Lips Of Faith - Cocoa Molé - New Belgium Brewing

aasher

Indiana

3.38/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Chile beer, whooo!

This beer poured a medium bodied chestnut brown with amber highlights and a one finger soapy off white head. The nose features slightly sweet dark malts, toffee, light chocolate, cinnamon, and finishes with a slight pepper spice. I would prefer more pepper in the nose but it's decent. The flavors consist of a lot of dark malty sweetness, cinnamon, nutmeg, light cocoa, with ever so slight peppery spice. It's a little sweet and because of the spice profile with chocolate, kind of reminds me of the Midnight Sun's chocolate pumpkin porter, yet with a peppery spice. It's ok, I just wish there was more pepper, like a lot more. It drinks lighter than it poured and lighter than it looked. It's ok, I expected more, especially with high reviews.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 02:29:41 | More by aasher

HopHead84

California

3.4/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

4/7/2012

A: Light brown with a beige frothy head.

S: Big cinnamon and chipotle notes. Light cocoa character. Smells like Hunahpu's light.

T: Lightly spicy peppers with cinnamon. Cocoa blends with earthy notes. Strong chipotle profile. Spicy cocoa finish.

M: Lower medium body with upper medium carbonation.

Overall: An okay beer, definitely interesting, but I wouldn't drink more than four ounces of it.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2012 18:40:53 | More by HopHead84

kojevergas

California

3.4/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served on-draught into a stemgoblet at Beachwood BBQ's Seal Beach location. Cost was $6.50.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger head of good cream, good thickness, and good retention. Colour is a nontransparent solid black.

Sm: Vanila, cocoa, cream, and spices - maybe cinnamon. A mild strength aroma.

T: Cocoa, spices (cinnamon), caramelized dark malts, and a resurgence of spices towards the finish. A bit simple, without layering. Not real subtle or complex. Nicely balanced. Decently built. Not unique or special, but enjoyable.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Not enough cream. Near perfect thickness.

Dr: The vanilla is wonderful. Very drinkable - especially for the ABV (which is well hidden). I'd buy a bottle of it. Otherwise, it's not extraordinary. Give it a try if you like the style. Pricey.

B-

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2012 02:59:13 | More by kojevergas

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

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

bomber into long-stemmed tulip. cool when the new LOF come to

A: almost a dark ruby, but slightly closer to the chestnut brown side. pretty clear. brownish tints to a white bubbly head. retention is reasonable as is the lacing.

S: very unique aroma. cinnamon, hot chocolate mix, a little bit of chili powder.

T: chocolate, cinnamon. ancho chilies. a lot of malt must have been used to provide some kind of backbone for all of these spices, however, because of all these spices i cant really spicy finish.

M: mild/average amount of carbonation. medium/full body.

D: this is a very unique brew, however this one isnt for me. chilies and chocolate make for a lot of flavor that is a too much for me. glad i tried, but on to the next LOF for this guy.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 02:56:37 | More by Jimmys

AgentMunky

Alabama

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

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a St. Bernardus goblet.

A: Light head tops a ruby-translucent beer. Dark brown. Pretty, with good lacing!

S: Musky, but not much. Chocolate and chile dust.

T: Disappointing...perhaps it's too old? Sort of flat, muted flavours, with an excellent spicy bite on the aftertaste that can't ameliorate the mediocre maintaste.

M: Spicy-smooth. Thin and flat.

O: An enjoyable experience, chock full of chocolate and peppery spices. Still, unremarkable and unrecommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 09:30:22 | More by AgentMunky

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

DesMoinesMike

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Impulse buy from Hy-Vee Drugtown, their price was the highest I saw it at.

A super-dark, creamy beer with a moderate amount of dark foam. The aroma had bits of cocoa and toffee mixing in with a small amount of chille. The taste is where the spice comes out. The dark malty flavors appear first, them the chille starts to come out and gradually build as you drink to the point it is the dominant flavor. It's below jalapino for heat intensity. While it's good in small doses it was somewhat difficult to go through a whole bomber. Along with the cost it would be nice to have these available in regualr of half bottles.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2012 16:42:05 | More by DesMoinesMike

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an Ommegang tulip.

A: Pours a surprisingly clear dark mahogany color with a two finger light tan color head of decent lacing.

S: Cinnamon, chiles, chocolate...and tomato juice? If I didn't know better, this is slightly reminiscent of a spiced bloody mary. Not completely offputting, but not quite what I want in a beer.

T: Thankfully much better than the smell. There's a noticeable spiciness, not just from the chiles, but from the cinnamon notes. In that regard, it reminds me of a winter warmer - even the malt backbone is very winter warmer-esque. It doesn't seem very hot at first, but after a while the peppery sensation will build in the back of your throat (and later on the tongue), albeit not overly so. The chocolate notes also increase as one progresses through the drink. This is a beer that improves significantly after several sips, so one shouldn't write this one off after the first swig. It reminds me exactly what a chocolate-spiced mole sauce would taste like, so mission accomplished, New Belgium.

M: Slightly coarse bodied, with a medium body and a slightly numbing finish. It works for what this beer is trying to accomplish. Average carbonation.

O: I love beer, and I love hot food, but I'm not so sure about combining the two. Still, it's a complex, interesting experiment that's well worth a shot. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 00:56:16 | More by ThisWangsChung

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Thorpette for grabbing this bottle from Rick's in Alexandria. Served in a SAVOR wine glass because my New Belgium globe goblet is packed. I'm glad I'll only be pulling these shenanigans for a few more days.

A: Pours a just-barely transparent dark brown color with a thin off-white head that fades pretty quickly into a collar with some small bubbles. Just a few spots of lacing on the sides of the glass.

S: The nose brings forward a pretty good dose of cinnamon and chocolate with a touch of spice in the background. The chile peppers are noticed, but in the background. The cinnamon an cocoa blend is quite nice.

T: What I just said about the chiles being in the background changes completely in the flavor, when they are front and center, which is unfortunate, as they really drown out the other aspects of the beer.

M: Light-medium body with good carbonation and quite a bit of lingering spice. The heat isn't overbearing at all, but it is disproportionate to the other characteristics of the beer.

O: Not a bad beer by any means, but I think this would have been much better as a chocolate and spice beer with a bit of chile pepper rather than a beer that ends up focusing far too heavily on the chile.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 02:54:56 | More by Thorpe429

ATLbeerDog

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear but ugly dark amber color topped with a somewhat frothy tan head that dissipates quickly. Smells of chalky chocolate and cinnamon dominate the nose. First sip is just what the aroma predicted except with a tad less chocolate. There is a splash of some dark fruits present too but let there be no mistake the cinnamon and spice dominate the flavor. Mouthfeel is quite good as carbonation is spot on though the body falls easily on the thin side. The 9% ABV is super well hidden. Not bad…not great either.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 19:59:16 | More by ATLbeerDog

Glibber

Idaho

3.58/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Darker color with mocha head. Minimal lacing. Very aromatic beer, with bitter chocolate, and some spice that I could not place. Had a decent alcohol bite, but the chocolate flavor was very apparent. I did not realize it was a chile beer until I started this reveiw. The gals I was with enjoyed this more than I did. I like the chocolate, but the alcohols at the back end were a little excessive- might have been the chile kick.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 05:06:43 | More by Glibber

mactrail

California

3.65/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Well, this one takes no prisoners. Huge flavors, peppery hot, and big alcohol. I like the mix of ancho, guajillo, and chipotle peppers. Starts out hot but breathes into a warm and smokey richness. The chocolate is what make it less than drinkable. Nose is mostly cocoa with a little vanilla. Seems like a lot of body to go with the tart taste. Give this points for cojones, though. You'll want to sip this to savor the burn, if that's your idea of a good time.

Wondering what to drink for Day of the Dead? 22 oz bottle from Olive Tree in Ocean Beach.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 04:27:04 | More by mactrail

Mizorie

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured the medium brown ale into a New Belgium Tulip glass. The little head on my pour dissapated quickly. The cinnamon & chocolate aroma was very forthcoming. The initial taste of cinnamon followed by the cocoa. While the beer was in it's cooler stage, I picked up a hint of the smokiness of the chipotle and a brief taste of the fresh guajilo chile taste with not much heat. the majority of the heat I got was from the cinnamon.

As the beer warmed, the cocoa notes became a bit more evident as did the heat from the chiles used. I picked up on more of the maltiness and less of the subtlies like the smoke flavors.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 20:28:01 | More by Mizorie

schwaeh

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I just got this in courtesy of scotchboy. Thanks a bunch buddy.

A: Looks like a very dark dopplebock for the base beer. A large zesty off white head fizzes up and then recedes.

S:Real slight hints of chili, slight raisin, and cinammon. Again it smells like a dopplebock, lots of rich dark malts- although it says ale. Chocolate comes through a bit.

T: This is in a class by itself, not a huge chili stout like Huna, not like drinking kerosene( ghost scorpion, ghost face killa). Rich chocolate malts, cinammon and a decent helping of caramel make up the base beer. A good chili pepper/cinammon warmth is present, not the accompanying vegetal flavor most have. Alcohol is hidden nicely. No hops to speak of.

M:It has a medium body. Slight heat in the throat, nothing crazy. The carbonation is fairly low for the amount of fizz this pour yielded.

O: It really excels in this class, real good chili beer. I may have thought this was gonna be a porter. I'm glad I tried it, but I'm just gonna ask for more biere de mars next time.

Thanks Daniel!

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 21:26:38 | More by schwaeh

nimrod979

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bomber bottled on 12/21/12.

Appearance: Pours a dark somewhat hazy amber with a thin beige head. Very little retention. No lacing.

Aroma: Interesting. Cinnamon, spice, caramel, chocolate malt. Even some dark fruit thrown in there. Unique.

Taste: Shew. Where to start? Lots of spice up front. Cinnamon is very prominent. Chocolate malts. Dry powdered cocoa. Spicy chili and chipotle flavor on the back end. I think the cinnamon is little too strong though. Lots of interesting flavors. Definitely different.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. Plenty of spice adds a little kick of heat (could also be the alcohol). Dry, and leaves an almost chalky feeling in your mouth, which makes you think of the powdered cocoa. Spicy kick on the finish.

Interesting offer from New Belgium. I enjoyed it for it's uniqueness and complexity but I think the cinnamon is a little too strong and that makes a bomber hard to finish. It's definitely the dominate flavor. Perhaps best suited sharing this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 23:55:56 | More by nimrod979

JeffreyJDavis

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from a fresh 22 oz bottle into a pint glass. Almost no head, which dissipated quickly with no lacing. Even on a strong 2nd pour straight into the bottom, just a quick 2 finger head which dissipated to nothing in about 5 seconds. Looked like a flat coke.
S: Very nice and complex, you can smell the cinnamon, caramel malts and chocolate aromas.
T: Very interesting, I don't have a lot of chile beer experience, but this one is nice. Cinnamon is pretty dominant in the front of each sip, then you have a biscuity maple caramel malt base. Only on the finish do you get the ping of the chiles. Very cool. Not overpowering and the alcohol is well hidden.
M: This where it lost if for me. Very flat and thin in the mouth, almost no mouth carbonation. A better level of fermentation / carbonation and a little more body and this beer would be amazing.

I will probably try this once more to see if the other bottle is fresher. Interesting taste and aroma, but weak mouthfeel and appearance put me off.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 18:43:37 | More by JeffreyJDavis

henrysunset

Washington

3.7/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle from malt and vine. I saw a short review in the NW beer magazine, so I needed to try it. I think it was 8$.

Well filtered dark ale, with tan head that holds.

Scent is light, a bit of malt.

Taste is roast, spice and malt. Cocoa, and coffee. Actually nice.

drinkability is fairly good. I would like this with dessert or rich food.

I would enjoy this again, especially if paired with chocolate and fruit.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 02:20:30 | More by henrysunset

nickfl

Florida

3.7/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours with a small head of off-white foam on top of a hazy, dark-brown body. The head settles fairly quickly and leaves only minor lace.

S - Coco powder, chili powder, and cinnamon with some toffee malts in the background. Smells like a spice cabinet.

T - Sweet malt with some caramel syrup flavor up front. Lots of spicy character comes out in the middle with notes of chocolate, clove, cinnamon, allspice, and myriad other spices. Finishes sweet with more spices, coco, and caramel.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, and a fairly sweet finish.

D - Really interesting, this is unbalanced and weirdly milk chocolate like, but not undrinkable. It would best be described as similar to Mexican hot chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2012 03:04:36 | More by nickfl

drabmuh

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

At the time of this review this is the #1 Chile beer on the "Top Beers - Chile Beer" list. Beer poured from a 22 ounce bomber into a New Belgium globe glass, it is called planning ahead, look it up. Also at the time of this review, this is the #89 beer on the "Top Beers - New" list, the ever changing beer. This beer was very cinnamon forward and spicy on a dry finish, it was fine but 22 ounces of it was a lot.

Beer is brown and clear with a thin tan head of small bubbles, moderate to low carbonation, low retention, low lacing, looks fine.

Aroma is mildly chili pepper and cinnamon, cinnamon wins.

Beer is light in body, dry on the finish, all of the chili flavor comes in the finish, it is mildly hot, the forward of the beer almost tastes like chai with a little clove and a lot of cinnamon flavors, it was fine but I won't have it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 14:26:26 | More by drabmuh

brentk56

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color with amber highlights; the head is modest and fades quickly, though it leaves a lot of lace behind

Smell: Chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla, with undertones of chile; smells like a Molé sauce and, as the beer warms, the tingly heat from the chile becomes more apparent

Taste: Unlike the aroma, the chile element dominates the flavor profile, bringing a smoked aspect along with the chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla providiing undertones; after the swallow, the heat really builds and becomes disconcerting

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation; a burning sensation in the gullet

Overall: An interesting beer, no doubt, but I would greatly prefer the smoked chile flavors to be handled with greater subtlety

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 01:23:10 | More by brentk56

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

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

peabody

Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours out kinda redish amber like dark ice tea with very little suds. Some lacing around the glass.
Smell is kinda like red hots and carmel. No alcohol in the nose but there is a burning sensation.
Taste is sugar malt, burnt cinamon and red hots.
Don't know what mole taste like but this must be it. Very strong but good. No alcohol here either.
Mouthfeel is sticky and hot. There is some spice here that will burn the tongue. The hot stays with you for a while.
While I like different types of beers I don't think I would buy this again. Just not my cup of tea.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 00:43:36 | More by peabody

DarthKostrizer

California

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks to UCLAbrewn84 for sharing this nice beer

Look: Brown and semi translucent with a 1/4 inch head and good retention

Smell: Cinnamon and a little chile spice

Taste: Cinnamon chocolate and chili heat

Mouthfeel: Thin body and medium carbonation

Overall: I am a fan of chile beers and I really enjoyed this one as well. I thought the cinnamon did over power the chili just a touch

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 07:23:31 | More by DarthKostrizer

syrupjoe

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into snifter. Enjoying in the comforts of home. Pours a crystal clear dark ruby brown color with no particulates. One finger light grey-tan head that dissipates quickly.

Nose: Cinnamon, cocoa, bread, honey, graham cracker, caramel. Smells almost exactly like a Cinnabon.

Taste: Sweet, with notes of cinnamon, clove, caramel, and cocoa. Light pepper bitterness that reveals a nice solid but manageable chile heat.

Sweetness fades to spices which fade to light bitterness which becomes chile spice. Very complex and fairly well-balanced trip of a beer. Never had anything like this. It's rather approachable, and the residual heat makes me want to cool my mouth down with another sip! Would never drink this on a regular basis but it's a fun spiced beer that is decently well put together.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 03:37:23 | More by syrupjoe