Mocha Chocca New England Black Rye IPA
Dainton Family Brewery

Couple of odd brews coming at ya tonight, first is: Dainton Mocha Chocca New England Black Rye IPA, a chocolate beer without chocolate (why do you think they call “chocolate malt” chocolate malt? Because it tastes like bubble-gum?). This is my first brew from Dainton, who I’ve admired from afar but found their beers a bit expensive, and when there’s so much choice out there it’s tough to cough up for a Dainton. That said Mocha Chocca managed to sway me with a reasonable $23 for a 4-pack of 355ml cans… when I put it like that it doesn’t seem so reasonable anymore, oh well, the beer is in my fridge now.

Poured from a 355ml can into a nonic pint.

A: Cloudy AF chocolate-brown body with a very-happy-to-see-me 1.5 inch mocha-coloured head that recedes slowly leaving a nice sticky lace behind. Props to Dainton for making a beer look like its name: mocha (head) chocca (body), props to me for calling it [thanks me] you’re welcome me. 8/10.

S: Well… I don’t know what and how they did it, but there’s a really BIG chocolate aroma wafting from this brew – powdered cocoa, cacao nibs and a leafy green almost floral note coming through too. This is chocolate to the power of three! Mighty impressive as I’ve sniffed beers with actual chocolate in them (I’m looking at you Wells & Young’s!) that don’t have this much of a chocolate hit. 8/10.

T: Flavour profile, first up: this is really really well-balanced with chocolate/herbal flavours and that old brewers chestnut – the sweet/bitter paradigm. Starts out dark chocolate, powdered cocoa, mid-palate milk chocolate sweetness pops in and says “hi!”, then that leafy green floral note, slight twist of roasted coffee bitterness towards the finish. Balanced on a tenterhook between Stout/Black IPA, this is one NEBIPA [trust me: this is one acronym that will soon take off – you heard it first here] that delivers the best of both worlds. Where’s that Rye though? 9/10.

M: Medium(ish) bodied with a dense/light carbonation, no complaints here… well, maybe it could use a touch more body… so a tiny complaint. 8/10.

D: Great start from Dainton. 8/10’s don’t just fall off trees, and this is one brew that delivered exactly as stated on the can – not every brewer manages this (and sometimes they manage this and the flavour combination is terrible anyhow). Mocha Chocca is a solid chocolate beer, Doc recommends. 8/10.

Food match: You might think I’m going to say “chocolate tart” but you’re wrong: I was thinking chocolate brownie with this one :P