Chris Banker/Stone/Insurgente Xocoveza Mocha Stout, an 8.1% ABV Collaboration Ale
brewed with cocoa, coffee, peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg
| Appearance | Dark brown, almost black; thick brown head. |
| Aroma | Strong coffee and cinnamon aromas with hints of chocolate, vanilla, and cocoa. |
| Taste | Creamy, chocolatey coffee up front; nutmeg and cinnamon emerge; subtle peppers in the finish. |
| Mouthfeel | Full-bodied, creamy, low carbonation, smooth. |
| Overall | Seriously delicious. Seriously. Delicious. |
Every year Stone Brewing Company hosts an American Homebrewers Association-sanctioned homebrewing competition. This year’s winner, Chris Banker, brewed a chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, chile pepper and coffee-infused milk stout, built to mimic the flavors of Mexican hot chocolate.
The beer was brewed using a standard English stout recipe, brewed with typical English malts and hops (English Challenger, English East Kent Goldings). The use of flaked oats in the mash contribute to the creamy mouthfeel. The recipe was amped up with the addition of cocoa and lactose in the kettle. After fermentation, coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, pastilla peppers, and vanilla were added.
When Stone’s brewing team first tasted Chris Banker’s winning beer at the annual AHA Rally back in March, they were blown away by the multiple layers of flavor in this beer. Chris and the Stone brewing team collaborated with Iván and Damian Morales, co-founders of Cervecería Insurgente, a brewery in Tijuana, Mexico.
Wanna pick this one up?
Xocoveza is being distributed to AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and Puerto Rico.
Check out… this video from Stone Brewing Company!
