New beer from the brewery that started off quietly with rather unassuming Belgian ales twenty years ago but was taken over and has produced several decidedly non-Belgian style beers since then – with this chocolate stout continuing that trend. From tap at Dok Brewing Festival. Papery lacing, yellowish beige, mousy head on a black beer with hazy burgundy edge. Aroma of dried figs, toffee and indeed actual black chocolate, candied dates, ‘Chocotoff’ candy, caramel sauce, chewing gum, rubber, haemoglobin-like iron. Sweetish onset, touch of banana, fig, medium carb, rounded and silky mouthfeel, peanutty and toffeeish maltiness, sweetish and bitterish with indeed a touch of bitter chocolate; ‘Belgian’ bubblegum lingers along with a light metallic effect, some sticky sweetness from the chocolate contrasts a bit with a roasty-chicory and herbal-hoppy bitter finish. Old school chocolate stout reminiscent of what English classic brewer Young’s did so many years ago, but with a clear Belgian streak to it. Not bad, but could have been a bit more expressive perhaps.

06/07/2019 - tasting glass @DOK Brewing Festival 2019 Brown colour, small head. Nose is dark malts, chocolate. Taste is dark malts, soft roast, milk chocolate.

Huge russet-beige head, fien and dense, over reddish black beer. Roast, chocolate, hint of ureum, and a sweetish background. Bitter, very roasty, bitter chocolate, meatroast, dark berries. Tad metallic. Quite well-bodied, very slick to viscous; well-carbonated. Nice stout. Gives the impression of being stronger, more ABV than mentionned. Thanks to Louis and Mathieu!

sample shared @ Bruges Beer Festival 2019 day 1. with 77ships, tderoeck and nathanvc. F: thin, tan, not long lasting. C: black, opaque. A: chocolate, cocoa, bit ash, roasted tones, espresso. T: roasted malts, coffee, cocoa, espresso, medium to full body, medium carbonation, not bad actually, enjoyed.

2 February 2019. At Brugs Bierfestival. Cheers to tderoeck, 77ships, Jerre, Kevin & Anke! Cloudy black with a lasting, small, foamy, beige head; some lacing. Aroma of chocolate powder, fondant, toast, tobacco, coffee roast, burnt wood, chicory. Taste is light malty sweet, chocolatey as expected, brown bread & walnut; light to medium roasted bitter then, notes of basic coffee roast, toast, tobacco, a bit powdery, slight touch of salty licorice. Dryish, herbal hoppy finish, lingering coffee roast & fondant. Medium body, oily texture, soft carbonation. Nice addition to the Viven series, but nothing overwhelming to the (craft) beer scene as a whole.

Thanks for sharing tderoeck + Rubin77 + nathanvc! Sampled bottled @ Bierfestival Brugge 2019. Black with a mocha head. Nose is grainy chocolate, thin basic chocolate, faint roast. Taste is basic grainy chocolate, mocha, basic quite BE with some chicory, dark fruit, thin chocolate,… Faint umami. Bit thin and grainy. Okay but not great, still proves only worthwhile Viven beers are the ones made at De Proefbrouwerij.

Imported from my RateBeer account as Viven Chocolate Stout (by Brouwerij van Viven):
Aroma: 7/10, Appearance: 3/5, Taste: 7/10, Palate: 3/5, Overall: 13/20, MyTotalScore: 3.3/5

2/II/19 - sample @ Brugs Bierfestival, BB: n/a - (2019-167) Thanks to the Belgian ratebeer crew for sharing todays' beers!
Clear dark purple brown beer, small creamy beige head, little stable, non adhesive. Aroma: ashtray, charcoal, smoky touch, very intense harsh roast, malty, some grains. MF: ok carbon, medium body. Taste: very roasted start, bitter, ashtray, some charcoal, pretty bitter. Aftertaste: slightly fruity, dark chocolate, more bitter and harsh roast. I prefer them a bit sweeter, and more on the chocolatey side rather than charcoal.