Campanology Chocolate Babka Pastry Stout
Octopi Brewing in Waunakee, Wisconsin, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Pastry / Flavoured - Imperial Regular|
Score
7.30
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Appearance - 9 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
I have a 22 oz bomber picked up at a Trader Joe’s in Dallas about 2.5 years ago, one of my few big bottles remaining. It is opened and going into a Cowtown snifter. I see a mahogany body finished by a strong head of dark khaki foam that quickly settles. The scent is chocolate fudge, scorched grain and a hint of vanilla. The taste is, I have to say, surprisingly good. Cocoa powder, chocolate cake, licorice, toasted malts and just maybe a bit of black plums. Moderately sweet and there is a slight bitterness offset. The alcohol is completely covered. I recall this beer being a bargain when purchased, doubt I’ll ever see one again. Unfortunate.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Deep dark brown coloured body with a pretty thick off-white head, around three centimetres tall. Aroma of deep sugars with some brown sugar, light molasses and a good deal of chocolate all noticeable, but the malt and alcohol are strong as well. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong rich malts show at first with a lot of chocolate and other sweetness, but the malts provide enough support here, with a good kick of bitterness from the grainy side of the malts and some burnt sugars as well. Aftertaste shows some lactose and creaminess with a light dose of vanilla here as well, but the chocolate comes out pretty strongly afterwards and gives off a nice sweetness to couple with some molasses notes, all showing some (not the full amount) alcohol burn towards the end. Overall, a pretty nice Imperial Stout with a very rich characteristic from the malts, but the sugars, especially the chocolate and molasses provide some relief from the richness and a light bitterness balances things out nicely. Overall, a pretty nice beer with a good sweetness, but nice balance - not too rich and not too sweet, but enjoyable throughout. Good to sample, especially in the Christmas season! I sampled this 65 cL bottle, purchased from Trader Joe's in Washington (West End/Georgetown), D.C. on 24-November-2021 for US$3,99 sampled just over a year later at my Mom's house in Manassas, Virginia on Christmas Day 2022 with my wife and three kids celebrating the holiday.
gave a cheers!
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Bomber from Trader Joe's. Near black pour, creamy beige head. Head lasts and provides a nice cap throughout. Aroma is chocolate, reminiscent of Hershey's syrup. Taste is sweet chocolate, sugary, faint bitterness. Overall, kind of thick and creamy.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Bottle from Trader Joes. Pours opaque dark brown with large spongy beige head, mocha-alcohol aroma, mildly sweet dark chocolate taste with bitter cocoa and alcohol undertones, thin smooth body, long chocolate finish. Nice and fulfilling, with some alcohol aftertaste.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8.5
Bottle. Black beer with a brown head. Chocolate and vanilla aroma with light caramel. Big dark chocolate flavor with vanilla and light caramel. Medium bodied. Big dark chocolate and vanilla linger with caramel and light custard. Chocolate pudding.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 8
Bottle purchased from my local Trader Joes. $3.99! Great price point for an okay beer. Poured a nearly pitch black color with a medium sized brown head. Aroma was a lot of hot chocolate powder, cream. Roasted malts, hot chocolate with marshmallows. Alcohol is just about right too. A touch sweet and there's a very light artificial note to it, but like the other one I had along with this one, that price point is no joke.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Bomber from Trader Joe's in Davis, CA. Pours very dark brown/black with a beige/tan head. Indeed the aroma suggests a chocolate doughnut of the finer kind - like Entemann's. Not that those are the best ever, just among the best that come in boxes to the grocery store. Pretty full in body. The chocolate flavor is excellent - much like nice donut icing. There's a trace of heat. It is not at all dry, but not sticky. Surprising drink.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Bomber from Trader Joe's Bakersfield. Nose is cocoa, raised doughnuts, and chocolate sweetness. Black with a medium, heavy lacing, cinnamon tan head. Flavor is sweet chocolate doughnut sticks, like dessert in a bottle.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Bomber all to myself on the evening of 2nd Jan 2020. Went very well with a bowl full of Dark Chocolate and Sea Salt, Caramel Sweet Corn Clusters.Nice dark body, tanned head. Heavy chocolate nose and flavour, malty molasses certainly rule the taste, the hops not really showing themselves at all. Nice smooth and sweet brew, hides the alcohol very well.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6
Bottle. Pours black. Chocolate, sweet, milk chocolate, chocolate syrup. No malt complexity. Full body. Fine.