What would you pair with...

How about Deschutes Black Butte Porter? It has sweet notes, but is also somewhat dry.

 

perhaps a kriek or american sour with some sweet/tart characteristics to lift the sugars and offset the chocolate. the raspberry could tie into the fruit in the beer. i think a framboise might be to light and lactic though...

 

Dessert pairings are always highly debated, in the beer world, in the wine world, everywhere. At the end of the day, it comes down to what you want from the pairing.

In general, particularly with rich desserts like you have posted above, I like pretty boozy beers... think 10% ABV or more.

A Russian Imperial Stout, particularly one leaning slightly to the bitter, coffee end of things, like Old Rasputin, has enough booze to stand up to the dessert, enough residual sugar to be appropriate in the pairing, but also enough roasted bitterness to offset some of the sweetness. However, considering high-quality chocolate and RIS's have a very similar flavor profile, some might find this a bit redundant.

You could also try a big Belgian Quad. It acts similarly to a port or sherry, which are classic for chocolate pairing, with the booze, sweetness and fruity aromatics complimenting a chocolate rich without mimicking its flavor.

Some people also recommend sweetened Framboise, like Lindemans. It's sweet, but has a very tart raspberry zing that contrasts the chocolate, giving you a pretty classic raspberry/chocolate flavor profile together. It also has insanely high, soda-like carbonation, which will do wonders to scrub all the fat and sugar off of your palate between bites.

I think one of the best beers out there for chocolate pairing, though, is Fort by Dogfish Head. It's one of the only beers on the market that I think effectively gives you everything you need without overlap. It's as boozy as a port wine, with residual sugar like a Belgian, plus has the tartness of Framboise and palate-scrubbing carbonation. It's definitely one of the best dessert beers out there.

 

"I think one of the best beers out there for chocolate pairing, though, is Fort by Dogfish Head. It's one of the only beers on the market that I think effectively gives you everything you need without overlap. It's as boozy as a port wine, with residual sugar like a Belgian, plus has the tartness of Framboise and palate-scrubbing carbonation. It's definitely one of the best dessert beers out there."

Couldn't have said it better myself. Spot on.

 

Founders Blushing Monk - very raspberry but dry. Or a very tart, dry framboise. I love raspberry with both nut and chocolate flavors, but stay well away from a sweet beer like St. Louis or Chapeau.

 

You could also go with a big burly barleywine, since it will have some residual sweetness to go with the dessert but enough hops and alcohol to cut through the thick chocolate and contrast it with some vanilla and earthy/spicy notes.

 

Founders Breakfast Stout or Blushing Monk, maybe even New Glarus Belgian Red or Raspberry Tart.

 

I'd be tempted to give something uberhoppy like Hopsickle a go

Each to their own

 

I stick by my earlier choice, but make it Black Butte XXII.

 

Damn phones. XXIII. There, that's more like it.

 

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout or any other good, unaged RIS. Complimetary chocolate notes, boozy, hoppy enough to cut through all that dessert and not much sweetness to interfere. If it was a pure chocolate dessert I might think about a fruit beer, but the white chocolate and the raspberry gastrique give it enough points of difference from a RIS that it'd work real well, i think.

 

I'd probably either go for a dry porter or a Flemish red.

 

Why?

 

Too much sugar on top of sugar.

 

I think a good weizenbock would pair very well. Aventinus is the only widely available one, but there must be some good local stuff out there. Cloves, banana, alcohol and chocolate notes should get along great with this dish.

 

Parabola would go perfectly with that beautiful looking dessert