Ommegang’s Chocolate Indulgence

Today was a busy day.  As my time in Atlanta winds down, the day was filled with yet more packing, and the bottling of my previously mentioned chocolate coffee oatmeal stout, tentatively named Chocolate Goat after the beers use of chocolate and dark malts, and the coffee which is called Dancing Goats, a local favorite here in the city (I had a sample of the green, uncarbonated beer, and am looking forward to drinking it when bottle conditioned a little more.)

Also, thanks to a local beer market, Ale Yeah, and their twitter account, I learned that today, July 21^st, is the day that Belgium celebrates its independence. As well, thanks to their twitter feed, my wife was aware, and intrigued, to learn about Ommegang’s Chocolate Indulgence, a chocolate stout brewed with Belgian Yeast.

I joked with Haley that if Cathy, the comic strip character,was a craft beer drinker, the name alone would make this her favorite.

Haley, who has also never proclaimed a love for Mondays, however is a craft beer drinker, and loves Chocolate stouts as a special treat. Wanting an excuse to purchase a beer that I would usually avoid based on its price tag, I found it easier than usual to put 26 bucks on a growler when done as a gift to my wife.

Pouring into a chalice that I got free with the purchase of a growler, the elixir came out a wondrously opaque black and was topped with a cumulous like, toffee colored head (the picture I took was not indicative of the pours taken afterward, I am a bit over cautious when initial decant from a growler.)  

The nose was warm, with the predominant notes of coffee and chocolate attacking the olfactory glands , with a slight yeast or bready tone on the backend.

The first sip was heavy on the palate, with a thick, rich, velvety and somewhat dry mouthfeel. Flavors of dark, rich chocolate and coffee take hold of my attention on the first sip. As my tongue became accustomed to the stronger flavors, notes of fruit, mostly of banana, round out the backend, and bring an unusual and distinct flavor combination. A very slight alcohol hotness was also present, but did not detract from overall enjoyment of the beer.

If not for the price tag (although I can taste an argument for the outlay of its price tag,) I would recommend this beer to every beer drinker. The stout in question was everything a great chocolate stout should be, with a little something more to keep it interesting.

Prost!