Diablerie
Commonwealth Brewing Company

 

 

A solid stout with a little sweetness, as expected, and a decent bite from the pepper. Caramel comes through in nose and taste, though it works better integrated into the taste with the spicy bite of the chilies. That bite is a bit above average, but a good bit below painful.

Fairly sticky feel, little on the heavy side, the chocolate comes through as a bitter dark chocolate separate from the sweeter, slightly sugary caramel notes. Hints of char come through after the spice and sweetness fade a bit.

Nice mix of spice and sweet, but for me, it could dry up a bit to let more dark malt flavor peek through.

L: Poured from a tallboy can to a pint glass. Had a deep, dark, mahogany brown color and a thick, opaque consistency. There was a quarter inch of foamy, tan-colored head that quickly dissipated. Pretty good lacing.

S: A very nice aroma of chili peppers, chocolate, spices, malt, and vanilla.

T: Tasted of a bit of malt (present throughout, though kind of overpowered by the other ingredients), a good shot of chocolate (a major factor), a tinge of vanilla (a fleeting presence), some spice (cinnamon, to be exact), and a lot of chili peppers (not overdone, though). This is a spicy, sweet, and complex flavor. Tasty stuff.

F: An average amount of carbonation with a warm, spicy finish. Medium-bodied.

O: A well made, excellent stout. Drinkable.

Poured moderately hard from a tall can into a snifter glass, quickly forming a couple fingers of brown head before almost immediately fading to nothing. Gentle smell of some chocolate and peppers. Taste has a surprising fruit at the front while cold, followed by chocolate and peppers, maybe a hint of dulce de leche. Fruit fades as it warms, but the rest remain. Some lingering heat, and noticeably sweet without going overboard. Just shy of thick bodied with light carbonation. Very interesting take on Mexican hot chocolate, another great one from Commonwealth.