Young's Double Chocolate Stout

So, here I am, looking at old reviews, and shaking my head. This one that I will next share with you will be edited, and you will have no idea how many exclamation points were in the original. In hindsight, even though the letters are not capitalized, it seems like shouting. Somehow, I had no idea while I was writing it, but it does show enthusiasm, which I had in spades for Young's Double Chocolate Stout, and still do, of course.

Young's was one of my favorite English ale breweries way back when, and it's sad to see them absorbed by Wells, with only the brands and beers remaining, though not all of them. It doesn't hold a candle to the current crop of barley-wines, but, boy, did I use to love Young's Old Nick and it's devilish   label, as well as the naughty sounding Dirty Dick's. Their Oatmeal Stout went down my gullet quite often, as well. All three of those are gone, but thank heavens Double Chocolate Stout is still around.

And so, here is my April, 2003 notes with an untold amount of exclamation marks excised:


Color is a solid black, with a large, lush, lovely brown head.

Aroma: soft and creamy, with a subdued cocoa content, sweet and mild.
 On the palate, however, things take a change for the decidedly better.

Niiiiiice, oh, so, nice, with substantial chocolate feeling, although it doesn't actually come in strong at first. At the end of the swallow, there it is, that real chocolate essence. WOW! Ever so tasty, and I'm not even such a chocolate nut, but you've got to give it up, there it is, and it tastes great.

Hops are minimal, here, and malt is king. Texture is smooth, and taste is sublime.

Fully integrated, perfectly balanced, this is one excellent stout, with an inpsired addition of flavor.

The delicious flavor never ever ends after the bottle empties, but the flavor lingers long after.

(By the way, these old notes were written from a bottle, which I preferred over the nitro-can, which was recently released, and I noted that (taken out from this version, with the exclamations) in my original review. The can is what I have now, though, and I am no longer opposed to it, but do still prefer this one without the nitrogen. Also, I thought it would look cool to photograph in mid-cascade.)