# Is a Chocolate Stout Supposed to be Flat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2007, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977 "2007-11-02T05:01:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zany_Zeolite_Zipper)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/1 "2007-11-02T05:01:57Z")
Ugh, it’s been one hell of a week. Effing midterms, assignments, and I’m so backed up on shit I decided to get pessed. shit.]\ So anyway I bought a bottle of Chocolate Stout from one of those places that brews all of their (his or her) beer on site, and it was totally flat. The beer itself was pretty meh. It was supposed to have cherry flavouring, but you could only smell a bit of fruit, there was no actual cherry taste. Maybe a fruity ester or two, stupid chemistry. It had less of that tangy mollassassy taste of guninees than an ale, and so the only redeeming quality was that this was, quite possibly the cheapest beer I ever bought: 7$ for 2L, and thats the night price! I like that tangy taste, Big Rock Beer’s Traditional Ale is one of my favorites, but this beer was just crap, it wasn’t creamy or anything, just water, but it worked – gravity;s all screwballs over here. I’m kind of annoyed, the sign said they had a red beer, which is what I wanted, but they were sold out. Eh, they probably would have screwed it up anyway. So anyway, are Choclate Stoutes supposed to be carbonated like everything else, or are they supposed to be flat like that cold tomato soup? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/2 "2007-11-02T10:32:16Z")
Stouts are ales, just FYI. Also, typically a chocolate stout may or may not have the same bitter characteristics as a Guinness, which is an Irish stout. The latter style is supposed to be bitter, but there are other styles of stouts which may be made, and this place might have preferred a less bitter stout style to carry the chocolate flavor. If the beer was indeed completely flat, that was probably an error in carbonation. I can’t off the top of my head think of any beers that are intended to be “still.” The cherry flavoring might be a mistake, might be their preferred style. I made a raspberry stout where there was a raspberry scent, but the flavor was extremely subtle, more like a hard-to-define (if you hadn’t sniffed the beer or knew what it was) sweetness lurking around behind the malt and bitter; it provided a good balance of flavor. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/3 "2007-11-02T13:28:41Z")
Most chocolate stouts have a bit of carbonation, but not as much as ales. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/4 "2007-11-02T13:50:21Z")
Guiness extra stout is pretty flat. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/5 "2007-11-02T14:45:30Z")
Was it Draught? Or just can or bottle? ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/6 "2007-11-02T14:53:16Z")
I’m assuming, based on the 2L quantity, and a “brew their own” comment, that it came from the local brewpub in a 2L (1/2 gal) glass growler. It was filled off of the bartap to order. I’ve found that in general, brewpub stouts tend to be flatter than their other beers. Beer dispensed from the tap to the growler, will also lose a bit more carbonation. (The beer foams up at the time of the dispensing, and releases much of the CO2) The caps they use also are not very good at holding carbonation. (Homebrewers use a different cap to keep all of the pressure in, but they cost more). It’s likely that a different style of beer would transport better. Have you tried a pint direct from the tap in the bar? ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/7 "2007-11-02T15:15:51Z")
What **butler** said. Also, $7 is pretty standard for half a gallon when you provide your own growler. ---
**Author:** ![Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/4af34b/32.png) [@Zany\_Zeolite\_Zipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zany_Zeolite_Zipper)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/8 "2007-11-02T16:09:05Z")
It came in a 2L red plastic bottle from the offsale shop right beside the actual pub. I thought the price was quite cheap because right beside it was six packs (of a different brand of beer) going for about $14-15. During the day I can find canned beer for about $10-12, I still think I made off well on that side. I’ve never actually gone into the bar side; I think I will though, just to see was the beer was supposed to taste like. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/9 "2007-11-02T17:32:32Z")
Moved from General Questions to Cafe Society. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/10 "2007-11-02T18:21:33Z")
A proper chocolate stout is supposed to be lightly carbonated, not flat. There should be a bit of head on the glass, but not the big, foamy “beer commercial” head. If somebody washed the glass with regular soap, that will kill the foam but won’t change the remaining “fizz” in the beer. If it tasted completely flat, something was wrong. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/11 "2007-11-03T01:28:03Z")
OK, here’s a question from a total ignoramus: I’ve heard of chocolate stout, but don’t know what it is. It’s not supposed to actually taste of chocolate, is it? Is it just really dark brown? 'Cause I’m confused. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/12 "2007-11-03T01:30:53Z")
Yes, it does, in fact, taste of chocolate. Through the judicious use of roasted and toasted malts, you can get a quite nice flavor profile going. Hersey’s it ain’t, but there is a definite taste of chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/13 "2007-11-03T01:37:24Z")
I didn’t miss the edit window, you stupid machine! Anyway, the name derives from the specially-kilned malt used, which gives it a chocolate color. Some breweries actually use some chocolate in the mash, however. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/14 "2007-11-03T01:38:28Z")
Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is a lovely example of a truly chocolately version. ---
**Author:** ![Ellef](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8dc957/32.png) [@Ellef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellef)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/15 "2007-11-03T08:08:31Z")
[QUOTE=Ferret Herder] Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is a lovely example of a truly chocolately version. [/QUOTE] That’s exactly the one I was going to recommend, and it is indeed chocolatey. Theakston’s Old Peculiar is very similar. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2007, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/16 "2007-11-03T15:43:06Z")
Hah, so it’s both. OK, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/17 "2007-11-04T23:57:22Z")
There are even some milk chocolate stouts. Some stouts have a bit of Lactose (milk sugars) added for the yeast to consume. When done right it is a very smooooooth beer, ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-chocolate-stout-supposed-to-be-flat/424977/18 "2007-11-05T00:01:34Z")
What a coincidence, I’m drinking my first ever chocolate stout right now, and just got done calling a buddy to tell him that “THEY HAVE CHOCOLATE BEER NOW.” It’s a Sam Adams brew, officially called “cream stout”, and it’s sort of mediocre, but I can definitely sense the possibilities.