Arcadia Cocoa Loco Triple Chocolate Stout

Brewed By: Arcadia Brewing Company in Battle Creek, Michigan

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack from Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2012

Style/ABV: American Stout, 7.0%

This shit's loco!

Tonight we are getting loco ese, or something. I won't act like I remember anything I learned in Spanish. Tonight's beer is a Stout, brewed with chocolate, molasses, and lactose. The bottle art depicts a woman pouring cocoa from a cocoa plant/pod/whatever into a beer. An oompa-loompa told me you can't go wrong with chocolate. I told him you can't go wrong with free labor. About Arcadia:

Arcadia is a brewery that hails out of Battle Creek, Michigan. The brewery was founded in 1996 as a microbrewery specializing in British-style ales. The brewery produces beer in small batches using brewing techniques that originated in England. The beer is brewed with authentic British equipment, uses malted barley from England, and uses hops from the Pacific Northwest of the United States. 

What's up with these chocolate Stouts anyway? BeerAdvocate is calling today's beer an "American Stout." Ratebeer is calling this beer a Foreign Extra Stout. At 39 IBUs, 7.0% ABV, and featuring the addition of chocolate, molasses, and lactose...this beer could fall within a handful of styles. 

What we do know is that this beer is not a Dry Stout, Oatmeal Stout, or Russian Impy. So that leaves Sweet Stouts, American Stouts, and Foreign Extra Stouts. This thing is outside the ABV of a Sweet Stout, and features chocolate. So it's not a Sweet Stout (or a Milk Stout). This does fall within some of the specs of a Foreign Extra...but the question is: does using chocolate, molasses, and lactose constitute using adjuncts? And looking at the American Stout category, they mention nothing about the use of chocolate or molasses. I'm guessing this is truly a "spice/herb/vegetable" or specialty beer. But who knows. Who cares? I'm happy calling this an American Stout. 

Anyway, if you roll over to Arcadia's Cocoa Loco page, you can get the low down on this beer. This beer uses three different chocolate malts, cocoa nibs, and 63 percent semi-sweet chocolate. The beer also uses molasses, which are supposed to result in an earthy, caramelized tone. Lastly, Arcadia states: "It's creamy, milkshake-like mouthfeel earns this beer the distinction of being dessert in glass." And again, clocking in at 7.0% ABV and 39 IBUs...this is a fairly big beer. Let's get it into a glass and see how it stacks up.

 Arcadia Cocoa Loco

The beer pours with a dark brown body that appears black. The beer poured with one-finger's worth of dark brown head, but the head did not stick around for very long. There are some alcohol legs on this, and the head does pull on the glass, and there is already some lacing. This is not transparent due to the thick body.

Superb aromas on the nose. The lactose and chocolate impart a nice coconut aroma, along with some chocolate and caramel. The nose is really dense and aromatic, and you get some slight booze, along with molasses. I'm also getting bitter chocolate, and a hint of roast. Overall: coconut, chocolate, molasses, slightly vinous, slightly boozy, possibly a hint of rum.

Constrained, complex, and warming are three words I'd use to describe this beer. Up front you get some dark malts, and chocolate profiles. The middle rolls into something sweet; molasses, elusive dark fruits. The back end is drying, with giant chocolate and cocoa notes. Bitter chocolate hits your palate on the back end. The finish is sweet and dry, with hints of lactose. I'm pulling out some coconut and some earthy coffee. I'm definitely getting sweet caramel in here as well. I also get flashes of dark cola in this...

This is quite complex, and boasts a fairly medium-full mouthfeel. As dense as this beer is, it is also rather highly carbonated, which does seem to keep the density down a bit. It is a sweet beer, for sure, and at 7.0% ABV, this beer is boozy enough that you can enjoy (sip) it. Palate depth is good, and complexity is good. Up front is chocolate, caramel; the middle is molasses, fruitiness; the back end is dry, earthy cocoa and coffee; finish is warming, with lingering lactose/coconut/roast.

Rating: Above-Average 

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average rating on this beer. I'm kind of conflicted though. I really like this beer, and I'm loving the subtle complexities and flavors that it brings to the table. On the other hand, I think other beers might bring that full 7.0%, molasses and all, without as much carbonation. But it is a minor gripe, because if anything, it makes this beer all the more easy to drink. So it really comes down to personal preference. Do you want to sip the thing, or drink it? I'll have to sleep on this beer. And by sleep on it, I mean I'll have to drink the other three beers from the 6-pack. *belch*

(highly recommended...<3 Arcadia and I look forward to my next encounter with their beer)