As many of you know, Boulevard Chocolate Ale was released yesterday in Kansas City. Just like last year’s release, it sold out extremely fast. (Oddly enough, it has been available in Springfield, Missouri for nearly three weeks.) I noticed on facebook and twitter that many people (including my father) were not able to get as much as they wanted if any at all. Luckily, there are some excellent chocolate beers available that are just as delicious and appropriate for Valentines Day. Unfortunately, I can not think of a beer that directly compares to the Boulevard Chocolate Ale. In my experience, all chocolate beers tend to vary significantly. Most chocolate beers are stouts (which I prefer and Boulevard Chocolate Ale is not) and each brewer uses a different chocolatier. The differences in chocolate beers is further complicated by factors such as the percentage cocoa and origin or “terroir” of the chocolate. Of course, the beer itself plays an extremely important role in the final taste as well. Still, there are some excellent chocolate beers available. Here are a few of the more common ones.

1) Southern Tier Choklat: This beer has ten times the chocolate flavor as any beer I have ever tasted. There is no other way to explain it, the Southern Tier Choklat is thick and creamy with an extreme amount of chocolate and alcohol. In other words dangerously delicious.

2) Dogfish Head Theobroma: This is one of the few beers containing chocolate, that (like the Boulevard Chocolate) is not dark. Theobroma is based on an Aztec recipe and includes ancho chillis and Springfield’s own Askinosie Chocolate. Unfortunately Dogfish Head does not distribute to Missouri. Still, this beer should not be extremely difficult to find online or in nearby states, it is worth the effort.

3) O’Fallon Cherry Chocolate Beer: This beer is similar in color to the Boulevard Chocolate Ale as well, but adds a cherry twist. It tastes like Tootsie Pops! The Cherry Chocolate Beer is a seasonal that comes out in November, however, there may still be some six packs floating around.

4) Young’s Double Chocolate Stout: This is one of the longest running and most widely available chocolate beer options you will find. The Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is not overwhelmingly chocolaty and highly drinkable. It is an excellent alternative for beer drinkers and non beer drinkers alike.

5) Rogue Chocolate Stout and Double Chocolate Stout: I included both of these beers together because they are both excellent  and chocolaty but not to the extreme. The Rogue Chocolate Stout is 6.0% abv while its big brother the Double Chocolate Stout is 8% abv.

If you are a beer nerd and  willing to do some work or spend a little bit more money you may try to secure a bottle of Sexual Chocolate from Foothills Brewing Company (only 1800 bottles will be released this year), Perrennial Abraxas, Ommegang Seduction or Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout from Cigar City (another extremely limited release beer only available on Hunahpu’s Day (March 10) at Cigar City). I personally would like to try Saltaire Brewery’s Triple Chocoholic, but I doubt that is even available in the US.

P.S. The draft only Samuel Adams Chocolate Cherry Bock that I have written about previously is currently back on tap at Patton Ally Pub.

Related posts:

1. Samuel Adams Cherry Chocolate Bock (Review)
2. Boulevard Hoppy Wheat and Lagunitas Sucks Holiday Ale (Review)
3. Ten Beers You Should Drink This December!
4. Ten (fairly common) Beers You Should be Drinking This November!
5. Kansas City