Bison Brewing of Berkeley California brews 13 beers, all of which are organic. They take pride in being Certified Organic, but they also take great pride in brewing great beers. I decided to check out their Chocolate Stout, which they proudly proclaim is brewed with cocoa.

The nose has a definite chocolaty feel, as does the lingering aftertaste. You get strong hints of coffee and a roasted finish that leaves the mouth with a caramel thickness that is not at all unpleasant. The Organic Chocolate Stout comes in at 5.0% ALC/VOL.

Evidently Bison uses cocoa powder in the mash, and it really comes through nicely without overpowering the smooth stout taste. Combine that with 5 different malts, and you have a stout on hand that tastes good, as well as feels good, being organic and all.

Bison Brewing in Berkeley is a leader in the emerging organic market we find springing up all over the West Coast. They take pride in buying their hops organically, and decreasing the pollution in our waterways (farming contributes to 70% of that pollution).

Buying organic is not a deal breaker for me. I enjoy any beer that is brewed with pride and complex flavors, but it is nice to know you can drink organic and not suffer in the taste category. On the contrary, Bison’s Chocolate Stout is an excellent stout that, as they claim on their website, “Is like Barry White’s voice in a bottle.”