Sanders Chocolate Stout
Old Nation Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

Look is syrupy oil with minimal head. The smells of chocolate lure you in but the taste is chocolate milk that is very watered down. The smells is definitely misleading and it is super thin and doesn't linger very long. Very plain.

A - Dark brown body, a bit of transparency on the edges, with minimal head and lacing.

S - Nose is chocolate milk and a bit of burnt toast.

T - Flavor opens with sweetness and milk chocolate. The result is more chocolate milk than anything, but there is a bit of char in the close that offers just enough bitterness to clear any cloying aspect.

M - Feel is a bit thin, and the carbonation is a bit too aggressive. Not horrible, just not ideal.

O - A very drinkable stout, with lots of flavor and a great nose.

 

 

 

 

12 FL OZ bottle
Served in a snifter

This beer pours black. My timid pour yields less than an inch of tan head that leaves no lacing.

The smell is sweet, sweet, milk chocolate.

The taste isn't as sweet as the smell indicated. It has more of a dark chocolate flavor with some roasted malt as it warms.

Full mouthfeel and smooth

This is an enjoyable chocolate, milk stout.

 

Had this one when it was made by Detroit Beer Company, decided to give it another go if it was different from the previous version. Doesn't seem to be that much,from what I remember.

Pour is chocolate brown that produces barley a finger of foam, even with a semi-aggressive pour. No retention, no lacing. Right from the fridge, aroma is muted and taste is bitter and roasty. As it warms, this one opens up a bit. The aroma pops with warm cocoa and cream, and light coffee. Taste, while still having a bitter bite, isn't as harsh. There's mostly roasted coffee grounds and lactose with French vanilla creamer. Char. Not too much chocolate. Thin feel.

 

I picked up a bottle of Old Nation's Sanders Chocolate Stout for $1.89 at The Lager Mill. I've had the other Sanders chocolate stout before and I though I would try Old Nation's version, so lets see how it goes. 2016 Vintage. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a imperial pint glass.

A- The label looks nice, it's goes with the name and it's just a little eye catching. It poured a nice black color that took on a slight bit of a brown color when held to the light with a little over half a fingers worth of tan head that died down to a thin ring that eventually faded away and it left some patch lacing behind. This is a pretty nice looking beer, I have no complaints.

S- The aroma starts off with a slightly higher amount of medium sweetness with the chocolate being the first to show up and it imparts a nice and dark chocolate aroma with a little bit of milk chocolate aspect showing up in the background and that goes into a little bit of doughy yeast. Up next comes the malts which impart some roasted malts, coffee and a little more sweet malts coming through with more of that nice chocolate aroma towards the end. This beer has a good aroma that lives up to it's name.

T- The taste seems to be not to similar to the aroma and it starts off with a medium amount of sweetness with a watery roasted malt flavors being the first to show up with some charred malts showing up in the background. Up next comes a little bit of doughy yeast and it's followed by just a little bit of chocolate like flavor On the finish there's a lower amount of bitterness with a watery aftertaste. This isn't a great tasting beer, I'm stumped by how much the chocolate come through in the aroma and didn't make it to the taste.

M- Pretty smooth, watery, crisp, light bodied with a high amount of carbonation.The mouthfeel isn't that great, it's too light and over carbonated for the style.

Overall I wasn't a big fan of this beer and it wasn't a good example of a chocolate stout, thinks were going in the right direction, but when I got to the taste it took a U turn and it never recovered. This beer doesn't have good drinkability, one is more than enough for me. What I like the most about the most about this beer is the appearance and aroma, they are the highlights of this beer. What I like the least about this beer is the taste, it just isn't good and it needs to be more like the aroma. I wouldn't buy this beer again and I can't say I would recommend it since it's very easy to find a much better chocolate stout. All in all I wasn't a big fan of this beer, it just didn't to it for me and every aspect past the aroma left me disappointed. It's now my least favorite Old Nation beer and it's one of my least favorite Chocolate Stouts. Better luck next time guys, this one needs some major work.