Black Chocolate Stout
Brooklyn Brewery

Black Chocolate StoutBlack Chocolate Stout
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Brooklyn Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
Russian Imperial Stout
Ranked #246
ABV:
10%
Score:
92
Ranked #4,243
Avg:
4.15 | pDev: 10.36%
Reviews:
2,939
Ratings:
7,039
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 14, 2024
Added:
Dec 04, 2000
Wants:
  487
Gots:
  1,554
This is the famous Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. In the 18th century, Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, ordered a stout to be sent to her from England. This beer was brewed strong and hoppy to survive the sea voyage, and it arrived in perfect condition. Soon "Russian Imperial Stout" became the toast of the Russian aristocracy. Brewed since 1994, our Black Chocolate Stout has itself become a modern classic, heralded the world over. It achieves its dark chocolate aroma and flavor through the artful blending of six malts and three distinct mashes. Properly kept, it will improve in the bottle for many years. This stout is the toast of the winter season in many countries, and there is nothing better to enjoy with chocolate desserts, cheesecake, ice cream, fine cheeses and roaring fireplaces.

Given this beer’s higher ABV and sturdy character, we think it’s a prime candidate for cellaring. Find a cool, dry spot away from light sources, and see how it changes in the years to come. You never quite know what will happen when you age a beer: perhaps the body will smooth out, notes of vanilla, oak, and tannins will come to the front, or hints of leather and soy sauce will make themselves known. No matter what, remember that beer is meant for drinking, so don’t keep it to yourself for too long.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by bejaranobio:
Photo of bejaranobio
Rated by bejaranobio from New York

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%

Jul 31, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of paylstep
Reviewed by paylstep from Canada (ON)

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
a style between a russian imperial stout and chocolate stout. Incredible balanced chocolate flavour. extremely drinkable for the most part. Very very chocolatey, it's silky but not a nitro stout. Hard to drink the whole thing as alc comes through heavily and ruins flavour in later stages. A favourite of mine!
Feb 14, 2024
 
Rated: 4.27 by PaleAleWalt from New York

Feb 01, 2024
Photo of kotocar
Reviewed by kotocar from California

4.75/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
This might be my highest rated beer here but it’s not my favorite. It’s very well done though for the style. It pours dark, almost jet black, motor oil. Amazing how they can hide the 10% abv here. Well done. It tastes much less alcoholy. Taste is molasses, dark fruit, electronics, burnt dark chocolate, and graham cracker.

I like this beer for a cold winter night by a fireplace. It has less “flavors” and going on with it than Narhal, but tastes better. It’s not as sophisticated, but the fact that they can hide the abv so well, makes this so enjoyable.
Jan 01, 2024
 
Rated: 4.21 by retry4z from California

Dec 29, 2023
Photo of LunchMoney
Reviewed by LunchMoney from Minnesota

4.31/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
A chocolate malt in a beer! Pours jet black. At first, I didn’t get a strong smell, but then got a strong sense of the chocolate flavor. It’s delicious. Very dark chocolate flavor goes well with the bitterness of a Russian imperial stout.
Dec 19, 2023
Photo of UncleReemus78
Reviewed by UncleReemus78 from Texas

5/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This stout is probably the best stout out of many that I've tried. It has all the qualities that a stout should have and one thing about this beers chocolate flavor is it came from the special grains and not because they used real chocolate. Adjuncts ruin the natural flavor profiles of the grain, malt, and hops IMO. It's not easy to hide an ABV of 10% either and if I would have been blindfolded when I took the first drink I would have guessed a 6% ABV. I highly recommend this brew to anyone.
Dec 17, 2023
Photo of beercam
Reviewed by beercam from Colorado

4.68/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pretty remarkable brew. Exceptionally unique. A contender with Old Rasputin and Narwhal, but succeeds in different ways.

I think its flavor and feel surpass category rivals. It has a deep piney woodsy smokey chocolate element that others fail to reach. Faint teriyaki in a welcomed way. Gentle intimation of candied cherry, vague, distant blueberry? Maple syrup oatmeal comes in softly. Leather, tobacco, but barely. Anyone complaining of harshness should probably stay away from beers this strong.

Its availability and branding leave a bit to be desired. More information on the bottle itself may help. Super muted smells but aromatics upon the sip and finish redeem.

Absolutely exquisite mastery overall for the style imo. The sooty, chocolately, oaky complexity provides satisfaction for days. The feel is silky, rich, dynamic. The fact it’s 10% is stupendous, a very nimble brew considering. A barrel-aged variant could be next level. Thank you BB for your decades of artistic quality.
Dec 14, 2023
Photo of xxxcjbcxxx
Reviewed by xxxcjbcxxx from Indiana

4.44/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Delish. Can't stop comparing to DuClaw's glitter unicorn w/e beer, so there's that, as far as visuals go. Also, can't notice much that it's 10% because it's so flavorful. Love how there's no actual chocolate in it but still reminiscent of it. Not dark chocolate--BLACK chocolate. :)
(Did a quick search, it's Unicorn Farts, no wonder I didn't remember the name. It raised the standard visually for me, so as to why this component doesn't get a perfect score.)
Dec 10, 2023
Photo of Braunmeister_1943
Reviewed by Braunmeister_1943 from Pennsylvania

4.39/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
A truly amazing RIS! Look, Smell, Taste and Feel are all outstanding! This comes as close to a perfect RIS! This and Bell’s Expedition Stout are the pinnacle of the style!
Dec 03, 2023
 
Rated: 4.28 by GoochVa from Virginia

Dec 01, 2023
 
Rated: 3.75 by Hellpop65 from Kansas

Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Nyoder

Nov 26, 2023
Photo of eak3
Reviewed by eak3 from Missouri

4.71/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
This is a super smooth imperial stout that does not taste like a 10%er. Chocolate upfront and a little bit of tang on the backend. Great pairing for chili, beef or any hearty fall/winter dish.
Nov 20, 2023
Photo of GlenFarclas
Reviewed by GlenFarclas from Connecticut

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Scored from memory - if one considers value there's no comparison (except, as noted below, maybe Narwhal). Will return when I crack into a 2023, also have a 2021 so I'll consider both.
Nov 08, 2023
Photo of benandemmiboo
Reviewed by benandemmiboo from Maryland

4.69/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
When you combine the taste, the impact, and the cost, only Sierra Nevada's Narwhal comes close. Though chocolate is in the name, there is no actual chocolate, with the taste coming from the malts. I love that it's not a dessert beer, that it's strong but easy to drink, and that I can get it for less than $2 per bottle when I buy a whole case. I continue to try new high ABV stouts from local MD breweries, etc, and some are marvelous, but they're never truly superior to Brooklyn's Black Chocolate -- and they're almost always at more than twice the price. And so, to drive home this point, how can someone enjoy a 10% ABV stout for less than $2 per bottle, and not want to get it again? A beer I must never forget when $20 bottles of Bourbon County stout come to town.
Nov 03, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Oktoberfest from Ohio

Nov 03, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by Shenk87 from Pennsylvania

Sep 15, 2023
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

4.04/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Black in color with a fingernail of brown around the rim and covering three quarters of the top. The aroma is of dark chocolate. I’m tasting bitter dark chocolate, dark malt, and some piney hops. The mouth is thick and sticky.
Jul 09, 2023
Photo of KGT426
Rated by KGT426 from Missouri

4.75/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Excellent Stout!
Jun 26, 2023
Black Chocolate Stout from Brooklyn Brewery
Beer rating: 92 out of 100 with 7039 ratings