Ancho Chile Lava Cake
Odd Side Ales in Grand Haven, Michigan, United States 🇺🇸
Stout - Imperial Regular|
Score
7.25
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Kraddel (15844) reviewed Ancho Chile Lava Cake from Odd Side Ales 5 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 7 | Overall - 8
Pours black, small sized, lightly tanned head fades fast. Scent is bit spiced by the chili ( well, herbal rather than spiced ) , the chocolate shines trough as well. Overall fairly mild for the style though. Taste is very intense though. Chocolate lava cake indeed ! It's not chocolaty like other chocolate stouts ( sweet, vanilla, cacao ), this is more pure chocolate, melted , with it's roastyness and bitterness compounds, as well as some sweetness. 'Moeilleux' as wel call them, are so recognizable, to a point i'm starting to believe it's the picture on the label playing with my mind!. The spice level is medium, it starts of promissing high heat, but it's fairly subtile towards the end. Well done ! Could use a bit more body perhaps, as this is rather thin, especcially for the style. Carbonation level is medium (where I prefer low )
*** Holy shit, just after finishing this review, I've seen this is actually 17.5 % ABV ! I was thinkin' more in the 10-ish category, with some added heat by the chili's that could be mistaken for Alcohol. This is pretty crazy, and the beer does not show it's true content. Dayum, I should have opened this one with a friend though ! ***
Stuu (34525) reviewed Ancho Chile Lava Cake from Odd Side Ales 5 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Bottle at home. Pours deep ruby brown, nose is chocolate cake, vanilla, pepper, caramel, taste is sweet toffee, vanilla, roasted, spicy, woody.
superspak (10160) reviewed Ancho Chile Lava Cake from Odd Side Ales 6 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
12 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 9/17/2019. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a 1 finger fairly dense and fluffy light khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, chile pepper, coconut, toasted oak, fudge, roasted nuts, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Mild booze in the aromas as it warms, but not overwhelming. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/black/roast/bready malts, chocolate, vanilla, chile pepper, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop notes; with big strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, chile pepper, coconut, toasted oak, fudge, roasted nuts, and dark bread/crust; with lighter notes of licorice, raisin, prune, cherry, fig, date, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness. Light herbal, grassy, roast, charred bitterness; and bourbon, oak, pepper spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, molasses, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, chile pepper, coconut, toasted oak, fudge, roasted nuts, dark bread/crust, licorice, dark fruit, smoke, charcoal, leather, tobacco, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toast/oaky earthiness on the finish for a while. Fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, chocolate, vanilla, chile pepper, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet and bourbon/oak/chile spiciness balance; with no cloying, acrid, astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness lingering bitter/spiciness and bourbon/oak tannins. Light-medium carbonation and fairly full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/slick, and fairly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 17.5% and barrel booze after the finish. Overall this is a fantastic flavored barrel aged big imperial stout. All around fantastic complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/black/roast/bready malts, chocolate, vanilla, chile pepper, bourbon barrels, and light fruity yeast/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mellowly bitter/spicy/tannic/drying finish. Nicely soft, and not overly bitter/spicy/charred. Fantastic balance of rich malts, chiles, vanilla, chocolate, and bourbon barrel presence/integration; with mild earthy hops and fruity yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering bitter/spicy/tannic dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and outstanding style example as expected. Not overwhelming on any aspect.
Kermis (23416) reviewed Ancho Chile Lava Cake from Odd Side Ales 6 years ago
Appearance - 7 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Near black with a tan head. Aroma of dark chocolate, fruity chili, toffee, caramel, booze and vanilla. Flavour is heavy sweet. Full bodied with both alcohol and chili warmth in the finish and soft carbonation.