Spicy Hot Chocolate
Talea Beer Co.

 

 

It's quite literally hot chocolate because it is pretty spicy. So yeah the name fits. It's an interesting stout in a number of ways. A bit more dry than I thought it was going to be, so it's kinda like the classic thick spicy and sugarless traditional mesoamerican cocoa drink in that way, but not as thick. For a stout this is actually very unsyrupy and not thick at all. Which isn't a bad thing, but different. This stout clocks in at the lighter side being only 5.5%. Overall the pepper and cinnamon are pleasant, with the pepper bringing a nice bite on the tongue and throat while the cinnamon is clearly more like a hot tamale than apple pie. The other chief point of enjoyment is the cacao nibs, which anchor this into some hefty dark chocolate territory and meshes very well with the chile peppers. Now some other observation aside from the well carbonated unthickness of the beer would probably be the lack of roasted malt character and the resulting somewhat watery characteristic of the beer. This also isn't bad, but it almost comes off as a bit lagery which is different for a stout. I do not think roasted malts are taking the lead here, but I will say that I'm unsure if that wateriness is actually from water taking up the vaccuum that results from the vacated roasted malts or if the pepper itself is imparting a relatively fruity characteristic within that void. It might be a bit of both. That being said it is very smooth with absolutely no bitterness and drinks as session able as a stout could be aside from the spice. Overall a decent stout but not something thick and bitter, if that's what you were looking for.

Tall can, "Brewed with TCHO Cacoa Nibs, Chili and Cinnamon"
Dated "28 November 23"

Full on near black pour, under a looser but mocha cap, that goes to ringed delicate low fields of sheeting.

Mild sniff of dark chocolate malts, a hit of chili and then def some cinnamon.

More of the same on the palate, low level heat from the chili, but chili flavor, again cinnamon and again darker chocolate and dark malts. Enjoyable chili infused stout. Bring on the chocolate deserts. Worth a try beer from an under the radar but high quality Brooklyn brewery.