Topic Archives: Chocolate
The chocolatey-est, most peanut buttery NoDa Brewing beer returns on January 25th
NoDa Captain Peanut Butter’s Chocolate Revenge returns to the brewery’s lineup again on January 25th.
The Charlotte, North Carolina based brewery touts this release as the “The chocolatey-est, most peanut buttery” version of this beer to date. NoDa Captain Peanut Butter’s Chocolate Revenge is an imperial porter brewed with cocoa nibs and peanut butter. You really can’t go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter.
A big, malty and smooth Imperial Porter brewed with a massive load of cocoa nibs to give dark chocolate notes and roasted peanut butter to add a rich twist to this imposing dark beer.
NoDa Captain Peanut Butter’s Chocolate Revenge is a taproom-only release, in 16-ounce cans on January 25th at 2 pm.
Style: Imperial Porter (w/ Cocoa Nibs, Peanut Butter.)
Availability: 16oz Cans. Taproom.
Debut: 10/25/16
Latest Return: 1/25/19
9.2% ABV
Epic Quadruple Barrel Baptist is big, bold, and blew us away
In the world of imperial stouts filled with various dessert-like additions, Epic Quadruple Barrel Big Bad Baptist stands alone. This big bottle of ridiculous is how you make a decadent pastry stout.
Big Bad Baptist was supposed to be released under another name – Jack Mormon Imperial Stout, back in 2011. Epic Brewing made a barrel-aged imperial stout brewed with Jack Mormon roasters coffee. Unfortunately, the state of Utah rejected the “Mormon” name, even though it was a homage to their coffee roaster.
Brewery co-founder Dave Cole is a California Baptist and decided to integrate his real-life “Big Bad Baptist” roots into the name.
In that first year, Big Bad Baptist scored a 100 on RateBeer.com, and still maintains that high mark today.
Since the launch, variants of this coveted imperial stout have been released, including a Double Barrel, Triple Barrel, and Big Bad Baptista Imperial Stout. Each one takes a creative step forward. Now there’s Epic Quadruple Barrel Baptist and it really is the best Baptist we’ve ever had.
The brewers at Epic racked their imperial stout to both whiskey and rum barrels. Meanwhile, the team barrel-aged their own coffee beans, coconuts, and almonds. Basically, the only thing that’s not barrel-aged is the cocoa nibs. You might read all that and think, there’s just too much going on here.
You’re not wrong. There are some imperial stouts out there that are packed with chocolate, vanilla, strawberries, lactose, even cookies, and cereal. Some taste great. Some of these coveted imperial stouts are just muddled in flavor. That’s how Epic got this beer right. Scroll up and read everything the brewery put in the beer. Now read the next paragraph.
Every flavor is present in every sip. Your first taste starts with this rich, chocolaty imperial stout which gives way to a balance of subtle almond, coffee, and coconuts that finishes with a mix of vanilla oak and toasted rum sugar. That’s what blew us away. All these flavors are very much there in a beautiful balance, from start to finish. To us, that’s the crossroad of imagination and brewing talent. Epic didn’t just throw all the buzz-worthy additions to a barrel-aged imperial stout and expect a line outside. This is a symphony of barrel blending, and we were some morose tipsy folks when the bottle ran dry.
Epic Quadruple Barrel Big Bad Baptist is available in 22-ounce bottles – an extremely limited release hitting distribution now.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Chocolate. Barrel Aged Coffee. Barrel Aged Coconut. Barrel Aged Almonds. Barrel Aged. Whiskey. Rum.)
Hops: Nugget, Chinook, Cascade.
Malts: Muntons Maris Otter Malt, Briess 2-Row Brewers Malt, Crystal Muntons, Weyermann Light Munich Malt I, 2-Row Chocolate Malt 2-Row Black Malt, Roasted Barley.
Availability: 22oz Bottles. Extremely Limited Release.
Debut: Late Oct/Nov 2018
12% ABV
Firestone Walker Mocha Merlin is back in cans for fall
Firestone Walker Mocha Merlin is back in Paso Robles, California based brewery’s lineup again for fall.
In 2014, the brewery released a Velvet Mocha Merlin, an oatmeal stout is infused with coffee beans and cocoa nibs. That beer appeared as a part of The Winter Bundle that year. Assuming the beers are related, Mocha Merlin follows the same creamy, coffee path.
The brewery’s can lineup includes DBA, Pale 31, Union Jack IPA, Easy Jack IPA, Pivo Hoppy PIls, Luponic Distortion and new Leo v. Ursus.
Firestone Walker Mocha Merlinis available for a second time 12-ounce cans and draft.
Style: Oatmeal Stout (w/ Coffee, Cocoa Nibs)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft
Debut (Cans): Fall 2017
Latest Return: October 2018
5.5% ABV
PIC: Beer Street Journal
Unknown Brewing The Teleporter debuts in cans for the first time
Unknown Brewing The Teleporter will be available in cans for the first time on September 28th.
The brewery’s robust porter is brewed with cocoa nibs from Asheville, North Carolina’s French Broad Chocolates and coffee from Enderly Coffee Company.
These ingredients give this beer a wonderful nose of coffee and chocolate, a creamy tan head, and rich mocha taste.
Look for Unknown Brewing The Teleporter in 16-ounce cans in the brewery’s taproom in Charlotte, North Carolina starting September 28th.
Style: Robust Porter (w/ Coffee. Chocolate. Lactose.)
Availability: 16oz Cans, Draft.
Debut: 9/28/18
7.2% ABV
It’s Oskar Blues Death by Coconut season again
Oskar Blues Death by Coconut has been canned and is headed to shelves again soon. At one point it was only sold at the taprooms in Colorado and North Carolina. Now it’s a national hit.
Oskar Blues Death By Coconut was first introduced during Colorado Craft Beer Week in March of 2014. The beer is a collaboration with Oskar Blue’s Jason Buehler, and Shamrock Brewing Co.’s Keith Hefley. The base beer is an Irish porter, aged on dried coconut and dark chocolate.
IF YOU CRAVE COCONUT BEER, IT’S HERE. We’re talking creamy coconut flavors, that finish with a touch of dark chocolate. Oskar Blues Death By Coconut tastes like an alcoholic Almond Joy candy bar. Everything from the smell to the taste is over the top, and we love every last drop we can get. As fall rolls in, so do the coconuts by Oskar. This is your annual heads up.
Oskar Blues Death By Coconut is available in 12-ounce cans, and draft nationally for a limited time.
Style: Porter (w/ Coconut, Dark Chocolate)
Availability: 12oz Cans, Draft.
Latest Return: Late September 2018
6.5% ABV
Images: Beer Street Journal
PIC: Beer Street Journal
Goose Island’s Bourbon County Series “Neopolitan Stout”, another brewery fake
Ed Note: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Neopolitan Stout is a fake. The brewery created fake labels ahead of the official BCBS announcement.
The original story below from July 10th, 2018.
First get familiar with the term “pastry stout”. The beer industry is full of them these days. Take a simple imperial stout.- and throw in ingredients you’d find in a scone, brownie, cookie, or cake. Pastry stouts now have vanilla beans, cinnamon, cacao nibs, coconut, lactose, even breakfast cereal or movie theater candy. Not to mention aged various spirits barrels. They are basically alcoholic desserts.
Chicago’s Goose Island is home to one of the most well-known barrel-aged imperial stouts – Bourbon County. Over the years, Coffee, Vanilla, and berry editions have surfaced. Goose Island hasn’t turned a blind eye to the success of the (using this term loosely) “style” and is potentially bringing their own pastries to the table.
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Neopolitan Stout looks to sweeten palates this fall. The imperial stout has been aged in bourbon barrels with vanilla, lactose milk sugar, strawberry puree, and chocolate. Think boozy ice cream.
No official announcement has been made by Goose Island on any of the 2018 variants.
Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Neopolitan Stout is slated for 16.9-ounce bottles and draft.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Strawberry Puree. Chocolate. Vanilla. Lactose. Barrel Aged. Bourbon.)
Availability: 16.9oz Bottles, Draft.
Debut: N/A
?? ABV
Hi-Wire releases a Horchata inspired edition of their 10W-40 imperial stout this weekend
Hi-Wire Horchata 10W-40, a dessert inspired edition of the brewery’s increasingly popular imperial stout is coming this weekend.
The Asheville, North Carolina based brewery debuted 10W-40 Imperial Stout, a coffee, chocolate, and vanilla a few years ago. It truly does pour like motor oil. Not long after, a barrel-aged edition debuted.
On July 7th, this “oil” line gains a horchata edition of the imperial stout. This edition features chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla beans, with a creaminess derived from lactose milk sugar.
This decadent stout boasts huge notes of fresh vanilla, amaretto, and cinnamon with an incredibly smooth and chocolatey finish.
Hi-Wire Horchata 10W-40 is a 16-ounce can offering, available in the taproom on July 7th at 12 pm. Limited distribution to follow.
Style: Imperial Stout (w/ Chocolate. Cinnamon. Vanilla Beans. Lactose.)
Availability: 16oz Cans.
Debut: 7/7/18
8% ABV
