Barrel Aged Chocolate & Blackberry Pot De Creme
Hubbard's Cave Brewery

 

Pours opaque, dark brown in color with one quarter inch head. Taste is big maple, red wine, blackberry and barrel. Heavy body, low carbonation, sweet. On the fence, not bad, not great. Not as good as other pot de cremes.

Drank from a 1 pint 9.4 fl oz (750ml) bottle purchased at Fort Point Market, Boston, MA
2020 vintage
Served in a tulip

Fuller bodied, near pitch black appearance. The oily looking liquid was topped by a frothy, finger-tall, saddle brown head that dissolved rather quickly. No lacing whatsoever.

The aroma was big and bold but somewhat nondescript initially. Rich and malty. Moderately roasty. Quite boozy. Chocolate notes appeared as the beer warmed. Fudgey semisweet chocolate perhaps. Subtle sweet-tart berry notes were eventually detectable as well. The berry notes, the sweetness and the booze continued to intensify and took on a berry brandy-like quality by the drink’s end.

The flavor profile was similar to the nose. Malty and robust. Roasted malts were quite prominent. Caramel malts came through as well. Sweet but not excessively so. A fruity tartness was noticeable on the back end, though I doubt I would pick out the blackberry specifically. As the beer warmed, semisweet chocolate notes appeared in the center. The blackberry presence also became more prominent. Boozy notes and some woody tannins lingered in the finish.

Slick, oily, medium-full bodied mouthfeel. Creamy and smooth on the palate. The liquid contained a finer bubbled, moderate effervescence that fluffed up nicely.

Hubbard's Cave‘s pastry stouts are usually diabetes bombs, but Barrel Aged Chocolate & Blackberry Pot De Creme was surprisingly balanced. The chocolate, the blackberry and the barrel notes all made their presence known without overwhelming the base stout. This is definitely worth grabbing if, like me, you have easy access to these beers.

750 ml bottle into a snifter. 2020 edition, had 9/5/20.

Pours near black and opaque, with a brief flash of a head and light, foamy lacing. Aromas of bourbon, strong chocolate, blackberries- fades a bit, caramel, char, malt, vanilla. Similar flavors- bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, malt, blackberries, char, light caramel. Smooth, a solid full body, well carbonated.

Good stuff. Strong, delicious barrels that don’t overwhelm, distinct aromas and flavors. There’s ample chocolate and the berries have a solid presence. Really enjoyable.