Starr Hill Double Bass
I like a rich, chocolatey stout for dessert — a rich, decadent brew to sip on the remainder of the evening. Starr Hill’s Double Bass is labeled as a double chocolate stout, but it doesn’t really fall into the realm of those cloyingly sweet after-meal treats. And I think that’s why I enjoyed the lightly robust stouts as much as I did.
This 7.8% ABV stout certainly has a solid chocolate character, but it’s driven by an earthy backbone. The cocoa powder used in the brewing process mingles with grain notes, caramel, espresso, anise and a touch of vanilla smoothly. A decent bit of hop bitterness helps keep everything in check and balanced out, taming any possibility of becoming too sweet. Double Bass has lightly warming finish that treats you just right on a cold Winter evening.
Sometimes you want a really sweet beer to end the night. Other times, you need a beer like Starr Hill’s Double Bass. It brings plenty of chocolate and smooth coffee roastiness to the drinking experience, but keeps everything reigned in with a welcome earthiness and moderate hop bite. I thoroughly enjoyed this beer and its mellow, bittersweet chocolate character.
This is a review of a promotional sample.