11/5/11 Saranac Chocolate Lager

So I am starting to get really big into pairing the right beer withe right food and man did it pay off with this one. Tonight I am reviewing the Saranac Chocolate Lager from the 12 Beers of Winter that I purchased at Brewers' Outlet in Pottsville, PA. Now most people have a beer before a meal or after but not everyone is for drinking why eating. I find this is when you can have the best food and beer experiences. I first drank the Chocolate Lager by itself and it was mildly impressive. It had an average head around 2" that was off-white with excellent lacing. The body color was a nice copper color and normal clarity. The temperature was decent at 40.8 degrees and it had a light carbonation. You could taste subtle hints of chocolate and caramel but nothing overpowering. It had a moderate flavor, an average finish length, excellent body lacing and hit my tongue in the back of my mouth. Overall a good beer but nothing absolutely fantastic. I would rate it B to B+. Now here is why I started out talking about pairing when I had a miniature Hershey kiss it brought out more of the chocolate flavor and brought a little more to the beer. Then I tried it with Emerald Dark Chocolate Almond and all I can say is wow. I eat a lot of almonds and these were easily the best almonds I ever had. Now the last couple beers I let my wife have a sip and all she was not to enthusiastic about. This time I had her take a sip with eating a Hershey Kiss and then with the almond and unlike all the other beers she said "This is a beer I could drink" and then as I was getting ready to walk down stairs she said "Let me have another sip to cleanse my pallet." This is when I knew that this is what so many people are missing. They need to experience the joy that beer can bring to food. So next time you have a beer look at some of the pairings and try and have it with something on the list and see how amazing beer and food can be together. Thanks for reading and as always please drink responsibly. Also remember your can opener because its not a twist off.

Additional information from Saranac website.

Chocolate Lager

Availability: 12 Beers of Winter 2011

Brewers Notes:

Saranac Chocolate Lager is a sinfully delicious deep amber lager made with certified organic cacao from Belize.  Our brewers looked far and wide for the highest quality cacao to create a smooth chocolaty taste that only comes from the most exclusive cacao plants.  We used the roasted seeds of these decadent plants and perfectly paired them with caramel malt and German Hallertau hops to create a malty chocolate sweet flavor. You'll love savoring this beer with your favorite holiday foods or on its own for a delicious treat!

Beer Style: Chocolate Bock
Malt Selections: Munich, Aromatic
Hop Selections: Hallertau
Color: Dark Amber
Mouthfeel / Body: Full, Sweet
Food Companions: Dark Chocolate, Truffles, Hearty & Full Holiday  Foods
Alcohol By Volume: 6.0%
Original Gravity: 15