1 January 2014

Cocoa Beer (@HotelChocolat) [By @SpectreUK]


When I first started blogging some years ago I was wary of strange flavoured beers. It was then that I learnt that chocolate malt had been added to beers, porters and stouts for many years. Since then some of my favourite beverages contain chocolate, including Meantime Chocolate Porter. The label of this Hotel Chocolat Cocoa Beer stated that it had been cold filtered to enhance the rich malt flavour, using distinctive fuggles hops for its bitterness and an additional cocoa infusion. On opening this dark brown porter and pouring it into my beer mug there was a rich roasted malted barley and chocolate smell. On tasting there was an initial creamy smoothness followed by a toasty bitter flavour where the malted barley collided with the fuggles hops with an almost fireworks affect reminding of the fireworks displays on New Year's night, and then finishing on a rich dark cocoa aftertaste. So what better night to enjoy this dark brown porter on with its creaminess, bitter bang and velvety cocoa finish?

Happy New Year everyone and may 2014 bring you everything you wish for and more besides! :-)

Information on the label;
500ml glass bottle. 4.7% volume.
Brewed by Brew Shed, in Bury St. Edmonds, in Kent, using an old variety of Kentish fuggles hops and containing malted barley, wheat and gluten.
By Spectre

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