New Feature - Grading Beers: #1 Chocolate Coconut Stout

The other day, I sampled Winter's Bourbon Cask Ale, and I used the 20-point evaluation scale I wrote about last year. I intend to sample a lot of beers in a lot of different places and record my evaluations. I will share these evaluations in the future at irregular intervals.

What I'd like to do today is evaluate my Chocolate Coconut stout using the scale.

Appearance (0-3 pts.): For some reason, this beer is overcarbonated. I have poured almost a quarter of it without CO2 attached. As a result, each glass starts off 3/4 foam. The foam is tan and the beer is brownish-black. The first pours leave coco residue along the sides. The more you drink, though, the more that clears up and the beer becomes black. I give this a 1.

Aroma/Bouquet (0-4 pts.): This smells of malt, chocolate, which is a good thing, and of a little coconut. I notice just a hint of hops. Somehow, the aroma isn't as nice as I'd hoped, so I give it a 2.

Taste (0-10 pts.):
Hop/Malt balance (4 points): I give it a 4. It's very malty without much hop taste.
Aftertaste (3 pts.): There is some hop bitterness, but it is masked by the cocunut extract. It's a bit strong, like many stouts, so I give this a 3.
Mouthfeel (3 pts.): I have to admit, this one was tough. At first, the beer was a little gritty from the coco powder. Now that most of that has been dispensed, the beer is silky and smooth. But it is over carbonated. I give it 2 points.

Overall Impression (1-3 pts.): I'm giving it a 2, because I am not happy with the coco powder. I was hoping for a more subtle chocolate flavor.

That makes this beer a 14 on our 20-point scale.

I will brew this again and see how it fares without the cocoa powder.