Cocoa Psycho
BrewDog
- From:
- BrewDog
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Style:
- Imperial Pastry Stout
Ranked #884 - ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 89
Ranked #14,715 - Avg:
- 3.99 | pDev: 11.78%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 99
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Sep 01, 2025
- Added:
- Mar 14, 2013
- Wants:
- 33
- Gots:
- 128
SCORE
89
Very Good
89
Very Good
Welcome to the world of Cocoa Psycho, a liquid dimension where pure indulgence reigns.
Originally brewed some 250 years ago to celebrate the Russian Royal Family, this 10% Imperial Russian stout borrows from the decadence of the time with its extravagantly smooth blend of crushed coffee beans, cocoa nibs and dark malts.
But continue to dig a little deeper, past the infusions of vanilla pods and toasted oak chips, and eventually you'll come face-to-face with the madness required to make this beer; a kind of insanity that would have made Rasputin himself proud.
To fully unleash the aromas and bittersweet luxury of this stout, we recommend drinking it from a stemmed beer glass before taking a sledgehammer to a Faberge Egg.
Originally brewed some 250 years ago to celebrate the Russian Royal Family, this 10% Imperial Russian stout borrows from the decadence of the time with its extravagantly smooth blend of crushed coffee beans, cocoa nibs and dark malts.
But continue to dig a little deeper, past the infusions of vanilla pods and toasted oak chips, and eventually you'll come face-to-face with the madness required to make this beer; a kind of insanity that would have made Rasputin himself proud.
To fully unleash the aromas and bittersweet luxury of this stout, we recommend drinking it from a stemmed beer glass before taking a sledgehammer to a Faberge Egg.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by WesMantooth:
Reviewed by WesMantooth from Ohio
4.03/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 oz bottle ($11) with a best before date of 24/9/19. Europeans and their fancy talk :)
Pours a viscous jet black, with a massively dense dark kahki brown head. Think Ten Fidy. The fluffy/frothy head slowly works its way out to the edge of the glass as a Saturn like ring.
Aromas are mainly chocoalte and more chocolate. Cocoa powder with a hint of sweetness. Vanilla and molasses maybe. Some alcohol on the nose as it warms.
Based on the aroma and the name, you can probably guess that this is a chocolate explosion. It taste like blended Whoppers. A sweet, non bitter chocolate with touches of vanilla and what seems like some oak in the background. Reminds me of Oak Aged Yeti a bit. The one thing that I dont care for, and find odd is a slight Rye like kick at every turn. Alcohol is somewhat noticeable for 10%, but only slightly.
Body isnt quite as thick as it appeared, but still on the higher end of the spectrum. A little too prickly feeling. Not really sure if it is yeast or the peppery spice I notice though.
This is an excellent RIS. It has lots of flavor, and is pretty smooth overall. Personally, I like Brooklyn's Black Chocolate a lot more in this category, and given the fact that I can get 4/$8, I doubt I will be consuming this one again anytime soon.
Jun 14, 2015Pours a viscous jet black, with a massively dense dark kahki brown head. Think Ten Fidy. The fluffy/frothy head slowly works its way out to the edge of the glass as a Saturn like ring.
Aromas are mainly chocoalte and more chocolate. Cocoa powder with a hint of sweetness. Vanilla and molasses maybe. Some alcohol on the nose as it warms.
Based on the aroma and the name, you can probably guess that this is a chocolate explosion. It taste like blended Whoppers. A sweet, non bitter chocolate with touches of vanilla and what seems like some oak in the background. Reminds me of Oak Aged Yeti a bit. The one thing that I dont care for, and find odd is a slight Rye like kick at every turn. Alcohol is somewhat noticeable for 10%, but only slightly.
Body isnt quite as thick as it appeared, but still on the higher end of the spectrum. A little too prickly feeling. Not really sure if it is yeast or the peppery spice I notice though.
This is an excellent RIS. It has lots of flavor, and is pretty smooth overall. Personally, I like Brooklyn's Black Chocolate a lot more in this category, and given the fact that I can get 4/$8, I doubt I will be consuming this one again anytime soon.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by DraftMonger from Denmark
3.99/5 rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.99/5 rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Copenhagen 1/5 2020. 33 cl can from Meny, Østerfælled Torv, Kbh. Ø. Purple and golden version of BrewDogs usual design.
Pours opaque, dark brown with a fairly big, beige head. Settles as 0,3 cm thick layer of foam covering the surface of the beer and slowly evaporating. Moderate lacing.
Aroma is fairly intense with a heavy odor of sweet molasses meeting bitter chocolate and coffee. Something a bit burnt (or enthusiatically roasted). Brown sugar and syrup. Bitter dark chocolate and strong coffee.
Light carbonation. Thick, viscous, smooth, fat, slightly sticky, lightly tingling texture.
Flavor is intense with a heavy sweetness followed by a medium strong coffee bitterness. Aftertaste is sweet with a lighter bitter undercurrent. Finish has a boozy burn.
Quite rich and sweet but with enough bitterness to avoid being cloying and enough punch to keep me awake (the coffee helps as well).
Sep 01, 2025Pours opaque, dark brown with a fairly big, beige head. Settles as 0,3 cm thick layer of foam covering the surface of the beer and slowly evaporating. Moderate lacing.
Aroma is fairly intense with a heavy odor of sweet molasses meeting bitter chocolate and coffee. Something a bit burnt (or enthusiatically roasted). Brown sugar and syrup. Bitter dark chocolate and strong coffee.
Light carbonation. Thick, viscous, smooth, fat, slightly sticky, lightly tingling texture.
Flavor is intense with a heavy sweetness followed by a medium strong coffee bitterness. Aftertaste is sweet with a lighter bitter undercurrent. Finish has a boozy burn.
Quite rich and sweet but with enough bitterness to avoid being cloying and enough punch to keep me awake (the coffee helps as well).
Reviewed by FLima from Brazil
3.83/5 rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.83/5 rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
This being sitting around for over 4 years. Color as black as you can get with the darkest head (by the way, quite thin) I have likely seen.
Aroma with predominant notes of cocoa, coffee, a bit of smoke and licorice.
Flavor with notes of roasted coffee beans, smoke, burnt sugar, cocoa, figs, lots of licorice and dark fruits. Dry aftertaste with a good bitterness.
Medium bordering full body with low carbonation. Alcohol of 10% is well-disguised.
I felt more the coffee, licorice and smoke over the cocoa. I was hoping for something more luscious. This was quite attenuated with no residual sugar.
Jul 30, 2022Aroma with predominant notes of cocoa, coffee, a bit of smoke and licorice.
Flavor with notes of roasted coffee beans, smoke, burnt sugar, cocoa, figs, lots of licorice and dark fruits. Dry aftertaste with a good bitterness.
Medium bordering full body with low carbonation. Alcohol of 10% is well-disguised.
I felt more the coffee, licorice and smoke over the cocoa. I was hoping for something more luscious. This was quite attenuated with no residual sugar.
Reviewed by Sigmund from Norway
4.08/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +2.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Sample at BrewDog tasting, Stavanger. Impressive appearance: pitch black colour, large brown head. Lovely roasty aroma with notes of coffee, cocoa and vanilla. The flavour is a tad less impressive but still good - with the same elements as the aroma, and decent hops in the finish.
Jan 23, 2022
Reviewed by janubio from Spain
3.69/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.69/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Bottle at Las Buenas Pulgas, served in a balloon glass.
Black colour, dark brown medium head with short retention, creamy lacing.
Aroma of chocolate, pharmacy alcohol, coffee, some varnish, a bit of smoke, dried fruits.
Medium body, creamy texture, normal carbonation. Cognac like finish.
In the mouth is more smokey, chocolate, coffee, varnish and booze.
Warming beer.
Oct 07, 2019Black colour, dark brown medium head with short retention, creamy lacing.
Aroma of chocolate, pharmacy alcohol, coffee, some varnish, a bit of smoke, dried fruits.
Medium body, creamy texture, normal carbonation. Cognac like finish.
In the mouth is more smokey, chocolate, coffee, varnish and booze.
Warming beer.
Reviewed by Jeffrey1701 from Netherlands
3.73/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
3.73/5 rDev -6.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Bought a bottle at Brewdog seven dials in London and took it home with me. When pouring this imperial stout it looks very thick and velvety, the body is black and it has a pretty dark brown head. When smelling it i think i smell something faintly woody, maybe leathery, dried fruit, hard to place for me. When tasting there is no sweetness and a bitter that's not too intense but lingers for a (short) while. When tasting i get a retronasal aroma of coffee. Also has a high ABV but doesn't feel boozy to me.
Jul 07, 2019
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia
3.99/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.99/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12oz can poured into a snifter
A- pours jet black in color with a one-finger creamy khaki colored head that has good retention
S- rich dark roasted malt mixes with notes of cocoa, dark chocolate, dark fruits, fruit cake, caramel, licorice, vanilla & a hit of coffee to close it out
T- dark and roasty, with notes of charred malt, chocolate syrup, cocoa nibs, fig, raisin, caramel & anise. The finish brings out a hint of coffee, as well as more dark fruits and chocolate
M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a slightly creamy mouthfeel that continues into a slightly warming finish
O- big and bold, my only complaint is that I would have preferred a thicker mouthfeel
Jul 04, 2019A- pours jet black in color with a one-finger creamy khaki colored head that has good retention
S- rich dark roasted malt mixes with notes of cocoa, dark chocolate, dark fruits, fruit cake, caramel, licorice, vanilla & a hit of coffee to close it out
T- dark and roasty, with notes of charred malt, chocolate syrup, cocoa nibs, fig, raisin, caramel & anise. The finish brings out a hint of coffee, as well as more dark fruits and chocolate
M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a slightly creamy mouthfeel that continues into a slightly warming finish
O- big and bold, my only complaint is that I would have preferred a thicker mouthfeel
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