Ralphius - Chocolate Orange
Free Will Brewing Co.

I happen to love Ralphius beer. It has been coming out in late fall for many years and Freewill over the last few years has been making variations on the theme like this one. You need to be a fan of potent imperial stouts otherwise you won't like this. The beer is very rich, I would recommend it on tap if your there and they pour a 4 oz. glass. Similarly the 4 oz. cans are the way to go. Think of it like eating a rich dessert but I'm not saying its sweet. The chocolate and the orange are detectable in a subtle way in both the taste of the beer and the aroma. Its like someone twisted an orange peel, spraying it but they were like 6 feet away from you and you get that little hint. The beer is high in alcohol content and has a great mouth feel and texture. Its dark as a winter night on a new moon and silky smooth. You have to enjoy it with a fireplace and a leather chair.

This is my favorite variant of Ralphius. The orange shines through well done. Super boozy of the back end its a little too rough for a perfect score but at 17.5% that’s gonna happen. Great great beer...

 

Dark brown / black appearance with a sparse fleeting tan head. Chocolate, molasses, orange, whisky barrel. Medium to thick body, moderately carbonated, slightly prickly mouthfeel.

Poured from a 12.7 oz bottle into a Dogfish Head tulip. 2018 vintage

L: Inky black pour. Turbid... with a thin fizzy tannish head leaves a modest ring of lacing.

S: Rich and roasty... chocolate, orange zest, bourbon, and booze.

T.F: Just like it smells. Rich dark chocolate, roasted grains, bourbon, vanilla, and booze. The orange is present but not overwhelming. It adds a nice citrus undertone that works better than I thought it would with the chocolate and avoids the nasty 'dark chocolate orange cream' candy box taste. Thick and oily on the tongue... sticky and warming. Boozy... but drinks lighter than it's massive 16.6%.

O: Absolutely fantastic... as expected from a Ralphius variant. One to seek out.

 

 

 

 

 

It pours a rich, dark-chocolate brown with a soupy finger of khaki-colored head. It dissipates to leave a wisp across the top and thin sheets of lacing.

Chocolate, alcohol, ripe orange flesh, and a hint of vanilla from the bourbon all show in the nose.

Big chocolate fudge brownie dominates the taste. There’s also some sweet orange, as well as bourbon with hints of toffee, vanilla and almond. There’s a kiss of tobacco, too. Alcohol burn heats up the finish, mingling with the rich chocolate and light orange.

It’s full bodied and very creamy with modest carbonation.

There’s crazy big chocolate in this one — and not really enough orange to balance against it. It probably didn’t help that I opened this after Bourbon County Midnight Orange, which has an absolute explosion of orange. This is much less polished, but is still very good.