You’ve done a great job of sticking to that New Year’s resolution. So, it’s time to reward yourself by celebrating National Chocolate Cake Day today, with a sip of rich cocoa goodness. That’s right! In the spirit of National Chocolate Cake Day — which has yet to be declared an official holiday — we’re playing to our craft beer. Luckily for us craft beer lovers, there are many delicious and unique chocolate beers being crafted by U.S. breweries — just in time for this national day. Chocolate adds complexity, well-roundedness, and smoothness to a beer’s flavor, whether its chocolate is added to the brewing process or chocolate malts are incorporated. Both chocolate additions are represented in our to-go beer flight today, Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Chocolate Cake Beer On the Fly.
Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Chocolate Cake Beer On the Fly
Double Mountain Chocolate Stout
6.8% ABV, 55 IBU
Ranger Chocolate imports all its beans from three regions of Peru, making a bar with each: San Martin (70 percent), Tumbes (73 percent) and Chulucanas (80 percent). Our guess Double Mountain Brewery picked the Chulucanas when they collaborated with Ranger Chocolate on their Chocolate Stout. We get dark fruit notes in the stout, as well as bakers chocolate, molasses, and dark bread. Yes, it’s chocolatey, but first and foremost it’s a stout.
Rogue Double Chocolate Stout
8.8% ABV, 68 IBU
Rogue Ales‘ Double Chocolate Stout, which debuted for Valentine’s Day in 2001, is an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and a chocolate truffle together in a bed that had been strewn with hops. Now imagine the imperial version. Rogue’s Double Chocolate smells like the inside of pain au chocolat thanks to ample bittersweet Dutch chocolate. Clocking in at 8.8 percent alcohol by volume and wearing a red 750ml casing, this 2010 World Beer Championships gold medal winner is a one-beer buzz.
Guinness Chocolate Mint Stout Aged In Kentucky Bourbon Barrels
10.8% ABV
Guinness has released a new Chocolate Mint Stout Aged in Kentucky Bourbon Barrels from their Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore. The seasonal stout is brewed with dried mint leaves in the whirlpool and then conditioned with pure liquid cacao post-barrel, which blend with the oak, vanilla, and bourbon characteristics found in the bourbon casks.
Ex Novo Kill the Sun Chocolate, Coconut & Almond
12% ABV
Ex Novo Brewing’s Kill The Sun imperial stout is aged in Heaven Hill Distillery and westward Whiskey barrels for notes of vanilla, roasted malts, oak, bourbon whiskey, toffee, and roasted marshmallow. Their Chocolate, Coconut & Almond variant is inspired by the famous candy bar, but due to trademark issues Ex Novo will have to let you connect the dots. Aged for one year with their base imperial stout it then undergoes additional conditioning with dark chocolate, house toasted coconut, and house toasted almonds. This beer truly is a joy.
Revision Filbert Fudge
12% ABV
The delectable nutty flavor of Revision Brewing’s Filbert Fudge imperial stout with whole toasted hazelnuts swirled with cacao and a touch of Madagascar vanilla creates an experience of a filbert-speckled bar of milk chocolate sweetness that melts in your mouth.
LINK: Peaks & Pints cooler inventory
