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

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

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

Texas

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

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

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

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

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a clean reddish brown pour with a small amount of off-white head, great retention. smells of cinnamon, cocoa, raisins, slightly spicy with a lot of sweet malt notes.
oh my! a wonderful cinnamon spice taste up front with a burning feeling in the throat. notes of chocolate, brown sugar, nutmeg... can't really tell what actual pepper this is, but the spicyness is pretty much blending in with the alcohol content and causing a subtle up front, followed by raspy burning sensation in the throat. medium body, nice and creamy, moderate carbonation.

i haven't ventured much into this style... i believe this is my third chile beer, though it is also the best one i've had. i hope my experimental chipotle stout comes out this good!

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 05:16:05 | More by facundoCNB

lacqueredmouse

Australia

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

Bottle purchased from Bevmo in Sunnyvale, CA. Shared with @LaitueGonflable and @tobeerornottobe in Sydney, Australia.

Pours a slightly hazed ruby red hue, with an inconsistent, bubbly head of pale beige. Body is pretty light and a little insipid. No visible lace. Carbonation forms when the beer is tilted, which belies the inherent lightness in the weight. It's an OK looking beer, but not better than that.

Nose is fresh, spicy and very, very odd. Bright, fruity sweet pepper characters with hints of genuine crushed black pepper and a vegetal plant skin kind of aroma. This is backed by a pleasant chocolatey sweetness that takes the place of the malt. In fact, aroma-wise this could be like any other beer: chocolate instead of malt, capsicum instead of hops. It's very unique.

Palate is a similar mixture, and actually really nicely captures the flavours of Mexican molé. Genuine cocoa characters meld with a spicy, fruity chilli character, without actually getting too much heat from the peppers. Mild fragrance dances above, but at it's heart this is a chocolate beer not a chilli beer. Just as molé is about the cocoa. It's fascinating stuff.

Feel is smooth, but slightly grainy. It has a decent basis that supports the rest of the beer though.

Overall, solid stuff. It's very interesting, and does a pretty good job of hitting its targets. Is it successful as a beer? There's very little to compare it to. I'm personally impressed at its style and experimentation, but I can't see this becoming a more widely accepted genre.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 07:29:32 | More by lacqueredmouse

oline73

Maryland

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

Poured from the bottle into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance: The beer pours an almost opaque dark amber/mahogany color with a half finger of off white head. The head fades to a ring around the pour.

Smell: This beer smells really good. Chocolate notes with cinnamon and some chile pepper. Sweet malt and some dark fruit.

Taste: Like the smell. This is a fairly sweet beer. I'm getting some chocolate along with some cinnamon. The finish is where the hot pepper hear shows up. The heat enhances the other flavors and doesn't overpower them.

Mouthfeel: The body is on the syrupy side of medium with tingly carbonation and a dry/chalky finish.

Overall: This is a really good beer. It promised mole and it keeps that promise. I would definitely have more given the chance.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 01:40:34 | More by oline73

bmoriarty

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Fresh, into a half pint tasting glass.

First off, this is my first time drinking a mole, so I don't have a standard to compare this to.

Pours a rich brown that looks reddish orange held up to the light. Initially a thick off-white head, about an inch, that faded slowly to a thin film that doesn't quite disappear. Very little lacing.

Peppers, spicy, and cinnamon dominate the nose, but the chocolate comes through as well, adding balance. First impression is of a very complex and unique beer.

Taste is almost a reverse of the smell - it starts with chocolate, then the heat follows. It's not quite a spicy hot, more of a warm glow, like chipotle and poblano peppers rather than cayenne or jalapeno. The cinnamon isn't obvious but is there, does a good job of tying everything the pepper and chocolate together.

Mouthfeel is a little syrupy, but nothing to really complain about.

Overall, it's interesting. Definitely a specialty beer, and it makes you crave a glass of water every few sips. But as your palate gets used to it, it's easier to drink. Very good, if also very unique (in my experiences).

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 04:49:17 | More by bmoriarty

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

kagent777

Utah

4.5/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle purchased while in Denver back in February. Poured into my beer goblet.

Appearance: A darkish reddish brown with about a 1 finger head with larger off white bubbles. Even leaves a solid sheet of lace as I drink the beer down.

Smell: I said, "Ohh, that smells just like mole sauce from Red Iguana." My wife, who does not like beer at all, said, "It smells less like fizzy dirty water." Especially after it sits for a few minutes, the smell intensifies a little. Nailed it.

Taste: This has got to be one of the most original beers I have ever had. This one reminds me so much of mole negro sauce from the Mexican place near our home. It starts out with the cocoa, followed by some spices and then a little heat. The "burn" goes all the down the throat. The alcohol is well hidden for a 9.0 ABV beer. I cannot give it a five because I would not want to drink this everyday, but New Belgium really nailed this beer. Kudos for experimenting!

Mouthfeel: Body and carbonation are fine. Finish is long but not overwhelming.

Overall: A very tasty experiment. I really enjoyed this beer and will look for it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2012 03:51:18 | More by kagent777

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