From the Brewery: 

“Old Tom with chocolate is an indulgent rich combination of Robinsons’ award winning Old Tom and the finest cocoa. It is a superior full bodied strong ale filled with the flavour of ripe malt and velvety smooth chocolate teased together with an inspired touch of Madagascan bourbon vanilla.

Chocolate Tom is a deliciously indulgent addition to the Old Tom range, with a recipe developed by Robinsons and the renowned chocolatier Simon Dunn.” 6.0% ABV Old Ale

Purchased from BevMo in Fresno, California

The Pour: 

Poured from an 11.2 oz bottle into my stemmed ale glass. Reddish-brown in color, with a bit of a hazy/murky body. An off-white bubbly head is poured, which has decent retention and leaves moderate lacing.

The Nose: 

Sweet English malts are the main aromas; bready-crackery and a bit of caramel. There are undertones of chocolate, but not nearly as much as I expected for a chocolate beer.

The Mouth:

Medium-thin bodied ale, going down a little watery with practically zero hop bitterness or carbonation noticeable. Flavors are of the malt profile from the nose, with maybe slightly more chocolate characteristic than in the aroma. Light lingering chocolate notes are left on the palate.

Final Thoughts: 

I’ve never heard of the Old Tom line of ales before, and the bottle’s description gave a great sales pitch. Unfortunately, the bottle promised a lot more than it delivers. The malt base is pretty run of the mill and bland for the style, and the chocolate added isn’t predominant enough, nor of high enough quality to stand out. It is easy to drink, and it’s “Strong Ale” label seems like a misnomer since it is only 6% ABV. However, its easy drinkability doesn’t make up for the pretty “meh” flavor. I won’t be actively seeking this one out again. 5.5/10