If you don't think beer and chocolate will taste good together you definitely need to read on. If you already know of the amazing flavors these two foods can create then you've likely already skipped ahead to see what we've got in store for you. Taza Chocolate of Somerville, MA makes some of our favorite chocolate. There's simply nothing average about the chocolate they make. Each variation takes a very small number of simple ingredients (4 or less) and manages to create something with incredibly complex flavors. The varying berry tones and bitterness from the cocoa beans combined with some special additions like vanillas beans, almonds and guajillo peppers make their chocolate a perfect accompaniment to beer.
We've paired beer with Taza Chocolate in the past, based on the feedback we go then, we knew round 2 was in order. Since our last pairing with Taza they've come out with some new products. They've expanded their Taza Mexicano line of chocolate to include vanilla, salted almond and guajillo pepper varities. We dropped by Taza Chocolate's factory to come up with some new pairing for you to try. We tried over 15 beers with their chocolate before we found these three to let you all try.
Ready for the best part? If you live in the Boston area we're having a free beer and chocolate tasting at the Wine Gallery in Brookline, MA August 1st form 3-6pm (see bottom for details). If you can't make the event check out Taza's site for locations where you can buy their chocolate or buy directly online. With that said, lets get on to the pairings!
He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny's R.I.P.A. and Taza Mexicano Vanilla Bean Chocolate
This pairing happened almost by pure accident. We brought a cooler full of beer over to the Taza factory and this wasn't one of the pairings we expected to work...but oh man does it! The Taza Mexicano Vanilla Chocolate has a very interesting vanilla flavor since Taza uses the entire bean, including the pod, in the chocolate. Wow! This is an awesome pairing. The vanilla works with the malt sweetness of the beer and blends with the grapefruity hops in a very intriguing flavor combination. The chocolate sweetness continues when the malt stops, helping finish off the beer. We can't do this one justice on paper, you just have to try it.
This pairing happened almost by pure accident. We brought a cooler full of beer over to the Taza factory and this wasn't one of the pairings we expected to work...but oh man does it! The Taza Mexicano Vanilla Chocolate has a very interesting vanilla flavor since Taza uses the entire bean, including the pod, in the chocolate. Wow! This is an awesome pairing. The vanilla works with the malt sweetness of the beer and blends with the grapefruity hops in a very intriguing flavor combination. The chocolate sweetness continues when the malt stops, helping finish off the beer. We can't do this one justice on paper, you just have to try it.
Butternuts Heinnieweisse Weissebier and Taza Mexicano Guajillo Pepper Chocolate
Hefeweisen and chocolate? Yup! This may just be our favorite pairing of the three. The chocolate brings out acid in the beer like a berliner weisse. The natural spiciness of the hefeweisen yeast pairs perfectly with the mellow spice of the hot pepper creating a more complex flavor than either the chocolate or the beer have alone. First you get the tart acidity and some sweet chocolate, then it moves on to the spicy yeast and earthy spiciness of the pepper, which blends seamlessly.This is a really good example of 1+1=3 in food and beer pairing.
The Salted Almond Chocolate from Taza is simply amazing on it's own and we really needed the perfect beer to pair with this. On paper it's easy to just say an imperial stout will pair well, but we went through 7 different stouts before we found one that paired perfectly. This sweet roasty stout and chocolate go together incredibly well creating a truly decadent pairing. The result is mix of classic chocolate and nut flavors with a deep malted milk shake taste. The salt helps finish off the stout making it smoother than it is on its own. This is dessert in a glass.
We hope you all enjoy these pairings as much as we did.
Event Details
Where:
Wine Gallery Brookline
375 Boylston St
Brookline, MA 02445-6007
(617) 277-5522
Brookline, MA 02445-6007
(617) 277-5522
When:
August 1st 2009 3-6pm
Cheers,
Devon and Jeff
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