Jun 8, 2015

O’Connor Brewing Chocolate Chipotle Belgian Stout

I’ve been hearing good things about O’Connor Brewing for a little while now, but hadn’t come across any of their products until I spied this bottle from their Steel Battalion Series. Chocolate Chipotle Belgian Stout is about as good a description as you’re going to get for this one. It’s a 7.5% ABV Belgian-style stout with a healthy does of cocoa and brings a soft tingle of peppery heat to tease the palate.

Beyond that, there’s doesn’t appear to be a whole lot of information on the beer in particular. It’s a tasty beer and served as an excellent introduction to the company. Now, if I can only find some of the flagship products in shops, then I’ll be excited.

Appearance

The beer pours black as night with a dense head of foam that let behind decent lacing as it dropped.

O'connor Brewing Chocolate Chipotle Belgian Stout

Aroma

Subtle notes of cocoa, yeast and chipotle mingle nicely as spice notes and a touch of roast coffee linger int he background.

Taste

The beer is much earthier than expected with a good roast and latent tingle of chipotle peppers. Hints of dark chocolate and coffee fill in with a touch of yeast and burnt caramel. The yeast and pepper spiciness remind of cinnamon a touch. The beer is full-bodied with a slightly sharp carbonation. A moderate sweetness lingers int he warming and lightly drying finish.

Overall

I can think of nothing better than a good stout to start a relationship with a brewery. And O’Connor’s Chocolate Chipotle Belgian Stout is as solid an introduction as you can get. I like the flavor and late-forming pepper heat. I look forward to finding/trying more of their products in the future.

Rating: 3.75/5

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