Well, folks, here’s another first for me. A beer brewed in Oklahoma. Now, you’d think that after seeking out and enjoying different brews for 30 years I’d have come across a beer brewed in Oklahoma long ago, but according to my beer database of 4458 different brews tasted to date, the answer is no.
Actually, the beer that I’m reviewing today, Choc Belgian Style Dubbel, isn’t my first beer from Choc, so not then my first beer from Oklahoma. That honor goes to Choc Choctoberfest, which I enjoyed at Taco Mac on August 30th, 2013. Choc Belgian Style Dubbel was also a beer I drank on tap at Taco Mac, as I have not seen any beers from this brewery in bottles arrive in Georgia as of this time.
Perhaps one of the reasons that Oklahoma is not famous for beer is because they have such stupid beer laws. To be fair, they are not alone in that. When I moved to the southeast in 2001 most of the states here limited beer to an alcohol content of no more than 6% by volume. That changed state by state until all of the states here now have dispensed with such a foolish notion.
Oklahoma, sadly, has not. If you have a brewpub in Oklahoma, you cannot serve any beers brewed on premises stronger than 4% by volume. And any beer that has more than 4% ABV period has to be sold in a liquor store, and can’t be refrigerated, either. Talk about stupid.
That hasn’t stopped Krebs, Oklahoma based Choc from brewing like gangbusters. A few months ago, Choc upgrade from a 15 to a 50 barrel brewhouse bought from Georgia’s own Sweetwater brewery. You can read about the expansion on NewsOK.com by clicking here. One can only hope that, as in other states, the growing interest in craft beer in Oklahoma will help to get rid of the state’s stupid beer laws.
One thing is for sure, Choc certainly brews up some great beer in the midst of a beer wasteland. I have been impressed with all the Choc beers that I have tried, but more than ever with Choc Belgian Style Dubbel. Choc Belgian Style Dubbel blows that 4% nonsense out of the water with a hefty 8.5 ABV, appropriate to the style of an Abbey Dubbel. I paid $6.50 for a 20 ounce glass at Taco Mac, though if you don’t have a Brewniversity Bachelors degree (125 different beers tasted here) you’ll only get 16. Still, that’s better than the 11 ounce pours on high gravity beers from some brewers that only supply small kegs or overprice their beer.
My mug of Choc Belgian Style Dubbel arrived a dark murky brown color with a surprisingly nondescript nose, though that proved to be deceiving as the palate is full of flavor. Upon sipping I got glorious notes of dark toasted nuts, chocolate, molasses, raisin, figs-really just loads of dark fruit here. Some funky Belgian yeast notes show up towards the finish and then the alcohol warms at the last. What a beautiful beer, as a connoisseur of dubbels I very much enjoyed this brew. It’s one that should not be missed, if you have the chance to try it.
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.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft