makes a valiant effort. In my opinion, the three keys to a flavored beer are as follows: a quality base beer, a perfect amount of whatever flavor is being added, and a natural character to that flavor. Frederick Miller's Classic Chocolate Lager is a success because it satisfies all three criteria.

I'm amazed at how well this beer holds up to intense scrutiny. It tastes exactly like the liquid equivalent of a cocoa-dusted chocolate wafer stuck into a scoop of chocolate mousse. As well, there's just the right amount of sweet vs. bitter to keep the flavor from becoming wearing over time. I can imagine a lot of wives and girlfriends going gaga over this stuff.

The mouthfeel holds its own with ease. It's lagery silky smooth with a surprising amount of creaminess that doesn't even think of fading on the finish. Add a perfect amount of soft carbonation and we have a winner.

I couldn't be more stunned by the beer I just finished. I hate to say it, but my amazement has everything to do with who brewed it. Why can't they put this much care and skill into the rest of their lineup? Never mind, I already know the answer. Frederick Miller's Classic Chocolate Lager puts Michelob Celebrate Chocolate to shame and exposes it for the bilge water it is. If you despair of ever drinking a really good beer from BMC, give this one a whirl.
Mar 26, 2007
Frederick Miller's Classic Chocolate Lager from Miller Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 77 out of 100 with 55 ratings