King Harbor Brewing Co Choco-Latte
What the brewers say
“Chocolate stout with Ugandan vanilla, cacao nibs, coffee, cocoa powder, ancho chile, and lactose.”
What our panel thought
“Huge nose that rotates among the peppers, the cacao, and the nutty coffee, with vanilla rounding it all out. Wonderful mélange continues into the flavor, with complexity off the chart—Mexican hot chocolate, with just a low and slow heat at the end. Malt flavors and additions are firm and not hard to find. Bitterness supports but doesn’t try to steal the show. The finish is complex and lingering with a hint of sweetness. Vanilla is the right addition; that sweetness ties it all together. Rich, with a medium-full body and no astringency.”
What our editors thought
“Rich spicy cinnamon with a bittersweet chocolate counterpoint, nutty pastry dough, and a dusting of cocoa powder on the nose. Elegant and refined in the sip as lightly bitter chocolate notes push forward with a structure more lean than the nose suggests. Snappy chocolate notes persist into the finish with only hints of cinnamon spice and a supportive body that remains more stout than sweet. Beautifully captures the suggested flavors, with no excess.”
