Gianduja Chocolate Ale
Humboldt Brewing Company

Dark chocolate black-brown pour. 1/2 finger of beige head.

Aromas of mild coffee, hemp seeds, and cocoa powder. A bit weak.

Flavors are of cocoa dust at the back of the throat, chocolate licorice, some mild coffee, dirt, planty hop, old milk chocolate bar left in the sun.

Feel is quite watery and thin, with a slight semi-dryness on the finish.

Overall, you really have to hunt for the flavors on this one. I could have done with a louder profile, and it's very watered down in all aspects. Leaves a lot to be desired. Luckily it was an extra in a trade, so it's okay by me.

A good beer but not great. Dark brown in color and little head. Has some malty flavor and mostly taste like a brownie which i think is the aim as it is brewed with hemp seeds.

Dark brown, not much of a head. Solid malt structure, dark chocolate flavor throughout. Fairly simple but well-done.

12 ounce bottle into pint glass; no bottle dating, but is a recent release. Pours slightly hazy deep ruby red/brown color with a 1 finger dense light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, milk chocolate, and cocoa; with lighter notes toffee, coffee, nuttiness, herbal, floral, and roast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready/roasted malts, cocoa/hemp, and light earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, milk chocolate, and cocoa; with lighter notes toffee, coffee, nuttiness, herbal, floral, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light herbal/spicy hop and roast bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, milk chocolate, cocoa, light coffee/nuttiness, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/roasted malts, cocoa/hemp, and light earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Slight dryness from hop/roasted bitterness, lightly increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/grainy, and slightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.7%. Overall this is a very good American brown ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready/roasted malts, cocoa/hemp, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink. Very flavorful with nice well rounded malt complexity, and balanced cocoa/hemp notes without being overdone. A very enjoyable offering.