Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout.

The 11-12 gave a much bigger hiss on popping the cap. The 10-11 is much breadier is both smell and taste. I had initially thought that the 10-11 had taken on a hotter, harsher edge, but comparing against the 11-12, it's actually lighter, smoother, mellower than the 11-12. The 11-12 is pretty up-front with bitter malts, coffee, and even a little boozy heat. The 10-11, I've decided, is bitter in more of a dark chocolate way than anything else. It's just very smooth and dangerously drinkable, leaving not much residue, and the linger is just long enough to be pleasant and short enough to bring you in for more.

Bison Chocolate Stout.

I had been sitting on this bottle for a while as I had bought a 6-pack a while ago, drank one, liked it, and then pulled 4 for swag. So I'm finally getting around to it. Bison is already a great brewery in my book. In my experience, the organic gimmick is usually applied at the expense of quality, but Bison pulls it off. This bottle is not as rich and stunning as I remember, but the core quality is still there. It's chocolate-y and as smooth as Guinness without being nitro'd. Aroma is slightly coffee-based. Actually, I'm a little disappointed this time around. I remember it being like a chocolate brownie but this one falls a little flat. Bummer.

• Appearance: Opaque, typical stout/porter appearance. Light tan head, mostly ring with a little moss.
• Smell: Mild cold coffee.
• Taste: Slightly chocolate-y and slightly bready. Not as intense as I remember.
• Mouthfeel: Very smooth, low carb, Guinness Draught-like. Clean finish and relatively light-bodied.
• Drinkability and Overall: A pleasant drinking, pleasant tasting stout. It's light enough that it's not going to weigh you down but still flavorful enough that it can pair with a meal. A reasonable 5%ABV.

Guinness Chocolate Cheesecake.

From Kevin. Made this about as healthy as I could. Since I was using a shallow 9-inch pan and not a springform, I cut the creme cheese to two packages. I used one "fat free" and one "1/3 less fat". I also used one less egg and half the amount of dark chocolate chips but bumped up the amount of cocoa powder. Turned out reasonably well. Should have used more cocoa powder and sugar as it had a bit more tang than I would have preferred. Not sure where the Guinness went; a stronger stout may be in order.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake.

From Deb. I subbed 2 eggs and a cup of water for the cup of oil, an alternative to applesauce or melted butter. I didn't have 8" pans which I have no discovered is pretty critical as 6-7" Pyrex dishes are not as well suited. The cake turned out a bit sponge-y, firm skins, and not as moist as I would have liked. I was a little short on the peanut butter but the frosting turned out well enough.

Southern Tier Mokah.

A blend between their Javah and Choklat. I actually haven't had their Javah, but from the way this tastes, I'd like to try it. I think ST's Choklat is an impressive brew because thy really nail the chocolate and its sweetness (as opposed to simply using chocolate malt, trying to recreate chocolate flavors, or ultimately yielding something more akin to cocoa), and their typically heavy, sticky body works well there.

I can clearly taste the Choklat here, and then something like coffee. Pretty tasty brew. I'd be interested in trying Javah, Choklat, and Mokah side by side.

Rogue Chocolate Stout.

Mild chocolate, thin body, no carbonation. Normally, the tobacco tones in chocolate beers tend to be a pleasant and rich flavor, but with the lack of medium, it ends up being more like tobacco juice.

Peanut Butter Lollies.

From Hot Garlic. First time candy making. It's long and obnoxious. But it turns out to be pretty simple. I dipped half the batch in chocolate, but I didn't get the crunchy shell I was going for. Meh.