In the opening post of this series I mentioned that there are three categories of beer that pair well with chocolates.
The first group for pairing includes dark beers such as porters and stouts…
These beers are made using a good deal of roasted or burnt barley malt. In fact, one of the burnt barley malts is even called “chocolate malt.” It doesn’t really have any chocolate in it, but rather the malt has been roasted or kilned until it acquires more of a chocolaty color.
“Chocolate stout” is a name brewers will sometimes give to certain stouts that have a noticeable dark chocolate flavor through the use of chocolate malt. In some cases, to give a real chocolate flavor, the beers are brewed with a small amount of actual chocolate; this can impart a powdered cocoa flavor or a creamy, dark, bittersweet chocolate flavor.
Brewers will also use a good deal of pale malt and some caramel malt in making porters and stouts. These beers provide roasted, toasted, caramel and coffee-like flavors that match well with any chocolate, especially a caramel truffle, a chocolate turtle with caramel and nuts, or a caramel-infused dark milk chocolate bar.
Strong stouts, especially Imperial stouts, can provide perfect matches to chocolate desserts. Classic dry Irish stouts such as Guinness are not a good match because they don’t have the proper intensity. Another stout that doesn’t work well is a Cream Stout. It’s simply too sweet due to the addition of lactose, causing a conflict with the sweetness of the dessert. Instead, you should find a beer that offers a little break from the sweetness of the dessert.
Sue Langstaff, a member of the Primal Chocolate Club, has contributed this series about chocolate and beer pairing. Her company Applied Sensory, LLC offers analytical sensory services for the wine, brewing, and food industries.
