Surprise! We
have a winner here folks. As I sit here sipping beer, listening to classical
music and playing around with beer, I’ve come across a really and truly
delicious and amazing brew: Bison Brewing Organic Chocolate Stout.
This isn’t the first Bison beer I’ve tasted, mind you, but it’s likely the
best. My handy little tasting database tells me I’ve drunk a Bison Wheat
beer in the past, but I don’t recall it.
The Bison Brewery is based in Berkeley, California. They’re a small concern
and brew several varieties of beer, including a few rotating seasonals. You
can pick up their beer in six-packs or in twenty-two ounce bottles. My
Chocolate Stout was packaged in the latter.
When I got home from the liquor store, bottle of Bison Chocolate Stout
carefully tucked beneath an arm like the prize find that it was, I looked
the brewery up on the internet. You can find them at www.bisonbrew.com. To
my dismay, their main claim to fame seemed to be an organic light beer.
Yikes, I said to myself.
After pouring myself a glass of Chocolate Stout, however, I soon discovered
that my fears were ill-founded, indeed. The first delicious sip set my mind
at ease. At 6.1% alcohol by volume, this one is just a tad stronger than
most. It’s just over Georgia’s legal limit, too, although that law becomes
null and void as of July 1st.
The organic bit doesn’t make much difference to me. I don’t see the point of
organic beers. The brewer does, though, and took pains to label the beer as
such. There’s a large seal stating USDA Organic on the top neck.
Bison Chocolate Stout is brewed with real cocoa and you can definitely taste
it. If you love chocolate, this is definitely the beer for you.
Bison Organic Chocolate Stout pours to a jet-black color with a
creamy tan head formation and a decadently rich chocolate nose. The palate
is intense and sinful, packed with rich roasty notes of coffee and licorice.
But most of all, the beer just oozes bittersweet cocoa flavors from the
first smooth and creamy sip right on into the delightfully chocolaty, roasty
bitter finish.
Wow! This is one heck of an impressive brew. Don’t drink it because it’s
organic, even if you normally seek out organic food. Drink it because it’s
delicious. Try a bottle with a rich slice of chocolate cake (or any
chocolate dessert) for a truly chocoholic experience.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For
reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.