Lips Of Faith - Cocoa Molé - New Belgium Brewing

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

4.21/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A-dark reddish brown with a thin light tan head

S-mix of cocoa and chili pepper, it's really the flavor more so than the heat. smooth scent, almost creamy. medium to good strength

T-comes in with a decent mix of cocoa powder, cinnamon, and chili heat. the taste of cocoa is weak but noticeable. the heat is pretty apparent, loss of the pepper flavor though unfortunately. quality is mediocre. after-taste is mostly the heat.

M-medium creamy carbonation with a semi-dry finish

O-it's a pretty decent chili beer. I've had few beers that can make a good cocoa/chili blend, but this is pretty close! i think they could've had a strong cocoa flavor while keeping some aspect of pepper flavor, though i'm glad the pepper was in the nose.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 04:22:54 | More by AdamBear

blackie

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bomber, Nick's of Clinton

a: poured into a wide piraat chalice, a clear, deep mahogany brown in color, topped with a smattering of carbonation

s: caramel and chocolate malts form a base for notes of pure sweetened cocoa and roasted peppers - carries the smoky/sweet aroma representative of freshly toasted peppers - ancho, guajilo, and chipotle in this instance, mild cinnamon notes, mild to moderate spicy target hop aroma, it’s tough to pin down, but everything here comes together fantastically

m: lightly carbonated, medium-full with a sugar slickness

t: sweetened cocoa, caramel malts and some slight chocolate malts, and toasted peppers slip in together, smoky and dark sweet flavors with an enticing heat that builds past the finish to a strength relative to the time between sips, but never becomes hot - actually a bit of a tease, leaving me wanting more, it’s an interesting flavor set, but it doesn’t come together quite as well as on the nose, some alcohol on the back of the tongue, mild to moderate bitterness

o: a very interesting concept that i’d say was executed successfully, I’ve had decent pepper beers before, but in this case the play between pepper and chocolate adds an extra dimension of interest

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 03:10:53 | More by blackie

Lucho

Florida

3.99/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

shared with good friend chardlogic "rich" I have been sitting on this bottle for 2 years.

Appearance: Half finget head. not much lacing. translucent brown. nothing too crazy

Smell: Cinnamon Toast Crunch! that cinnamon hits you up front. then the peppers come in. well balanced with the sweet cinnamon.

Taste: Cinnamon up front but those peppers what want to fight back. then it finishes nice with some sweet chocolate then last taste is the heat of the peppers. not so much that you are not begging for another sip. I could this beer being too much early in its life. Its awesome now with the few years of age.

Overall: considering this is a brown ale and not a stout with peppers like huna or abraxas. This is an awesome beer. still has a few years on it if you want. who knows where it will go.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 23:33:53 | More by Lucho

Justin_Neff

Ohio

2.94/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bomber

A: Pours a dark brown body, translucent when held to light. Fizzy light brown head. Disappears quickly with no lacing on the glass.

S: Strong cocoa flavor. Spicy pepper aromas. Sweet malt and cinnamon.

T: More pepper than anything. The sweet and spice conflict - not good. Some chocolate and cinnamon.

M: High carbonation. A little dry. Medium Body.

O: Appreciate what it's trying to be, but not my cup of tea.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 19:37:21 | More by Justin_Neff

chinchill

South Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

on tap at Barleys (SC)
Brown with a trace of red, dark and clear, with a moderate size but rather durable head.
The feel is a bit thin but otherwise good. I've upped my rating in recognition of the contrast between mouth burn (low) and GI warming (moderate-high) from the chili peppers.

The chilies are quite evident from start to finish and on into a lasting warming in my belly. A nice dose of cinnamon too, with everything in balance. That is, nothing so strong as to mask other ingredients, including a nice chocolate note. But be forewarned, this is one of the hottest (spicy) beers I've ever had. Much enjoyed and recommended. I hope to have this again, but would be hesitant to tackle a 22oz bomber by myself.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2013 16:52:04 | More by chinchill

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.89/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The LoF series has been very hit or miss for me, and same with chile beers, so hopefully this is good. Thanks to JonnyGalt (Reddit) for this one.

Pours a light fizzy barely covering head that fades pretty quickly, just a touch of lacing, maybe due to the abv, or possibly the chile, not sure, over a mostly clear cola brown colored beer with some mahogany light coming through.

Nose is interesting and kinda weird, there is some chile in the background, ancho or poblano like chile with a nice green chile aroma but doesn't seem much heat (at least from the aroma), as well as a weird chocolate aroma, cocoa that seems ot have been aged a bit too long, light creamy melted cocoa. Then some light cinnamon and hint of a nutty spicy like cardamom almost but not quite, as well as a biscuity like crusty bread crumbs almost like the edges of a pie or coffee cake. Under all that is some malts, caramel, molasses, some sweet brown malts.

Taste starts like hot cinnamon cocoa, a candy drink almost. Plenty of powdered fake cocoa mix like having a Swiss Miss hot chocolate, but there is plenty of cinnamon in there as well. Then heat kicks in, again not a ton but plenty to let you know it's there, as well as a green chile the ancho mostly, and some hot chiles, chipotle in the middle. Other light spices, again hint of an earthy nutty root like spice I can't really label, and light Xmas like spices but barely. Then malts kick in, some caramel, light molasses and biscuit again, hint of toffee, fair sweetness and other toasty brown malts. Light pie crust again, and coffee cake crumbs. In all that is a hint of booze warmth but that's mostly drowned out by the pepper heat. Finish is sticky and a bit syrupy, long lingering sweet caramel, molasses, some hot cocoa powder mixed to a thicker feel, some lingering heat from the peppers. The heat mostly dissipates fairly quickly, pops in to say hello, then goes back down below.

Mouth is med to a bit heavier bodied, plenty of pepper heat but not overbearing, lighter carbonation.

Overall pretty good, I like the pepper heat, it's a nice level that you def know it's there but doesn't destroy the beer, and even a light pepper flavor which is nice. The malts are nice as well, caramel mocha molasses, toasty bread crumbs, coffee cake, etc. I wasn't a huge fan of the cocoa as it tasted more like Swiss Miss hot cocoa powder rather than cocoa nibs and dark chocolate kinda taste. The cinnamon and other spices are interesting and a nice addition but I wish the cinnamon in particular was a little toned down. The lack of carbonation is probably the only real gripe I have. However, those are nit picking as this was a pretty good beer all around.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 03:07:56 | More by jlindros

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A really fun beer. Dark brown, slightly hazed, modest off-white head, some patchy lacing on the glass. Aroma of bittersweet chocolate and chiles, bready malt and cinnamon. Flavor nails the mole vibe perfectly; it’s got the cinnamon, chile, and cocoa powder, hints of raisin, all nicely balanced with a chewy, bready malt backbone in support. Moderately sweet, noticeable heat in the finish but not overly aggressive. Medium body and carbonation, maybe a little unexciting in this department.

If you like Mole this is an obvious choice. Not an everyday drinker, obviously, but like Indra Kunindra, a good time if this kind of thing is up your alley.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 04:42:13 | More by tobelerone

mattdruid

Illinois

4.8/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Cocoa Molé from New Belgium Brewing is my favorite beer. It was my first encounter with a Cocoa flavored beer, but it remains the best I've yet tried.

The beer doesn't look that great, and when I tell my friends how much I love it they doubt me when they first take a look at it.

But if you like the taste of Molé, this beer rocks it. I think that my loving Molé in Mexican food heavily influences why I love this beer.

If you really like Molé, you should really enjoy this beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 00:03:13 | More by mattdruid

Murrhey

Montana

2.93/5  rDev -26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured on-tap in a taster at Haven Gastropub in Orange, Calif. Reviewed from notes.

A- Thin tan head. Little retention but laces quite well. Mahogany color with excellent clarity.

S- Cocoa and chili peppers, caramel. Nutty brown. Strange and spicy.

T- Extremely odd flavor. Spicy chilis and cocoa. Tastes musty and funky. Is actually somewhat spicy.

M- Very light feel with a strange dry, dusty flavor.

O- It's a weird beer. Not sure I would order it again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2012 03:14:13 | More by Murrhey

dalahodson

California

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice dark Carmel flavors with a slight hop taste,the chilli blends nice with the other spices, Looks good in the glass. Went well with with spice food. Many beers at 9 o/o have an alcohol after taste, this was not evident in this brew. The nice thing about the brew is the chilli is not over powering just a light after taste.

Serving type: on-tap

11-22-2012 22:01:33 | More by dalahodson

TKEbeerman

Florida

3.25/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: poured into my taster, this brew pours a caramel red with an average head. Nothing to special.
S: The aroma of this brew is just a hint of chocolate. A little pepper is present in the noise. Natural chile.
A: the flavor has a very ballanced pepper tasted with chocolate to mellow the peppers. the peppers kick on the back of the pallet.
MF: the mouth feel is a little thin and the carbination is light, but still the body of this brew can hold up....barely.
Overall a unique beer, worth the try.

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2012 03:23:52 | More by TKEbeerman

Homerb3

1.53/5  rDev -61.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

I did not like this beer at all.

I saw it, liked the bottle, read the ingredients and thought that could be good. I was wrong.

Had a nice light brown color.

Poured almost flat with no head at all.

The taste was spicy chocolate in a bad way. Burning alcohol aftertaste.

I normally like all of New Belgiums creations but do not recommend this unless you wanna play a joke on someone,

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 12:43:02 | More by Homerb3

brystmar

New York

3.78/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Review #700!

Brown body becomes a translucent liquid, leaving behind sticky beads of lace. I remembered this being a stout but I was clearly wrong.

Fruity aroma starts things off, oddly, reminiscent of a Belgian strong ale. Spices, hints of green chiles, sweet malt. Meh, nothing special here.

Taste makes up for the shortfalls, blending spicy chiles, chocolate, dark fruits, and the malt base into a unique brew. Really needs more body, as the current incarnation is unacceptably weak.

All things considered, Cocoa Mole would be better as an imperial stout. Pretty good nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 23:53:17 | More by brystmar

BrutalSusan

Texas

2.9/5  rDev -27.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

bottle to pint glass.

Quickly diminishing head. Translucent brown in appearance. Strong cinnamon and baking spice flavor with a little pumpkin and a hint of salt on the finish. I feel like it needs more of a bittering hop presence. decent beer if you split three ways, a half pint is all i need. should be released in the fall. it would make for a nice after dinner drink. Not my thing, but an unusual beer that i am glad to have tried.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 07:17:40 | More by BrutalSusan

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a cherry mahogany raisin color - looks more like the color of many barleywines. Carbonation is gentle but only because this was poured in a Duvel glass. This is a really odd pour because it has nice bubbly foam as it hits the glass but sounds like you're pouring a soft drink with lots of bubbles and dies down equally as quick with nothing left behind, not even a lacing ring.

S - Chile peppers, cocoa powder, and light smoke.

T - Toasted caramel malt hit the tip of the tongue immediately followed closely with dry cocoa powder and warm chile peppers. There's some dark fruit buried way down there also with some cinnamon as well. Leaves a lingering blend of light cinnamon and cocoa with a warm and light burn in the back of the throat.

M - Heavy medium body to heavy body, rich and creamy texture, and light carbonation.

O - This beer is a unique one with an odd combination that works. Something tells me I'll have all hell to pay tomorrow after it works through my system. (!!!) Looks like a glass of dead beer that's been sitting out all night, which is a downer, but not a deal killer. As the beer sat in the glass the chile burn faded somewhat.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 22:12:36 | More by jzeilinger

DoubleJ

California

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Doesn't this sound a lot like "guacamole"? On-tap at New Belgium itself, on to the beer:

Going to the darker side, this chile beer is dark brown colored with stringy lace. At points, it looks like it's black. The nose is what I would expect from a Mexican hot chocolate; good doses of choocolate, chile peppers, and a light smokiness all complimenting each other and not overly dominate. If you're not a fan of spicy stuff, there may be a chance you like the beginging of how Cocoa Molé goes, with its sweet and rich hot chocolate-like flavor. But then you're on your own, as the spice starts to work in, and is especially most intense in the aftertaste. That said, I wouldn't say the spicy heat is over the top as it can be in some beers. The beer is medium bodied, and it's somewhat balanced considering what it is, which helps the beer get down.

I like this. Finding a good spicy beer on the open market is not something you come across everyday, so pick it up if you're into something new.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2012 16:44:15 | More by DoubleJ

Dope

Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bottled 02/26/12

A: A nice dark amber/brown pour. Good-sized soda-like tan head. Very fizzy, fades fairly quickly. No real sign of lacing, maybe a dot here and there at best.

S: A bunch of cinnamon with some cocoa mixed in. A touch of vegetal chile pepper but barely there. There is however, some discernible heat from the chiles.

T: Up front there is some chile pepper flavor with some caramel. Turns into cinnamon and then the chile heat joins it. Cocoa strong in the middle but strongest in the finish where it almost stands alone briefly. Nice strong bite from the chile peppers in the middle and through the finish, but nothing obnoxious or overpowering. Goes quite nicely with the bitter cocoa and sweet caramel in fact. A bit of smoky heat lingers between sips (chipotle?). This is unbelievably good.

M: Medium bodied, decent carbonation seems to heighten the chile heat a bit.

O: This is one hell of a chile beer. Great combination of chile heat, bitter cocoa and caramel to sweeten it all up. Very drinkable and well balanced. Easily the best crafted chile beer I've had. By a long shot.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 03:28:56 | More by Dope

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

2.63/5  rDev -34.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle to tulip.

A - Medium brown; very slightly translucent. A small amount of cream coloured head formed on the pour and immediately disappeared.

S - Roast, spice and spicy chillies. Not much chocolate at all in the nose.

T - Roast, chocolate and chillies with a bit of a kick. Some cinnamon is present in the finish. The chillies completely dominate and drown out the other elements of the beer. I couldn't get through more than a few sips of this one.

M - Light body. Moderate to high carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 13:34:30 | More by TheSevenDuffs

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Received as an extra in a trade poured into a dogfish head chalice.

A - Pours a crystal clear dark brown hue with a quarter inch blanket that left light lacing.

S - Aromas of light chocolate and chili. Appealing.

T - Taste is really nice with lots of chocolate and chili with nice barrel notes resulting in good vanilla and coconut flavours.

M - Mouthfeel is not bad for a chili beer, would benefit from more carbonation though.

O - Overall this beer wasn't that bad but really could use a boost of appearance and aroma.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 00:41:14 | More by rudzud

pants678

California

2.8/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Looks like a stout, thick and black with quite a bit of action going on just after the pour. Frothy white head.

You can smell the chiles right oft.

Chocolate and chile but not peppery in the way I'd expect. The chocolate's pushed off in the details as the heat is up front. There's cinnamon but there's so much of an amalgamation here it's hard to point anything out. Seems muddled, never unravels--I wish there some something sweet here. No idea about hops on this one. Not really pushed to try it again.

Carbonated like a stout, feels sorta milky with a dry finish.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2012 23:48:52 | More by pants678

outdoor7or24

Georgia

4.35/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle purchased at Jay's in town, poured in pint glass and shared with SingingTheNews today on a rainy Saturday.

A: Autumn red brown, it's dark, but holding it to the light reveals its true color. One finger head that quickly fades, very light brown colored.

S: Cocoa, peppers, roasted malt that has a hint of sweetness to it, smoke, some cinnamon hints at the finish.

M: Thin, watery body.

T: Cinnamon, heat, peppers, spicy chili, chipotle, a hint of caramel at the finish

O: I really like this beer, after the first bomber I went and picked up another. Hope to see this again in the future. The complex flavors + the spicyness of the brew are a great combo.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 19:23:45 | More by outdoor7or24

FosterJM

California

3.9/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

1469th Review on BA
Draft to Tulip
12oz

@Eureka!Burger, Claremont, CA

App- When poured was a solid mix of browns and reds. Had a good depth of color in the glass. Nice dense center and the color flowed outward. A small 1 finger off white creamy head fell to a nice bit of cling and lace.

Smell- Was a bit let down with the nose on this one. Didnt pop with anything outstanding or layered. A small malt backbone with maybe some chili spice notes. I'm gonna chalk this up to being cold, but even at last smells on bottom of pour wasnt very aromatic.

Taste- Its a nice beer. Has a good amount of balance between the savory malts and the spicy chili spices. I got a bit of the chocolate first and even a touch of some darker plum flavors. The spice is not over the top and actually quite pleasant from a drinking standpoint, vs. say a GFK or Crime and Punishment.

Mouth- Its a solid creamy medium bodied beer with a paired creamy silky prickly medium carbonation. Had a residual spice flavor. Not much cocoa.

Drink- A tasty spiced beer. Nicely balanced and well flavored. Not a fast drinker, but a nice sipping beer to say the least. I'd have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2012 14:35:06 | More by FosterJM

cosmicevan

New York

4.48/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

thanks mike! enjoyed on 8/8

a - pours purple with thin bubbly head.

s - smells crazy. spices cinnamon pot pouri with some cocoa. lots of sweet nutmeg like candy. WILD and different.

t - mmm...tastes nice. chocolate with cinnamon. some spicy pepperiness. peppers.

m - prickly carbonation. the peppers and spicy heat. tickles my mouth. spicy heat that works.

o - extremely unique. spicy, cinnamon and chocolate. the peppers and heat really is a wild combo. for a chile beer, this one works!

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 02:04:08 | More by cosmicevan

southeastmat

4.23/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Brownish red. Dark and ruddy. Head is big on first pour. It fades quickly. A lot of carbonation bubbles.

S: Whoa what great smells here. Sweet cinnamon. Pepper. Hints of nutmeg. Complex and inviting.

T: A bunch of sweetness on the front. No hoppiness but a lot of hot pepper notes as you continue. As the beer warms that pepper becomes more pronounced. Almost overwhelming. This is a change of pace beer for sure. Great pick for a special dinner or a celebratory night.

M: Light to medium. Dry on the finish as the beer warms.

O: Great stuff here. A lot going on and so much to savor. A fun one-off beer that is a great representation of this style.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 01:43:02 | More by southeastmat

denver10

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with a brownish head. A sweet, cinnamon aroma paired with somecocoa, roasted malt and some pepper. First flavor to hit is a huge bomb of sweet cinnamon that teases of being too much but ends up being just right as it pairs with the cocoa, roasted malt and the heat of the peppers in the finish. A nice creamy medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, a very nice brew.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2012 20:44:20 | More by denver10