Mexican Chocolate Stout
pFriem Family Brewers

 

unexpected, unique, clever, i dug it but not everyone in our tasting group last night did, some noted licorice accents, too spicy for others, but i like the way this comes together, even if its kind of odd as a stout, like its not super dark and roasty and strong or anything, 8.1% abv on our bottle, brown colored, even amber, and not super roasty, expected kind of a bigger and more robustly dark base beer, but reflecting on it now, i think it makes sense how it is, plenty of room for chocolate malt and nuance to play into the flavor theme, not so roasty that it has to be heavy and bitter and all, but the color and indeed grain depth is not where i expected it to be for a stout, although i have seen photos of it looking darker than it did from our bottle, almost brown ale for us. the nose has awesome spice, smoke and raisin from the pasilla peppers and indeed some heat, complimentary warming cinnamon, and nuances of tobacco, graham cracker, maple, and the nutmeg thats in here too, cozy and interesting, bitter with some smoke, licorice and anise at the end, chocolate malt more than anything darker, festive but strange. the flavor is similar but all the heat is very late, like i take a slow patient sip, swallow it, exhale, and only then seconds later does that back of tongue and throat chili pepper heat kick up. supported by things like roasted red pepper, birch syrup, molasses, and the spices, nutmeg and cinnamon together make it awesome for the holidays, some sweet middle malts too, less of the roast, but cocoa for sure anyway, cocoa powder, raisin, and some bitterness keeping it from being too sweet. the pepper heat is a lot, not too hot to drink but it will alienate some folks i would think at this level. its warming from the pepper and the spices but not from residual sugar or alcohol, which is a neat change of pace from the standards this time of year. pasilla is a cool pepper choice too, and they get a lot from it here, way more than just heat, its full character is appreciable. lots of cinnamon, cocoa from the grain, and with a lot of carbonation, a real light body for a stout, and overall a bit of a head scratcher, much as its delicious its also pretty weird. not really dark enough to be a traditional stout, but the base beer serves these flavors well, creative and different.

10-ounce pour enjoyed at Tall Trees Taphouse in Hillsboro, OR.

Look:
This beer is opaque and inky black. The light from my phone couldn't get through, although it revealed some brown-black color and burnt orange highlights at the thinnest edges. The tan head receded quickly to an enduring collar that left spotty lacing.

Smell:
The nose is bitter chocolate, cinnamon, a trace of vanilla, and a promising amount of earthy chile pepper.

Taste:
The flavor is largely the same as the nose. Dark chocolate, a welcome bit of caramel, a diminished and just about perfect amount of cinnamon, and a kiss of vanilla. Earthy bitterness and dark roasted malts rise up in the middle with a subliminal note of licorice. Pepper heat gathers and lingers in the finish. It's not extreme, but it has some authority to it and leaves an exquisite glow.

Feel:
Medium-heavy body with a satiny texture.

Overall:
This is one of the best Mexican chocolate-inspired stouts I've had in a long time. The base beer is excellent, the balance is superb, the spicing is masterful, and the heat level is damn near perfect. Highly recommended.

 

Mexican-style Chocolate Stout – from pFriem Family Brewers. Received from @snaotheus in a ninja strike during BSBIF#1. Reviewed 31/01/24 (Review 323). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on back label of the 12.7 fl oz bottle “BOTTLED ON 11/01/21”. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 46.3 degrees F (Label says “Enjoy at 45 – 50 degrees F”) in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 56.3 degrees F.
Appearance – 3.75
First pour – Deep Amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lite, the body is ruby and transparent – makes my flashlight look like a single red eye glaring through a ruby cloud.
Head - Average (Maximum 3.5 cm, aggressive center pour), initially wheat oxygenating to almond, high density with a few rocks, short retention, leaving a 0.2 – 0.3 cm crown, and a thin, partial cap.
Lacing – None.
Aroma – 3 – Sweet. No yeast, no hops, no malt, no peppers, no spices, no alcohol (8.1 % ABV as marked on the label).
Flavor – 3.25 – Begins slightly sweet. No yeast, no hops, no roasted malt. Distinctly, neither cinnamon nor nutmeg. Maybe a slight vegetal pepper taste but no spice. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. No ethanol. Mild and transitory gastric warming.
Palate – 3.25 – Medium; watery; lively non-aggressive carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.5 The highlight is looking through the body with my flashlight – lovely ruby red light. For a stout, this lacks flavor, advertised, or otherwise expected. For a pastry stout, it’s certainly worth drinking again, depending on the price point. Thanks, Ryan, for giving me the opportunity to try another PNW brew I’d otherwise never have tried.
P.S. As I finish the snifter (61.1 degrees) some of the spices finally come through.

Look: Black in the glass and on the pour, which kicks off a lively light brown head that rises and quickly settles to a film, leaving a ring of lacing behind
Aroma: Cinnamon, dark chocolate, toffee, roast, piloncillo, nutmeg, light vegetal notes, mild earthiness, and brown bread
Taste: Cinnamon and nutmeg join forces and hit hard on the opening as a wave of dark chocolate and chili peppers follow close behind. Layers of bread, roast, toffee, and earthy notes weave between the chocolate/spice/pepper base throughout and closes with chocolate, spices, and chilis
Mouthfeel: Full, smooth, medium carbonation, and a smooth and soft finish
Overall: I dig it. I’m a porter/stout purist and am admittedly not into pastry stouts but am such a pFriem fan that I’ll try their take on anything and since I love Mexican hot chocolate, sprung for it and glad I did. It’s a tasty concoction and literally tastes like a Mexican hot chocolate, plus the Pasilla chilis add a fun and welcome note to the fold. Definitely worth a try if you’re into these folks and especially Mexican hot chocolate

Solid stout, only minor spices detected, light caramel flavors within the stout components, minor chocolate and roast.

pFriem's Mexican stout is a mixed bag for me. The look is sort of standard ... coppery color, fairly translucent for a stout, a bit of a head, and some nice lacing that lingers. The smell is dominated by cinnamon, but then cinnamon will do that. The taste has the dry roastiness of a stout, but it lacks the depth and complexity of my favorite stouts, not just the ultra fancy ones, but it also can't compare with a basic stout like Deschutes Obsidian. The taste also has a lot of cinnamon. some cocoa, and a little sweetness. The body is surprisingly thin, actually watery.

So overall, it's not a bad beer, and I'd have it again. But compared to my expectations for pFriem beers or my expectations for stouts, it's not quite up to par.

 

Had on tap while socially distant outside at Special Brews Lynnwood, WA

12.7oz bottle purchased at the Total Wine in Spokane Valley, Washington. According to the rear label, it was bottled on December 9, 2019. I've had this one for a while, I probably picked it up in February or March, before the Covid-19 thing got real real.

Poured into a Kane snifter (thanks MacMalt), this was a very dark brown, with very slight mahogany highlights when held up to direct light. Tight khaki head that dropped very quickly, although a thin foam ring did hang around for a little bit.

Mildly sweet and spicy nose.

Initially a bit bland. As it warmed up, the adjuncts came out to play a little bit. The cinnamon and nutmeg are a bit muted, as are the Pasilla peppers, although this last part was probably on purpose. The overall effect is a mildly sweet dessert stout with a wisp of heat at the back end.

Body and mouthfeel was a bit thin and watery.

It's possible this didn't age well, or maybe just wasn't more than kinda mediocre to begin with. I might give it another shot if I come across it again.

 

2020-03-21
375ml bottle served in a Cantillon sample glass.

Pours black with a smallish head and medium carbonation. Smell is cinnamon and chocolate, somewhat mild.

Taste is more of the same, but with a little bit of a coffee acidity and bitterness.

Mouthfeel is fairly light, overall it's pretty good.

375ml bottle

Pours a little over a finger of light brown head into my snifter. Retention is about average, but leaves a good quarter chunk of head lingering. Initial lacing looks great. Body is black with hues of mahogany. Looks great so far.

Nose is very nice, but not all that deep. Roasty malts, a little chocolate, some spice, savory peppers. Not that spicy, and not very chocolatey, leans a little less sweet, and a little more savory. Very good, balanced, but not exactly what I was expecting.

Flavor is quite similar, definitely a hearty stout, would not guess milk stout if I had it blind folded. Some roasted malts. Chocolate is a little more prominent, but definitely not dominant. A touch of spice – cinnamon and a very small pepper heat. This is very good, balanced, but pretty safe and mellow.

Mouthfeel is probably the best part. It is incredibly well balanced, not too sweet. Body is about medium. Carbonation is medium as well. Bitterness is on the lower end.

Drinkability is very high. Tasty and not cloying.

Appearance turned out great. Head struggled to hang on, but the lacing was wonderful.

Overall a very solid beer, but something a hair more daring could be an improvement, given the style.

Pours much thinner and lighter than I'd expected. More of a deep chestnut than like a deep rich stout. Small island of bubbles banded together with a tight ring of fur.

Nose is roasty with a touch of what nuttiness that almost makes me think of chicory. Some light roast coffee, but this is mostly a light roasty stout. As it warms some of the caramelly round chocolate comes out, and a slight green pepper.

Flavour is very sweet. Somehow both candy sugar/cocoa and dark bakers chocolate at the same time. Almost like a peppermint kind of thing where the sugar and pepper and cinnamon and hops meet.

It's not bad, it just isn't really what I wanted it to be.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a half finger khaki head with good retention and nice lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, graham crackers, cocoa and cinnamon. Flavor is semi-sweet, dark toasted malt, milk chocolate, cinnamon, hay and green pepper. The grassy, green pepper flavor is not as distinct in subsequent tastes, where chocolate comes to the fore. Toasty chocolate finish with lingering light char and a touch of hop bitterness.Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess and nice mouth feel. An interesting take on the Mexican chocolate style of stout. The dry grassy notes are quite different from anything else I've tried, but the developing flavors are appropriate for this style of chocolate. The finish is very nice. Also although this starts with some light lactose like a milk stout, the finish more roasty malt and has some hopping, which is also interesting. A bit idiosyncratic, but winning chocolate stout.