New Belgium Lips of Faith - Cocoa Mole

NB's website says: "Say Hola to a spiced up ale full of cocoa and ancho, guajillo, chipotle peppers. But don’t fear the heat, because plenty of caramel and chocolate malts bring a smooth, complex flavor to our Cocoa Molé. Scents of cinnamon when poured will have you saying, “¡Olé for molé!”"

Cocoa Mole is an "ale brewed with spices" that comes in at 9% ABV. It was brewed back in January 2012, and I'm just getting around to it now, with the weather finally cooling down here in LA -- there was even a bit of rain today! -- and getting me more into the holiday beer spirit. This one should have a bit of pepper kick to it, too. Part of the Lips of Faith line of more "experimental" beers, this still would have been distributed wherever New Belgium is distributed, which is pretty extensively in the US.



Appearance: Rich dark chestnut brown, with a modest head that pours to about 1 finger and then disappears completely, leaving no foam layer or lacing on the glass.

Smell: Definitely get a whiff of the chile, as well as a massive cinnamon note, nutmeg, and a bit of what seems like cumin. The cocoa is there too; rather than the richness of chocolate it seems more sharp and bitter, and it blends nicely with the overall spice profile.

Taste: Again, the cinnamon and cocoa flavor is predominant, and the heat from the chiles comes in toward the back of the palate and in the throat. I get a little bit of the nutmeg, and even a hint of what seems like coconut.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium-bodied, and lightly carbonated. It's nice that it's not too heavy, while still retaining a velvety character. It's very nice, overall.

Overall: Not a bad way to start off my personal spiced beer season! I like chile beers, and this one combines that element with some of the great spice aromatics and flavors in a rich mole (hence the name.) It's a creative concept for a beer that works surprisingly well, and overall I wasn't swooning over it, per se, but I definitely enjoyed it.

4/5

Stone Vertical Epic 11-11-11

They're calling this year's beast an "Ale Brewed with Anaheim Chilies and Cinnamon" -- 9.4% ABV

Appearance: Dark chestnut or cherry wood color. Pours a nice, full head with decent retention that leaves net-like lacing around the sides of the glass.

Smell: It smells almost like a blonde wit! It's very yeast-forward, with clove, ester, and perhaps a trace of the cinnamon that they brewed with. I don't get chile in the aroma at all.

Taste: There's a nice malt backbone, but it's not sweet at all and the forward tastes are all spice. The cinnamon is there, clove as well, and alcohol at the end. There are some nice dark fruit characteristics as well. I still am not getting the chilies in the taste; however on the back of the bottle they claim that the Anaheim chile doesn't really generate heat, but just provides "rich flavor." Unfortunately, without knowing specifically what an Anaheim chile tastes like, I don't really think I can pick it out from the flavor line-up here, and there isn't really anything unusual jumping out on the palate that I might attribute to the chile either.

Mouthfeel: Surprisingly light-bodied given the flavor profile -- the carbonation seems to pick it up a bit.

Overall: This is a solid beer, and probably my favorite of the Vertical Epics I've tried. I can't say overall that I'm too excited about it compared to some other favorites, but I have to give Stone credit where it's due that they took some pretty seemingly discordant flavors and the result is a nicely balanced and complex brew. Wish I got more of the chilies though!

Since I've already gone ahead and done it once, I might as well go ahead and add the .5's into the regular ratings rotation.
3.5/5