Bean to Beer

ARTWORK BY SHAE MYLES

CHOCOLATE PORTER BREWED IN COLLABORATION WITH BARE BONES CHOCOLATE

4% ABV
SEASONS CHANGE

Making a chocolate dark beer has been a long time ambition at Dookit Brewing. It’s such an appropriate and delicious drink to reach for at this time of year.

Keeping it local I contacted the finest of chocolate makers: Bare Bones Chocolate, who are a few mere miles away from the brewery. They consistently produce excellent chocolate from single origin, organic cacao beans. Championing ethical and slow food processes, they hand craft their chocolate from bean to bar right here in Glasgow. It really is the best stuff around.

And they’re seriously nice folk! Cameron and Lara welcomed me warmly to their wonderful factory. It was a pleasure to all work together, including artist @shae.guava , a friend of Bare Bones, who nailed the label brief. Her artwork wittily captures the essence of good collaboration while maintaining a curiously cute weirdness.

When preparing the recipe, Cameron and I tasted several kinds of cacao nibs from Honduras, Madagascar and The Dominican Republic and went with Cameron’s idea of pairing the cacao from the latter two countries. The cherry flavour you get from the Madagascan and the creamy fudge sweetness from The Dominican Republic nibs combine beautifully.

Then, from ‘bean to bar’ Dookit Brewing intervened and added six kilos of both husk and nib across a special dark brew. An aromatic, unique and expressive chocolate profile comes through. You get lots of cherry on the nose and then a spectrum of nutty, fruity, sweet, coffee and almost liquorice-like flavours are present when tasting.

Expect a mild acidity and a medium, well rounded mouthfeel. The beer has a light bitterness and a nice bramble impression from the Bramling Cross hops. Plenty of Scottish oats and a well considered, ten-plus, malt bill makes for a smooth and very pleasant chocolatey experience.