destrekor
Lifer
So I just finished my bottle of Dogfish Head's Theobroma. It's a beer brewed with cocoa and various other spices and ingredients.
It's very surprising, in multiple ways.
[It's a 9% beer, so the surprises are coupled with that.]
First, after I poured it, I was amazed at how light it was. It's got a nice red ale color, the head isn't very stable and doesn't seem to be very carbonated, but it doesn't seem to be lacking too much either. Feels like a beer when drinking it. (Recently finally found Sam Adams Double Bock and gave that a try. less carbonated it seems, and starts treading toward "not as beer like as other beers, but still beer" territory. also, very very rich, and kind of sweet. but delicious.)
I take a sip, and in no way does it make it obvious it's a stronger beer. It doesn't have a potent bite, and isn't very heavy feeling. It doesn't need to be a sipping beer, unlike the SA Double Bock, which was quite heavy and rich, it demanded to be sipped. Both are very enjoyable.
It's flavor is wonderful. The cocoa flavor is in the background at first, and it leaves a mild aftertaste of having just taken a sip of a cold cocoa beverage. But the other flavors in the beer complement it very well, the spices are balanced and it doesn't make you gag with an overwhelming chocolate-only flavor. Not a single flavor really dominates, and none really compete for your attention. The chocolate is an attention grabber, but imho, going into it, you know you are drinking a cocoa beer, so you might be looking for it more. Otherwise, you get a nice hint of cocoa in the sipping process, with the only standout cocoa presence being in the aftertaste, and even then notes of other spices are present and complement the combined flavor, which works excellently to act as a middle ground between the beer base and the cocoa's presence, blending them all together in a very complementary way.
I'd definitely recommend this as something to have on rare occasions. I'll purchase it again, but not often. And that's if I can find it when I'm on campus. Big beverage center here in my hometown that has a ton of imported and specialty brews.
At 11.99, the 750ml bottle (1 pint, 9ish oz) isn't cheap. But it being a 9% ABV beer, and it obviously being marketed as a specialty beer, it's worthwhile.
Something to split between two people as a reward, or to go with a fine dinner (no idea what main course this beer would complement the best, any ideas?), I'd highly recommend this.
It's very surprising, in multiple ways.
[It's a 9% beer, so the surprises are coupled with that.]
First, after I poured it, I was amazed at how light it was. It's got a nice red ale color, the head isn't very stable and doesn't seem to be very carbonated, but it doesn't seem to be lacking too much either. Feels like a beer when drinking it. (Recently finally found Sam Adams Double Bock and gave that a try. less carbonated it seems, and starts treading toward "not as beer like as other beers, but still beer" territory. also, very very rich, and kind of sweet. but delicious.)
I take a sip, and in no way does it make it obvious it's a stronger beer. It doesn't have a potent bite, and isn't very heavy feeling. It doesn't need to be a sipping beer, unlike the SA Double Bock, which was quite heavy and rich, it demanded to be sipped. Both are very enjoyable.
It's flavor is wonderful. The cocoa flavor is in the background at first, and it leaves a mild aftertaste of having just taken a sip of a cold cocoa beverage. But the other flavors in the beer complement it very well, the spices are balanced and it doesn't make you gag with an overwhelming chocolate-only flavor. Not a single flavor really dominates, and none really compete for your attention. The chocolate is an attention grabber, but imho, going into it, you know you are drinking a cocoa beer, so you might be looking for it more. Otherwise, you get a nice hint of cocoa in the sipping process, with the only standout cocoa presence being in the aftertaste, and even then notes of other spices are present and complement the combined flavor, which works excellently to act as a middle ground between the beer base and the cocoa's presence, blending them all together in a very complementary way.
I'd definitely recommend this as something to have on rare occasions. I'll purchase it again, but not often. And that's if I can find it when I'm on campus. Big beverage center here in my hometown that has a ton of imported and specialty brews.
At 11.99, the 750ml bottle (1 pint, 9ish oz) isn't cheap. But it being a 9% ABV beer, and it obviously being marketed as a specialty beer, it's worthwhile.
Something to split between two people as a reward, or to go with a fine dinner (no idea what main course this beer would complement the best, any ideas?), I'd highly recommend this.
