Lips Of Faith - Cocoa Molé - New Belgium Brewing

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Purchased at the Wine Source in Baltimore.
Bottled on 12/21/2011
22 oz. bottle
Label reads: "Say hola to a spiced up ale full of cocoa and ancho, guajillo, and chipotle peppers. But don't fear the heat, because plenty of caramel and chocolate malts bring a smooth, complex flavor. Scents of cinnamon when poured will have you saying 'ole for mole!'"

I had somewhat high expectations for this beer as my friend said that this was one of the best beers they have ever had in their life. Bold statement...

Pours a deep ruby chestnut color with excellent clarity. Tan head fizzes away at a moderately fast pace and leaves practically nothing on top. The body is very dark, deep dark brown with red highlights.

The aroma is exciting; definitely different than most beers. Chocolate is there with some spices. It has a creamy, "lactose" aroma to it. Smells sweet. If I didn't know there were peppers thrown in, I'm not sure I would be able to pull that aroma out. However, if you concentrate and when it is warm enough, you can get some of that pepper aroma.

Extremely flavorful beer! There is a burst of spicy pepper notes, cinnamon, ginger, clove, followed by a saccharin-sweet chocolate finish and a long, spicy heat from the peppers. This is one tasty beer! The one thing I would maybe change to improve upon would be that cocoa flavor. It truly is a bit too much and is oddly giving me the impression of artificial sweetener.

The beer is medium bodied with plenty of carbonation. There is a lingering bite from the heat of the peppers.

Cocoa Mole is a "style bender" and a good one at that. Peppers, chocolate, spices...it's all mole, but could there be such a thing as Mole Beer? Overall, this would be a good food beer, otherwise it didn't do enough for me that I would drink it again on its own.

Pair it with something Mexican...mole (duh) burrito, peppered flank steak, churros.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 21:16:29 | More by MusicaleMike

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4.75/5  rDev +19%

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Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%

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Michigan

4/5  rDev +0.3%

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Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%

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4.25/5  rDev +6.5%

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California

3.75/5  rDev -6%

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Texas

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%

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District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +0.3%

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Kansas

5/5  rDev +25.3%

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Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -6%

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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

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Oregon

4.75/5  rDev +19%

04-15-2013 02:41:26 | More by blurredline

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

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Kentucky

4/5  rDev +0.3%

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3/5  rDev -24.8%

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Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +0.3%

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