Kelso Chocolate Lager

Brewed By: Greenpoint Beerworks
Brewed In: Brooklyn, NY
ABV: 6.5%
Type: Schwarzbier

What They Say: Purchased as a growler at the Bowery Whole Foods. The website succinctly states: “Full, rich flavors of bittersweet chocolate and fresh espresso are mellowed by the traditional clean finish of this dark lager.”

Website: Serviceable. It looks like an out-of-the-box Flash template but it’s at least lightweight enough that there’s no irritating “WE PROMISE THE SITE IS LOADING” bar. Not quite sure about the wood-paneling background. It’s kind of reminiscent of my grandparent’s choice of living room decor or really ugly stationwagons. Is this just hippy Greenpoint ironic-ism?

Why I Picked It: Kelso is a brand I’ve only sampled at one of the cask festivals at the Brazen Head bar in Brooklyn. Since the growler that I was expecting was not available, Chocolate Lager was the next best sounding seasonal on the list.

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Presentation (5): Kelso has clearly decided to compete with Sixpoint for Brooklyn’s “too cool to advertise” title. Unless you’re someone in the Gotham Beer Snob circle (and by that I mean someone who attends cask festivals or occasionally visits bars like Rattle ‘n Hum, Puck Fair, or dba) you’ve probably never heard of the brand. Since I’m pretty sure they’re still too small to really advertise, and too small to even bottle, I can’t fairly rate their presentation. n/a

Originality (5): I’ve only seen one previous chocolate lager and that was in the Saranac 12 Beers Of Winter in 2006 or 2007. Interestingly, one of the only other Google hits for chocolate lager is a Michelob product. Go figure. I’m not quite sure if the fact Michelob makes one should be a strike or not. 5

Body (10): An amazingly light body for the heavy flavor and far less dry than it has any right to be. It pours a beautiful dark amber with a quarter-inch, creamy, persistent head. This beautifully fresh beer laces the glass the entire way down. Just enough carbonation to enhance the chocolate. Great consistency for the style and somehow lager lightness with heavy porter/stout flavors. Well done. 10

Taste (10): This beer is really everything I’ve ever wanted in a beer. The chocolate flavor is bold with just a hint of espresso in the finish. The lagering left it surprisingly not dry so all the bold, bitter flavors of a porter or stout are available with none of the dryness which is amazing. Greenpoint expertly didn’t go way overboard with the sweetening process, choosing instead to let the carbonation do the work to keep the tongue distracted. How they kept this beer from the sickly sweetness or dry maltiness that affects most beers with these flavors is a trade secret worth my love. 10

Efficiency (10): Only available in Growler form, which means Whole Foods will get you a half-gallon (64 oz.) pour for under $10. Combined with a great flavor and a huge ABV, this might be one of the best beer deals one can find in a city where six-packs (72 oz.) can be well over $10. One complaint about this beer it’s that two are enough. The bold flavors, while delicious, can be a bit too much and the big taste of the high ABV is apparent. In no way is the beer bad, and I found myself constantly wanting more, but at a certain point I just couldn’t drink it anymore… and that was after two pints. 7

Versatility (10): The same things mentioned above are also strikes here. It is simply too big for most situations. The high ABV makes it a tough bar beer and relegates it to the unfortunate realm of “12 oz. pour”. Although one or two glasses are delicious, settling down with it for an evening might be difficult. There’s just not a lot to be done with it. 3

The Snob Sez: Kelso’s Chocolate Lager joins the pantheon of my favorite winter seasonals with Samuel Adams’ Winter Lager and Brooklyn’s Black Chocolate Stout. Excellent first purchase for me from Greenpoint.

Final Score: 35 (of 45) = 38.8 (of 50) = 39 (of 50) – Really good beer

Related posts:

1. Friday Beer Snob: Samuel Adams Winter Classics 2009 – Winter Lager
2. Friday Beer Snob: Blue Point Winter Ale
3. Friday Beer Snob: Saranac Adirondack Trail Mix Series – Adirondack Lager
4. Friday Beer Snob: Brooklyn Black Ops

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