Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout 4Pk

Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout 4Pk is a 5% ABV organic chocolate stout from England's oldest brewery, available in a four-pack of 12 oz bottles. Scoring a 95 on Ratebeer and 94 on BeerAdvocate, this stout stands among the most acclaimed chocolate beers commercially available.

Quick Facts: ABV: 5%  |  Origin: Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England  |  Style: Organic Chocolate Stout  |  Brewery: Samuel Smith Old Brewery (est. 1758)

Production & Heritage

Samuel Smith Old Brewery has operated continuously in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire since 1758 and remains the last brewery in England to use the classic Yorkshire Square fermentation system — stone vessels constructed entirely from Welsh slate. Water for all Samuel Smith beers is drawn from the original well sunk on the property in 1758, reaching 85 feet into the limestone bedrock below the brewery. The Chocolate Stout is brewed with certified organic ingredients: malted barley, cane sugar, hops, and cocoa extract, fermented with a proprietary yeast strain that dates to the early 1900s and remains one of the oldest unchanged brewing yeasts in the country.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Milk chocolate dominates the nose immediately, followed by layers of bready dark malt, toasted dough, and a whisper of floral hops. Underneath, toffee and confectionery sugar round out a genuinely dessert-like bouquet.

Taste: The palate opens with a lush, creamy wave of chocolate — closer to melted French silk pie than bitter dark cocoa. Mid-palate, toasted sugar, espresso powder, and toffee bark emerge alongside subtle nutty and coconut-like character. The body is full and velvety, sweet without becoming cloying, carried by the fruity esters of that century-old yeast strain.

Finish: The finish is medium-long and smooth, lingering with roasted barley and residual cocoa warmth. Only a faint hop bitterness surfaces at the very end, keeping the sweetness in check.

How to Drink Chocolate Stout

Pour into a tulip glass or English pint at cellar temperature (50–55°F) to let the cocoa aromatics fully open up. Drinking straight from the bottle undercuts much of what makes this beer special — the aroma is half the experience.

• Chocolate Stout Float: A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream in a pint glass of this stout creates a rich, legitimate dessert course with zero effort.
• Black Velvet (variation): Layered with dry sparkling cider instead of champagne, the cocoa and apple tannins play off each other beautifully.
• Stout Affogato: Poured warm over a shot of espresso and a scoop of gelato, the organic cocoa extract amplifies the coffee without bitterness.

Best For

• Dessert course replacement at a dinner party
• Gifting a craft beer enthusiast who values tradition over trends
• Winter evening drinking by the fire
• Introducing non-stout drinkers to the style through an approachable, chocolate-forward example

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout taste like? It drinks like a rich, creamy chocolate milkshake with undertones of espresso, toffee, and toasted malt. The sweetness is pronounced but balanced by roasted barley and a gentle hop bitterness at the close.

How does Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout compare to Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro? Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro relies on lactose and a nitrogen widget for its creamy body, while Samuel Smith achieves its texture through Yorkshire Square slate fermentation and organic cane sugar — no lactose is used. The Samuel Smith expression leans more heavily into pure cocoa character, whereas Left Hand emphasizes roasted coffee and a smoother, nitro-driven mouthfeel.

Is Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout good for beginners? Yes — at 5% ABV with a dessert-like chocolate profile and minimal hop bitterness, it is one of the most approachable dark beers available and a frequent gateway stout for those who think they dislike dark ales.

Where is Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout made? It is brewed at Samuel Smith Old Brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England, a brewery founded in 1758 and still drawing water from its original limestone well.

What foods pair well with Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout? Flourless chocolate cake mirrors and amplifies the cocoa notes. Blue cheese (Stilton in particular) creates a classic sweet-savory contrast. Smoked brisket or barbecue ribs benefit from the stout's roasted malt backbone. Salted caramel desserts echo the toffee undertones. Fresh raspberries or cherry compote highlight the subtle fruit esters from the yeast.

What sizes does Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout come in? It is commonly available in a four-pack of 12 oz bottles and as a single 18.7 oz (550 ml) bottle, the traditional Samuel Smith format for many of their ales.

Is Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout worth the price? It positions as a premium import stout, priced above domestic craft options but justified by its organic certification, centuries-old brewing infrastructure, and consistently elite ratings from major beer review platforms.

Why Samuel Smith Chocolate Stout?

Very few beers can claim production methods unchanged for over a century, but this is genuinely one of them — Welsh slate fermentation squares, a proprietary yeast strain from the early 1900s, and water from a well older than the United States. The organic cocoa extract delivers chocolate flavor that tastes intentional rather than artificial, integrated into the malt bill rather than layered on top. With a 95 from Ratebeer and a 94 from BeerAdvocate, this is not a novelty dessert beer — it is a benchmark for the style, brewed by what is broadly recognized as the oldest brewery in Yorkshire. Few chocolate stouts earn that kind of consensus across both casual drinkers and dedicated reviewers.