Here is a email from our brewer Dave Varga explaining our latest season 33 Acres of Xocolati.
33 Acres of Xocolati:
Style of Beer: Based on an English Strong Ale
Alcohol: ~ 6.5%
Carbonation: medium
Colour: Reddish brown
Bitterness: ~30 IBU estimated
Aroma and Taste: Brandy; caramel; alcohol fruitiness; faint cocoa; very smooth finish.
Ingredients:
Malt: Pale, Medium Crystal, Dark Crystal, Black
Hops: Perle, Pacifica
Other: Cocoa Nibs, Brandy; used to infuse the cocoa nibs.
Note: My idea to add cocoa nibs to the beer was to impart an additional complexity to this beer. Infusing the cocoa nibs with brandy is another way of extracting more cocoa nib character.
Xocolati is a little lighter and less sweet than most English Strong Ales. If I were to make it in a very traditional way, the cocoa nib profile would have been much more in the background.
The cocoa nib character is subtle, I admit, but it comes out if you let the beer warm up a bit and everything blends together really nicely…I promise.
Go Team!
David