Chocolate Decadence
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery

 

3.7/5: Stunningly light on its feet for 11.5% without being dinky or boozy, though perhaps a bit too hop-driven to be a world-beater

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appearance: pours pitch black, some light hints of brown along the very edges. a two finger plus tan head that lasts a while and leaves behind a frothy lacing. dark and completely opaque.

Smell: strong roasted malt character. fudge like chocolate. more dark malt character, mostly toasted grains and roast, no dark fruits.

Taste: opens with bittersweet bakers chocolate. opens up with quite a bit of roasted malts and a tiny bit of espresso. malt character is all over the taste with more toasted to roasted grains. maybe some earthy hops but not too much beside malts. little to no alcohol in the taste.

Mouthfeel: its a sipper but the body isn't quite the biggest for an 11% stout. extremely dry for a big stout. some warmth to it but no where near boozy.

Overall: a good stout but doesn't quite fall in line with what I look for in a stout. while the balance/bitterness is good but the dryness is a bit too much for a beer this size. also with a name like chocolate decadence I'd expect it be sweeter and thicker rather than the bittersweet chocolates. The roasted malts also take a bit away from the chocolate, I wonder what the coffee variants are like

 

draft pour at the release.

Poured on-tap at the brewery release, the beer is a dark brown-black coloring with a thick, dense, foamy, tan head. Aromas of milk chocolate and bittersweet baker's chocolate, with creamy highlights. Flavors are tangy sweet forward, with rich chocolate, both milk and bittersweet cocoa. Subtle boozy notes in there, too. Smooth bodied, with a dry undertone. The aftertaste is a rich chocolate blend, like hot chocolate and ice cream. Very nice. Smooth, soft, layered finish, with a solid chocolate linger.

 

On tap at the release party. Pours a rich black, small tan head. Not a lot of chocolate in the smell, but comes out in the taste. Taste followed with the roasted malts. Smooth and drinkable.