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!

Thai Hot

When it comes to spiced ales, the typical offerings - pumpkin beers, Christmas ales, and the like - don't usually get my attention, let alone hold it long enough for me to consider buying them. (There are some exceptions, but that is the general rule.) But, when I find a mole stout - a beer incorporating the ingredients that typically find their way into a mole sauce (for example, chiles, chocolate, and nuts), that beer has my attention. Indeed, until very recently, mole stouts were the only spiced ales that I would purchase. 

However, while on a recent vacation, the Savage Boleks visited Fogtown Brewing Company's tap room in Bar Harbor, Maine. According to its website, Foghorn brews farmhouse ales, saisons, sours, spiced ales, and other styles. The beers are brewed with malts, grains and hops that are grown in Maine. 

While sitting at a table, I looked over at the beer fridge. There was a four pack that caught my eyes. The red labels with a golden script that I could not recognize. The only thing that I could understand was the print at the bottom: "Thai Hot." I picked up the four pack for a closer inspection. The beer is an ale brewed with grains from Maine, along with rice, lemongrass, basil, toasted coconut, lime and thai chiles.

The beer pours a golden yellow, with a thin foam that quickly gives way to the liquid. The lemongrass and limes provide featured aromas, but I think I could sense some grass as well. 

The beer has a very light body, with the lemon and lime at the front of the taste. My initial reaction seemed to prepare myself for something along a sour beer; however, any thoughts of sourness soon gave way to the heat from the chiles, which could be felt both on the tip of the tongue and in the back of the throat. 

With an ABV of only 4.7%, this beer would be a very drinkable, except that burn from the Thai chiles can set the pace from time to time. It's a good think that I love spicy food and that I have experience cooking with Thai chiles, so that I know what to expect. 

In the end, if you find yourself in Maine, near Ellsworth or on Mount Desert Island, you should check out Fogtown Brewing Company. And, if you are like me and always willing to try something different, check out the Thai Hot if it is available. Until next time ...

ENJOY!

Paardebloem

If one were to ask what ingredient would seem to be the most unlikely to be used in brewing beer, I think dandelion greens would be near the top, if not at the top, of the list.  The leaves of seemingly ubiquitous weed are earthy and minerally in taste, but they are also very bitter.  I would think that a lot of work would need to be done to balance that bitterness, and, it would take some very adept brewers to achieve that balance.

Enter the brewers of New Belgium Brewing and Red Rock Brewery, who teamed up to brew the Paardebloom, an ale brewed with dandelion greens.  The brewers not only used those bitter greens, but also grains of paradise. This ingredient, which goes by a more formal name ... Aframomum Melegueta, is the seeds from a plant that is principally grown in western Africa.  Those seeds impart a peppery taste.  While pepper can complement and curtail the tartness of the greens, still more work needs to be done to produce a balanced beer, let alone a great beer.

Once again, the New Belgium and Red Rock brewers did that work.  Along with a wild Belgian yeast and some wood-aged beer, the brewers produced a Belgian-style ale with Pale, German Pilsner, Dark Wheat, Rye and Munich malts, with Target Hops.  All of these ingredients helped to balance the bitterness of the greens and grains, while allowing those ingredients to contribute to the overall taste.

The Paardebloem pours a golden color, with a thin light foam.  The brewers describe the aroma as having peach, fresh baked bread, fresh greens, white wine, slight pepper and clove, with a hint of that funky barnyard esters.  I definitely got the peach, bread, greens and white wine.  There was also some pepper and clove. I did not get that barnyard ethers, perhaps because I have had one too many Brettanomyces beers and "barnyard' for me literally means two feet in the middle of a pigpen.   As for the taste, many of those aromatic elements find their way onto the tongue.  The brewers suggest a slight tannic bitterness from the dandelion greens, which is definitely present.  However, the malts provide some sweetness that counters the bitterness of the greens, as well as provides some freshness.

When it comes to pairing, the brewers suggest Hawaiian Short Ribs and Citrus Fennel Salad.  This recommendation sheds light on good pairings.   This beer can pair well with any beef and pork, even chicken, although a more substantial dish would work well.  A lighter dish may not tame the bitterness of the beer enough. 

I found this beer at a local grocery store.  I do not remember the cost of the beer, but it should be about $10 a bottle.

ENJOY!

SXNW

There is SXSW, the music, technology and film conference and festival held annually in Austin, Texas, and, there is the SXNW, the beer that is made by Widmer Brothers in Portland, Oregon. One would think that the comparison would end with the acronym, but, that is not the case.  The beer, SXNW, has as much diversity and complexity as the festival, SXSW.  

The SXNW is part of the Brothers' Reserve series, a range of specialty beers produced by Widmer Brothers.  For this particular beer, the brewmasters sought to combine Southwestern ingredients with Oregonian brewing experience.  They selected Mexican chocolate nibs, cinnamon, toasted pecans and green chiles from New Mexico.  These ingredients are combined with Munich, Chocolate and Extra Special malts, as well as Alchemy hops. The end product is a rather unique beer.

This uniqueness presented a challenge when it comes to characterizing the style of the beer.  The body of the beer is far lighter than a stout or porter.  Nevertheless, the SXNW reminds me of a more simpler and basic version of a mole stout.  (I have reviewed a few mole stouts, such as New Belgium Cocoa Mole and the Ska Autumnal Mole Stout.)

The SXNW pours a very dark brown, almost black color, with a thin, off-white foam that quickly recedes.  The Chocolate malts, along with the chocolate nibs present a strong chocolate or cocoa aroma with the beer.  That aroma is slightly toasted by the pecans and definitely given an edge by the green chiles.  Each of these elements makes its way into the taste of the beer.  The principal taste element is chocolate, with a little sweetness from the cinnamon and nibs that suggests molasses.  The pecans are definitely more present in the taste, giving a nutty or even woody element in the background.  The chiles provide just the right amount of taste, with little heat or spice.  Together, all of these ingredients produce different levels of aroma and taste that result in a rather interesting and enjoyable spiced beer.

When it comes to pairing this beer, the different flavors present some issues.  The safest pairing is cheese, tending toward nuttier and/or harder cheeses. I just enjoyed this beer as a digestif, which is a good way to enjoy this beer.

This beer is a limited edition and I am not sure that it is around anymore.  If you should see it, the beer should sell for about $12.99 a bottle.  The SXNW is definitely worth a try, especially if you like beers with a little chile or spice in them. 

ENJOY! 

Ska + Peppers = Mole Stout

One of the trends in craft beer is the "mole" beer.  This growing "style" of beer is one that is brewed using some of the ingredients that are used to make the sauces that define the cuisines of Mexican states like Oaxaca, Puebla and Tlaxcala.  I have previously reviewed two mole beers in the past ... New Belgium Brewing Company's  Cocoa Mole and New Holland Brewing Company's El Mole Ocho.  

There are several different mole sauces.  For example, in Oaxaca, there are seven traditional moles: Mole Negro, Mole Rojo, Mole Coloradito, Mole Amarillo, Mole Verde, Mole Chichilo and Mancha Manteles.  As the names suggest, these moles use different ingredients and result in sauces of different colors (negro = black, rojo = red, verde = green, etc.).  However, when it comes to "mole" beers, brewers stick to the one that could most easily been reproduced in a beer ... turning a stout into mole negro.  Both the Cocoa Mole and El Mole Ocho embodied this approach.

Recently, I was able to try other mole beer, the Autumnal Mole Stout brewed by Ska Brewing Company.  The brewers describe the beer as "an ale brewed with cocoa nibs, spices and three varieties of chile peppers: Mulato, Ancho and Hatch green chiles, (also known as Anaheim Peppers.)"

The description is fitting.  The Mole Stout pours pitch black.  The beer gives hints of aromas of cinnamon, Mexican chocolate, coffee and/or espresso.  There are also some hints of spice from the peppers, along with some nutmeg in the aroma.  As for the taste, this beer is very similar to the El Mole Ocho, with flavors of the ancho and hatch chiles really come through in the taste.  The peppers are seemingly surrounded or encased by the sweetness of Chocolate and cocoa, presumably brought out by the use of chocolate and/or roasted malts in the brewing process.

When it comes to pairing this beer, it would be easy to say ... "serve it with Mexican cuisine."  You should think of the beer as the sauce.   For example, Chef Rick Bayless prepared a Oaxacan Black Mole for the Mexican state dinner at the White House.  That mole was served over grilled chicken.  Any grilled or roasted meats, including beef and pork, would be easily paired with a mole beer like the Autumnal Mole Stout  You could also pair this beer with barbecue, although I would avoid very spicy rubs and/or sauces because that would only increase the spice in the beer.  (I don't mind the increase in heat, but for people who are not used to very spicy foods, it may be a little too much.)

This beer was given to me as a gift.  I do not see Ska Brewing Company's beers around me, but I believe they are available out west and as far east as Chicago.  Until next time ...

ENJOY! 

The Cocoa Mole and the Lips of Faith

Last year, I reviewed a beer called El Mole Ocho, which was New Holland Brewing Company's effort to create the eighth mole in a beer.  The beer accomplished the brewer's goal, with a chile spice up front, followed by chocolate and more chile spice.  The beer really struck a cord with someone who loves food, culinary traditions and, of course, chile peppers.  

New Belgium Brewing Company throws its hat in the ring with the Coca Mole.  The beer is brewed with Target hops, along with Pale, C-80, Chocolate and Dark Chocolate malts. New Belgium also uses cocoa, chile and cinnamon to flavor the beer.   When it comes to the peppers, the brewer uses some classic Mexican peppers. The chiles used are ancho, guajilo and chipotle peppers.  The ancho and chipotle peppers help to provide smoke to any dish ... and, in this case, any beer.  The guajillo pepper helps to add a little spice to the body of the beer. 

With the beer in the bottle, New Belgium proclaims, "say hola to a spiced up ale full of cocoa and ancho, guajillo and chipotle peppers."  The brewer adds that no one should fear the heat, because there are "plenty of caramel and chocolate malts bring a smooth, complex flavor."

The beer pours a dark brown to almost black, evoking the characteristic color of a mole negro.  There are aromatic elements of cinnamon and chile powder, although the chile aromas are more prevalent than the cinnamon.  With respect to the taste, there is a good dose of heat.  The piquancy of the peppers somewhat outshine the smokiness one would expect from ancho and chipotle peppers.  After having felt the burn, the cocoa and chocolate appear to sooth the tongue and the throat.

The Cocoa Mole is a very good beer, and, along with the El Mole Ocho, it is the start of a great new style of beers ... mole beers.  This beer is available at stores that sell New Belgium beers and a bottle sells for about $8.99 a bottle.  

ENJOY!

Rogue Ales Chipotle Ale

DARE. RISK. DREAM.  Those three words adorn the bottle of Rogue Ales' Chipotle Ale.  The first two words most likely refer, at least in one sense, to the specific Dare and Risk malts produced by Rogue Micro Barley Farm.  The last word, "Dream," refers to what I did after buying a bottle of the Chipotle Ale.  My mind focused on how great of a pairing I could achieve with this beer and a particular dish that I wanted to make.

Before I get to the food pairing, a little background about the beer.  Rogue Ales dedicated this beer to the Spanish author, Juan de la Cueva.  In 1575, de la Cueva wrote about a Mexican dish that combined seedless chipotles with ale.  Rogue likewise uses smoked Jalapeno peppers (or chipotle peppers) to spice an ale made with only eight ingredients: Great Western 2-Row Malts, Rogue Micro Barley Farm Dare and Risk Malts, Rogue Micro Hopyard Revolution and Rebel Hops, chipotle peppers, "free range coastal water" and Pacman Yeast.

The Chipotle Ale pours a nice amber color, a little darker than what is shown in the pictures.  The aromatic elements of this beer showcase the malts, wrapped with a little of the smokiness of the chipotle peppers.  The smoke and spice of the peppers are much more prominent in the taste of the beer.  The smoke is clear up front, with the spice lingering in the finish and the tongue.  The taste of the chipotle peppers provides body and substance to this beer  Basically, these peppers provide a whole new perspective to what would otherwise be an American Red Ale.  

When it comes to pairing this beer with food, Rogue Ales suggests that this beer would pair well with chicken and pork.  I paired this beer with the recipe for Mexican Roadside Chicken with Green Onions.  The smokiness of the beer provided an added feature to the chicken, which is grilled and basted with a wet rub of chiles, clove, cinnamon and oregano.  I should add that I really like to cook with this beer as well.  I find that it provides a good smoky and spicy kick to chili.  It also is useful for marinades for chicken, pork and even fish.

This beer is available in 22 ounce bottles for about $6.99 a bottle. The beer can be found at most beer stores that have a good selection of craft beers.  A great beer for use in cooking and, of course, drinking. 

ENJOY!

For more about the beer, check out Rogue Ales' website.

New Holland Brewing Company's El Mole Ocho

Just as there are the seven wonders of the ancient world, there are also the seven moles of Oaxacan cuisine.  (Well, actually, there is a dispute over the origin of the moles, with not only Oaxaca, but also Puebla and Tlaxcala, laying claim to these sauces ... but that is a story for another post.)  The seven moles are the Mole Negro, Mole Rojo, Mole Coloradito, Mole Amarillo, Mole Verde, Mole Chichilo and Mancha Manteles.  Each mole is unique, made from different ingredients that provides the sauce with its own color and flavor.

Just as people talk about the eighth wonder of the world, to draw comparisons to the amazing architectural achievements of antiquity, the brewers at New Holland Brewing Company have staked a claim to "El Mole Ocho" or the Eighth Mole, attempting to link the American craft beer movement to the cuisines of central and southern Mexico. 

So, how does a craft brewer located in Holland, Michigan tie craft beer to Mexican cuisine?  By taking the ingredients used in making a mole, such as the Mole Negro, and adding them to the brewing process. 

The "Mole Ocho" pours a nice brown, that has a reddish tinge, suggesting a spicy, peppery flavor.  Further hints of that flavor are found in the nose of the beer, as the pepper clearly fills your nostrils as you take in the aromas.  Additional scents of chocolate, cocoa and, perhaps, cinnamon are also present in the nose of the beer.

When you drink the beer, the first thing you taste is the pepper.  With every sip, I tried to figure out what peppers were used in the brewing of the beer.  Guajillos?  Arbols? Anchos? Casabels?  I could not pin down the exact chiles used to brew the beer, probably because the identity of the chile was cloaked well with flavors of sweet chocolate.  And there was the nice burn on the back of the throat as you drink it.  Piquin?  This beer is very drinkable for those willing to be adventurous when it comes to beer.  And, with an ABV of 8%, the beer will definitely catch up with you as you enjoy it.  So, it is best enjoyed sip by sip. 

In the end, I could not name the chile, which is unusual for someone who has about a dozen types of chiles in his spice drawer and pantry.  The brewer suggests food pairings that include poultry, red meat and dark chocolate.

I found El Mole Ocho at a Binny's Beverage Depot outside of Chicago, Illinois. I really, really like this beer and hope that New Holland will brew it again.  If you happen to find a bottle of the "Ocho," you should consider buying it.  You will not be disappointed.

ENJOY!