Baeren Chocolate Stout is a sweet stout advertised annually around the end of the calendar year and is heavily promoted around Valentine’s Day. There seems to be a few variations around; one with the year in the name and others without the year. The year is used to indicate the vintage of Baeren Chocolate Stout so I’m guessing that this beer can be stored for a while. If only I had known.
Chocolate beers and Valentine’s are fast becoming a popular advertising tool.
Baeren Chocolate Stout Aroma and Taste
Chocolate beers and my taste in beer have a long mutual understanding of deep distrust. For some reason, I used to think that I would be getting a nice velvety layer of Cadbury’s chocolate, the UK stuff not the Hershey crap that is supposedly chocolate but tastes like cardboard, on my palate. Young’s Double Chocolate Stout was, and is, a favorite in my house though trying to get it in Japan outside of the fickle Valentine’s window is hard.
Baeren Chocolate Stout has gone some way into helping my buying choices evolve and reminded me strongly of the Young’s Double Chocolate Stout when I was smelling it. Deep roasted coffee smell with a nice lacing of cocoa brought back happy memories of sitting in the Young’s Pub opposite Borough Market, London (GO THERE!). The malt notes were not as potent though still noticeable. Baeren Chocolate Stout’s body was a dark brown colour though the head was fairly minimal and didn’t really stick around.
I find chocolate stouts to be best served at just below room temperature, so after putting on some pork to roast and doing other stuff, Baeren Chocolate Stout had warmed up enough after sitting in the cellar for so long. Japan and Chocolate Stouts have a propensity to be overly sweet at times, verging on sickly though Baeren Chocolate Stout doesn’t get there. Just. While it is chocolatey, it is balanced between the dark and milk chocolate levels. Sometimes its milky and creamy, other times, it’s a little bitter though tasty. It’s a shame that other flavours such as coffee and caramel are lost in the mix though Baeren Chocolate Stout is smooth in the body and aftertaste that you soon forget.
Baeren Chocolate Stout One Line Review
Baeren Chocolate Stout is a smooth, easy-drinking stout that is easy on the chocolate and sweetness levels.
Where to Buy Baeren Chocolate Stout
Baeren Chocolate Stout can be bought from the Baeren homepage here. We bought out bottle from World Beer Market in Kita-Senju here though we have seen it on GoodBeer here and CraftBeers.jp here at the time of writing. We have also heard it is on sale in Nomono and Le Collier too.
