Chocolate Rain
The Bruery

 

 

750 ml wax capped bottle, 2020 edition, 19.1% ABV, bottled 6/24/20. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with not quite an inch tan head that didn't stick around for too long. Small amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like chocolate, vanilla, bourbon and roasted malt. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some burnt/charred malt, dark bread, oak, molasses and a bit of dark fruit. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's rich and coating with a moderate amount of carbonation. It's a little boozy but doesn't quite seem like it's 19.1% ABV either. I thought this was a pretty good overall brew, definitely worth trying if you ever get the chance!

 

750ml bottle at share, 2015 vintage. Near black pour, small beig e head fades away. Aroma is roasty, dark chocolate, boozy with light fruity accents. Taste drops in raisins and prunes on top of the sweet roasty malts, full and creamy. Pretty damn warm too. Everything I have heard about this beer is true. A real classic that has aged well.

 

2021 vintage, 20.2% ABV.

This one pours a surprisingly thin dark brown that emits a fair amount of light around its edges; brief, cola fizz with no head, retention, or lacing. Nose has a leathery, molasses and salty licorice Black Tuesday backbone melded with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Some vanilla and oak as well. Nothing overpowering, and all the aromas feel like they're integrated into the beer, rather than an adjunct or flavoring that's thrown in on top and feels "artificial." Taste follows - it lacks the overpowering leathery and brackish boldish of Black Tuesday, but the cocoa additional doesn't tilt this sweet. Instead, it takes some of the rougher edges off BT while still maintaining an overall "savory" (or at least, no sweet) stout. Lots of alcohol, barrel, and bourbon spice lingers nicely on the loooong finish. Plenty of heat as well, but again, not overpowering. I do find the feel a little thing (similar to Gray Monday), but not everything needs the chew of BCBS. I still prefer BT, but this is a fine variant.

 

2017 vintage

It’s been a while, but I’m back with another BIF beer from @Eziel! This guy supplied me with some truly crazy stuff, and I’m hyped to try this one out. I really liked the raspberry cobbler Black Tuesday variant, so I have high hopes for this one too. Let’s dive into it

Pours a surprisingly light muddy brown with a finger of tan head that quickly fades to nothing and leaves no lacing

The nose here is quite pungent, perhaps an artifact of 5 year old vanilla beans and cacao nibs. I'm picking up on aromas of cocoa powder, raisin, dark chocolate, vanilla bean, heavily roasted coffee, hot bourbon, light toasted oak, and molasses

Whereas the nose was charmingly pungent, the taste is a bit sharp and aggressive. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting hot bourbon, burnt coffee, vanilla bean, dark chocolate, caramel, brown sugar, and molasses. The swallow brings notes of hot bourbon, toasted oak, vanilla bean, cacao nibs, black cherry, burnt coffee, toasted oak, and caramel

A full body pairs with gentle tingling carbonation, resulting in a sharp and boozy (duh) beer. Finishes dry but with a serious alcoholic heat

Damn, I don't know if it was the age, but I really did not vibe with this one. It's hard to say if it was once well constructed, as it doesn't even really show a shell of what it used to be, save for the aroma. Hopefully the Black Tuesday Reserve he sent me is much better

 

 

drinking a 2013 in 2022
Look - black and thick no real head
Smell - chocolate vanilla caramel booze
Taste - boozy chocolate vanilla caramel lots of barrel
Feel - full body very very light carb
Overall - not bad for being 9 years old

 

 

 

 

 

Tummy!