Upland Chocolate Stout
Upland Brewing Company

Upland Chocolate StoutUpland Chocolate Stout
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From:
Upland Brewing Company
 
Indiana, United States
Style:
Sweet / Milk Stout
ABV:
6%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.48 | pDev: 16.09%
Reviews:
28
Ratings:
28
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 06, 2009
Added:
Jun 07, 2003
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by nlmartin:
Photo of nlmartin
Reviewed by nlmartin from Ohio

2.5/5  rDev -28.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
The beer was poured into a pub glass.

Appearance: The beer pours a ruby opaque black coloration. The head was briefly present tan colored and quickly resolved.

Smell: The beer nails down sweetened lightly roasted coffee.

Taste: The beer has a lightly roasted coffee with a little chocolate taste. The hops bring a bit of bitterness.

Mouthfeel: This beer just seems watered down. The beer is light bodied with no carbonation.

Drinkability: The beer is not terrible. This is just not a particularly good milk stout. The beer drinks ok.
Apr 05, 2006
More User Ratings:
Photo of brewcrew76
Reviewed by brewcrew76 from Wisconsin

3.23/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A - Black with reddish highlights and the thinnest layer of mocha head even with a vigorous pour.

S - Roasted malt, chocolate,hint of coffee and some lactic sweetness.

T - Slightly watered down flavors of chocolate, a lactic milk sweetness and roasted malts.

M - Thin and watery with very little carbonation.

D - Not a bad beer. Just very light and watered down tasting.
Aug 06, 2009
Photo of BeerTruth
Reviewed by BeerTruth from Connecticut

3.3/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Got this one from heliosphann a while back, thanks man!

12 oz. bottle poured into a nonic. Bottled on December of 08, notched on the label.

Pours a cola black with a quick one finger brownish colored head that dies down to an almost non-existant layer of bubbles. Just about nothing in terms of lacing, a bit sad looking. Big roasted malts and barley in the nose with a dash of cocoa powder. Coffee grinds, charred oak, and some earthiness. Not a whole lot of chocolate in the for a "Chocolate Stout". Flavor begins with more of a burnt coffee flavor than a chocolate sweetness. Bitter grainy hops, smokey malts, and watered down chocolate sauce. Very light body with a water like feel and a pretty strong carbonation, not very enjoyable texture. Not a big fan of this brew, I like my stouts creamy and rich, this is far from that.
May 30, 2009
Photo of cnally
Reviewed by cnally from Indiana

2.44/5  rDev -29.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2
maybe i am stretching this beer's freshness a bit? maybe, but i have no sorrow. bottled in december 2008.

a nice brownish darkness in the beer with a slight tan head that lingers a bit before its decline around the rim of the glass.

mildly sour scents of deep forest wood and chocolate. burnt nuts and oaky charcoal hints.

acidic malt hits the tastebuds up front. burnt nuts are in the aftertaste, with smoky notes and a bit of old coffee grounds in there. big sourness in the middle of the taste, but the burnt character at the end is highly distracting.

good, solid creamy feel with enough dryness to get you through.

well, i would try to get a newer bottle later this year. drinking a seasonal out of season is usually not recommended, but this is a stout right? sometimes these beers mellow out and add new characters with a little bit of aging. not like five months is aging, but i gotta say this is pretty disappointing.
Apr 15, 2009
Photo of MiScusi
Reviewed by MiScusi from California

4.17/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A- Black, not much head.
S- roasted barley quite apparent at first, after a while you really notice a cocoa-powder like chocolate aroma.
T- Really nice blend of the semi-sweet chocolate malt and the roasted grain which is not too astringent and roasty. Blend makes for an easily drinkable tasty stout that covers the chocolate--->roasty spectrum very nicely.
M- Medium, quite nice.
D- Good drinkable stout.
Apr 11, 2009
Photo of cameraready
Reviewed by cameraready from Indiana

3.98/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A: Pours with a dark colored head that fades fast. Dark brown in color.

S: Nice malt smell with coffee aromas. Smells a bit like freshly ground coffee beans instead of the chocolate you would expect.

T: Has a mild coffee flavor and a slight bitter aftertaste.

M: Medium body with mild carbonation.

D: Very drinkable even if it has more of a coffee flavor than chocolate. Would definitely buy again.

Note: Dec 08 batch.
Feb 22, 2009
Photo of roadhouse
Reviewed by roadhouse from Florida

3.68/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance is dark black, but not quite opaque. There are some reddish highlights at the bottom of the glass. The head is about one inch thick and a light tan color. Lacing is decent.

Aroma is pretty chocolaty as the name would suggest but there's also a bit of a vinous note, and some mocha coffee.

Taste is also full of chocolate. It is sweet for a second off the bat, but overall it's a pretty dark and roasty chocolate flavor. Some coffee flavor comes through towards the end with a light spicy hop flavor.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, quite creamy and smooth. An easy one to drink.

This is actually one of the better beers I've had from Upland. It's somewhere in the middle of the pack, I wouldn't call it a sweet stout though.
Jan 21, 2009
Photo of dnichols
Reviewed by dnichols from Washington

3.08/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
It was poured into a goblet from a 12 ounce capped bottle.

A: It poured a black body that when back lit had ruby edges. The head was about one inch tall and dark tan. It fell fast and left clumps of lacing that did not linger.

S: It had thin sweet roasted malt aromas with hint of dark fruit and bitter hops. I had to reach to find a distinct aroma profile for this beer.

T: It had a thin roasted malt base that had a dark fruit (plums) and tangy accent. Three was a surprising lack of espresso or coffee backside.

M: It was light to medium bodied with a thin, watered down presence on the tongue. It had a tangy hop back and finished clean with little aftertaste.

D: It was thin bodied with a watered down taste profile and an unimpressive mouth feel. It is a modest beer that would not drive me to search it out.
Oct 31, 2008
Photo of JamesS
Reviewed by JamesS from Indiana

3.63/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours a great light brown/cocoa color with a lot of cascasding, and settles down into a great opaque beer with great head. It has a wonderful scent, a very chocolate aroma with a nice stout (slight coffee) scent to it. Taste starts out wonderfully, a great cocoa flavor that goes into a nice stout, but it ends with a very harsh alcohol kick, which unfortunately is also what you're left with in an aftertaste. Starts smooth, but ends very rough. It's a good chocolate stout, but it just doesn't end as good as it could.
Apr 04, 2008
Photo of iconoklaztor
Reviewed by iconoklaztor from Indiana

4.12/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5
I picked this seasonal up a few days ago and wanted to give it a try. I live a few mins away from the brewery and was hoping if this brew was good I would go try it on tap. Well, I will be going to say the least. I really enjoyed the chocolate of this brew BUT the alcohol of the beer was a draw back. It really distracted from the brew.
Jan 17, 2008
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

4.4/5  rDev +26.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Bottle: Poured a deep black color stout with a super large foamy head with great retention. Aroma of black chocolate with some subtle coffee notes is very interesting. Taste is a super well balance mix between some dark cacao notes with some coffee but without intense dryness at the end. Body is quite full with some great carbonation and a perfect creamy texture. Definitely way better then I would have expected and now makes me want to explore other beer from this brewery including the fruit lambic.
Nov 15, 2007
Photo of Brent
Reviewed by Brent from Kentucky

2.66/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
This beer might get a better reception if it was renamed "coffee stout" as this was the primary malt flavor note, and relatively little chocolate was evident. Moderately creamy mouthfeel, with an over-roasted coffee flavor. Perhaps a touch of bitter chocolate, but very little. Finish tilted to the acidic side. Not one of Upland's better offerings.
May 07, 2007
Photo of BitteBier
Reviewed by BitteBier from Indiana

3.43/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Very dark, opaque pour with a little dark crimson the only color to be coaxed out when held up to the light. The tan head was rather sparse but showed a nice cling as I downed this one. And downed it far too fast, I might add, largely because of the too-light body. Drinkable for sure, but not in the way I expect or want a stout to be. The nose had a bit of roastiness to it, mostly coffeelike. The taste was moderately more interesting, with semi-sweet chocolate and a little hops crispness showing up as well.
Feb 06, 2007
Photo of AWolfAtTheDoor
Reviewed by AWolfAtTheDoor from Washington

2.43/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
A: Dec. '06 bottle poured black with a respectable 3/4" brown head into my favorite Stone Brewing 10th Anniversary 16oz pint glass at around 50 degrees.
S: Lots of chocolate, a bit of malt.
T: Relatively light bodied; was expecting a bit fuller. Mild roast, chocolate, coffee flavors in there.
M: Way too much carbonation. Even my girlfriend's Coca-Cola was embarassed by this. Maybe too much primer before bottling? I really don't know what happened. Beware of Dec. '06 bottles if you can? It overpowers what subtle flavors exist.
D: I couldn't even finish this, and probably won't buy an other one until next winter's release. I drank about half, and then sinked the rest of it and refilled my glass with a Dirty Bastard by Founders. The carbonation just killed it. I tasted this at Uplands pub, the Tap Room, and I don't remember nearly as much carbonation. Beware Dec. '06!
Jan 28, 2007
Photo of Dubbercody
Reviewed by Dubbercody from Washington

2.95/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Thin pour with small quickly disappearing head...dark chocolate and coffee notes.

It's too thin in my opinion for a chocolate stout. I was wanting a beefier heavier or even silkier mouth feel but alas, this one let me down. No a bad beer but did not satisfy my personal flavor needs.
Dec 29, 2006
Photo of mcallister
Reviewed by mcallister from Ohio

3.09/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3
Pours nearly black until held up too light which reddish hues become noticeable. Head is small and tan in color. No lace.

Nose is nice and roasty, roasted chocolate malt, with some chocolate covered cherry and a tiny bit of vanilla bean.

Mouthfeel and taste go hand in hand with many beers and this is one of them. The mouth on this beer is thin as I've ever tasted in a stout and very watery, resulting in a stout that just doesn't taste right. Roasty malts, with a bitter sweet chocolate edge, and hints of dark fruit. Lacking complexity and overall balance.
Dec 01, 2006
Photo of SPLITGRIN
Reviewed by SPLITGRIN from Kentucky

3.66/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Enen a vigorous pour gives only a thin layer of light brown bubbles that do cling to the edge of this ink black body. Nose is a nice balance of chocolate and coffee tones. Almost fudgy and fresh ground. The taste is very thin as you take your first sip. You do get noticeable chocolate notes on the end of the palate that sweeten on the tongue just before the finish. The finish yields coffee feel that lingers on the mouth. Really easy to drink but it does make you wishing it was a bit more chocolatey on the palate.
Sep 24, 2006
Photo of dren
Reviewed by dren from Indiana

3.27/5  rDev -6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Poured out of a bottle into a pint glass. Dark brown like expected with a light brown head that didn't stick around. Smells like chocolate with a hint of coffee, imagine that! Sweet chocolate flavors hit you up front following a brief coffee experience and then the dark chocolate bitterness. This beer goes well with...dark chocolate. I have had many similar beers and this one didn't have as much of a watered down body to it in the aftertaste as many others have. It is interesting to read the other reviews complaining about too little carbonation. This beer had too much and made it hard to drink. This type of beer needs very little carbonation. My second round I drank straight out of the bottle and found myself shaking the bottle to get the carbonation out.

Good flavor, not the best ever but still good basic flavor. I haven't had a bad Upland beer yet. The brewery is sort of like Sam Adams, some of the beers may not be exceptional but you can't go wrong with them.
Jun 27, 2006
Photo of clvand0
Reviewed by clvand0 from Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
This beer pours a dark brown color with a very small head that is gone quickly. The aroma comes off as very roasted at first, but the chocolate shows up more as it warms. Very malty. The flavor is comprised of chocolate and roasted/coffee notes with a hint of slight lactic acid. Tasty brew, but the body seems a bit light and it could use a little more punch. The drinkability is good.
Feb 20, 2006
Photo of kmpitz2
Reviewed by kmpitz2 from Tennessee

3.45/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Pours a solid very dark brown color with no head at all over top. Could be a bit darker and it just doesn't have any head at all. Nose is a little light, but with a solid coffee tone and light chocolatey sweet notes behing it. Fairly one dimensional. It just lacks anything to really set it off as more than average. Flavor is pretty well the same. Moderate chocolate and coffee, but its not assertive enough for me. It is almost like a watered down stout. Feel is well at the low end of moderate, almost thin, with absolutely no carbonation. This brew is not bad, it just doesn't have the fullness in any aspect to be what it could be.
Feb 19, 2006
Upland Chocolate Stout from Upland Brewing Company
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 28 ratings