Chocolate

Posted in Terrapin Beer Company, Coming Soon, Headlines

S’mores inspired beer: Terrapin Chubby Bunny

Terrapin Chubby Bunny is the both the 4th release in the brewery’s employee brew-off series, and the 29th Side Project Release.

A few years ago, the Athens, Georgia based brewery decided to put their employees to the [brewing] test. Internally, members of the Terrapin Tribe split up and got fermentationally weird. At the staff end of year party, each team presents their recipe, proposed name (which half the time has to be changed to make the government happy), and a skit relative to the beer. Trust us, it gets pretty hilarious.

RELATED: Terrapin Side Project Series

This year’s winning recipe is an imperial s’more milk stout, aka Terrapin Chubby Bunny. Inspired by the fireside favorite, Chubby features local Condor Chocolates, graham cracker, and marshmallows.

Chubby Bunny is our 4th installment of our employee home-brew competition. This Imperial milk stout breaks all the rules by combining flavors of graham cracker, toasted marshmallow and dark chocolate. This mouthful of a stout will challenge any beer lover to say “Chubby Bunny”

Previous employee brew-off releases include Pineapple Express, Saison Poivre, and Turtleneck.

Terrapin Chubby Bunny will be a 22 ounce bottle release in 2017.

Style: Imperial Milk Stout (w/ Lactose, Graham Cracker, Marshmallow, Chocolate)
Availability: 22oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: Early 2017

9.3% ABV

The winning Terrapin employee team: Tim Fennimore, Kim Fraher, Stephan Fraher, Kelly Guglietta, Geoff Hammond, Bear Jordan, and Marth Sproull

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Evil Twin Brewing, Don't Miss This, New Releases, Westbrook Brewing Co

Ultimately pretty epic. Evil Twin Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break

Evil Twin Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break. Meet the mashup of two highly sought after beers that is sure to instill panic in the beer geeks. Let the sweating commence.

Evil Twin, who is building a brewery on their own in New York, has been contract brewing for years at Westbrook Brewing in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina – the birthplace of Westbrook’s Mexican Cake. “Cake” started out as a way to mark the brewery’s anniversary. Morgan and Edward Westbrook brewed an imperial stout with cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, and fresh habanero peppers. Since then, the beer has become a hot commodity, selling in the secondary market for hundreds of dollars. Don’t even ask how much beer traders are asking for barrel-aged variants.

Then there’s Evil Twin Biscotti Break. As the name suggests, this imperial stout mimics the coffee shop dessert, brewed with vanilla and almond, and coffee.

Evil Twin Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break slams together the best of both those beers. An imperial stout brewed with coffee, cinnamon, almonds, cocoa nibs, vanilla and habanero peppers. Both beers are awesome treats.

The result? An even bigger beer. Two dessert beers meeting in one glass could be overwhelming. Not in this case. As the beer warms, cinnamon chocolate and vanilla start to pop. Subtle elements of the two beer threads are far from a challenge to find in each sip. The only thing subtle here are the peppers. Two epic beers in one bottle. We thought only shampoo and conditioner could pull that off.

Evil Twin Imperial Mexican Biscotti Cake Break is a 22 ounce limited release.

Style: Imperial Stout (Coffee, Cinnamon, Almonds, Cocoa Nibs, Habanero Peppers.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles
Debut: Late November/December, 2016

10.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Lost Abbey, Seasonal Return

Lost Abbey Santo Ron Diego is back in rum filled action

Lost Abbey Santo Ron Diego is returning to the brewery’s lineup once again in December, with a few changes in tow.

The beer was a big hit when it was released in 2015, and Tomme Arthur and brewery crew knew it had to be brewed again. Lost Abbey Santo Ron Diego (2016) features a new twist – cherries, vanilla beans, and cacao nibs. It spent a full 14 months in rum barrels.

“We were really happy with last year’s version but we wanted to add a bit more complexity to help bring the rum notes out with this year’s batch.” – Tomme Arthur, co-founder, The Lost Abbey

In order to have more of Santo to go around, the Lost Abbey is making this release draft only. The big 13.5% rum barreled monster hits distribution in December. Happy hunting.

Style: American Strong Ale (w/ Vanilla Beans, Cherries, Cacao Nibs. Barrel Aged. Rum.)
Availability: Draft Only (2016 Release)
Latest Return: December, 2016

12.5% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Founders Brewing, Don't Miss This, New Releases

Bourbon & blueberry dessert: Founders Lizard of Koz

Founders Lizard of Koz. Read the name, it’s a about to get decadent from here.

Joining the Backstage Series in December, “Lizard” looks to send out 2016 with a bang. The base beer for Founders Lizard of Koz is an imperial stout, brewed with blueberries, chocolate and vanilla. The finishing touch is the bourbon barrel aging.

The name celebrates the birthday of Founders brewmaster Jeremy Kosmicki’s little sister Liz. Blueberries, chocolate and vanilla are among her favorite ingredients.

RELATED: Founders Azacca slated for cans

What you’ll taste.

If ever there was a dessert beer, you’ve found it Lizard of Koz. It’s not easy to push the bourbon barrel-aged flavors of a beer to the backseat in a beer, but the chocolate, vanilla, and blueberries have done it. Those three dominate the flavor up front with a lingering vanilla-bourbon boozy flavor lingering in the finish.

Founders Lizard of Koz is a 750 milliliter bottle offering, across the brewery’s 39 states in limited quantities in November, 2016.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Blueberries, Chocolate, Vanilla Beans. Barrel Aged. Bourbon)
Availability: 750ml Bottles, Draft.
Debut: November,  2016

10.5% ABV

PIC: Beer Street Journal

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Westbrook Brewing Co, Coming Soon, Headlines

Dessert beer: Westbrook 6th Anniversary Hazelnut Chocolate Imperial Stout

Westbrook 6th Anniversary Hazelnut Chocolate Imperial Stout is on the way. Another for the dessert beer category.

This release is pretty straight forward. The Mount Pleasant, South Carolina based brewery created an imperial stout brewed with hazelnuts, cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, and candi sugar. (We are assuming the candi sugar is just to boost the alcohol by volume.) Your dessert beer is served.

Birthdays beer is how famed Mexican Cake got its start. Brewed to celebrate a big milestone, only to become an annual release. (Now with barrel-aged variants.) Last year’s edition, 5th Anniversary Chocolate Raspberry Imperial Stout is a 10.5% alcohol by volume imperial stout featured raspberries, vanilla beans and cocoa nibs.

Our 6th Anniversary beer is a rich and chocolatey imperial stout matured on cocoa nibs, roasted hazelnuts and vanilla beans.

Westbrook 6th Anniversary Hazelnut Chocolate Imperial Stout will be a 22 ounce bottle release.

Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Vanilla Beans, Hazelnuts, Cocoa Nibs, Candi Syrup.)
Availability: 22oz Bottles
Debut: TBA

10% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Duclaw Brewing, Don't Miss This

Peanut butter lover? DuClaw For Pete’s Sake is back

Peanut butter lover? Put this on your drink list. DuClaw For Pete’s Sake is back in action as of today.

The brewery has two peanut butter infused beers. This all got started with Sweet Baby Jesus!, a 6.2% alcohol by volume porter, brewed with chocolate and peanut butter. That beer was/is an instant classic.

Why stop there, when you can make the beer stronger. That’s where DuClaw For Pete’s Sake came to be – an imperial chocolate peanut butter porter. Everything about this beer is rich. A mouthful of chocolate and peanut butter, with a warming 9% ABV finish.

…silky, full body, big roasted malt flavor, and aroma dominated by rich notes of peanut butter and chocolate…

DuClaw For Pete’s Sake is the last seasonal release by the brewery in 2016. Available in 12 ounce bottles and draft.

Style: Imperial Porter (w/ Chocolate, Peanut Butter.)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Latest Return: 11/30/16

9% ABV

by Reid Ramsay
Posted in Wicked Weed Brewing Co, New Releases

Wicked Weed Hop Cocoa, with French Broad Chocolate

Wicked Weed Hop Cocoa is on deck from the Asheville, North Carolina based brewery.

The base beer is a porter, brewed with Dutch cocoa powder, and chocolate from local (pretty much across the street) French Broad Chocolates. The resulting beer is one Wicked Weed calls “silky smooth.”

While versions of this beer have appeared in the past, Wicked Weed tells Beer Street Journal that this recipe has never been offered before.

We crafted Hop Cocoa Brown to be a smooth porter that packs a potent chocolate punch into every sip. Authentic Dutch cocoa powder combines with robust, dark cocoa nibs from our neighbors at French Broad Chocolate Lounge to create a silky smooth balance with our heavy handed hopping process. This dark beauty is a comforting companion at the end or beginning, of any day! (Marshmallows not included.)

Wicked Weed Hop Cocoa will be a 12 ounce bottle release. The brewery has not yet announced this beer.

Style: Porter (w/ Chocolate)
Availability: 12oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: Late November, 2016

6.5% ABV

 

by Reid Ramsay