Mexican Chocolate Waypost

N onouian

"Here, there and everywhere." - Nahuatl saying

For me, the saying - N onouian - represents the influence that the Aztec and other Mesoamerican indigenous peoples have had across the world. This influence is particularly apparent in the food that is consumed, whether in Mexico, Mozambique, Malaysia or Micronesia. While chiles may have originated in Bolivia, they were first cultivated in what is now Mexico. The Aztecs and the Mayans also developed cocoa as a crop. The Totonacs of the eastern coast of Mexico were among the first to cultivate vanilla. 

Then came the conquistadors and the colonizers. While they brought death and subjugation to the indigenous people, they took chiles, cocoa and vanilla back to Europe and across the world. The complex history of food should never be forgotten. The origins of foods should always be acknowledged and remembered. These principles guide me not only in my quest to learn about more cuisines, but they often emerge in ancillary ways, such as in the beer that I drink.

The few ardent followers of this blog may recall that I have a love of a particular beer style - the mole stout. It is a beer that is inspired by the molli (or mole) sauces of Mexico, whether from Oaxaca or Puebla regions. Those sauces incorporate ingredients that can be traced back to the Aztecs, Mayans, Totonacs and other indigenous cultures that flourished prior to the arrival of Europeans.

While vacationing in the Williamsburg, Virginia area, the Savage Boleks had the opportunity to try a new brewery - Virginia Beer Company. We just happened to visit when the brewery was celebrating its sixth anniversary. One of the anniversary beers was the Mexican Chocolate Waypost, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial milk stout brewed with cocoa nibs, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, ancho chiles and habanero chiles. It is a mole style beer that was right in my wheelhouse. 

The Mexican Chocolate Waypost pours a dark brown, almost fertile soil brown in appearance. The aroma has a sweetness that I don't recall from other mole stouts. That sweetness may come from the milk stout style, or perhaps the combination of coca, cinnamon and vanilla. There was only a faint whisper of the pepper, which I generally associate more with the aroma of a mole stout. The pepper comes through much more in the taste of the beer. As for whether it was ancho or habanero, I have to lean more on the latter than the former. There was more of a kick than a smoky element. That kick kept its presence, even when surrounded by the sweeter elements of the cinnamon and vanilla. All of those additional ingredients make one forget that this beer is also made with Columbus hops and a variety of malts, including but not limited to 2 Row, Munich malt and roasted malt.

This beer makes me want to return to Williamsburg, but it is not one that is offered year around. It should be though. The next time I am in the area, this beer is enough to draw me back to check out the tap room. Until next time ...

ENJOY!