Some of us are thinking about Valentine’s Day, mainly (primarily) because of the promise of chocolate. Others are thinking about Super Bowl. I was pretty thrilled to find out that the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
I’m not talking about chocolate footballs — although how great would that be? I’m talking about beer made with chocolate — really, beer with chocolate added for a little flavor during the brewing process. The Virginia Tourism Corporation put together a nice list of the varieties available in the state. However, the list includes beer that contains flavor notes that might be characterized as chocolaty — in other words, beer that doesn’t contain any chocolate at all.
But why quibble? We’re talking beer here. Is a beer that’s contains chocolaty flavor notes lesser than one that can really and truly can boast about its actual chocolate content? I think not. Football needs chocolate and football demands beer, whatever its dang bona fides.
With that in mind, here’s the list, in all its glory:
Ardent Craft Ales:
Dark Rye, an American imperial stout with a dry, chocolaty finish
Center of the Universe Brewing Co.:
Orange is the New Stout, an imperial chocolate stout with oranges and sea salt
Shut Up 2015, a Belgian dark strong with a delicate chocolate finish
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery:
Raspberry Stout, a chocolate stout brewed with local red raspberries
Isley Brewing Co.:
The Bribe, an oatmeal porter with notes of coffee and chocolate
Choosy Mother, a peanut butter oatmeal porter with hints of chocolate
Legend Brewery:
Chocolate Porter: a porter with caramel and chocolate malts
Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery:
Vanilla Virginia Black Bear, a vanilla Russian imperial stout flavored with dark chocolate, coffee and vanilla
Heir Apparent, an imperial stout with caramel and chocolate flavors
Virginia Black Bear, a Russian imperial stout with notes of dark chocolate and coffee
Chai Tea Virginia Black Bear, a Russian imperial stout with the spiciness of Indian chai tea and dark chocolate flavors
Midnight Brewery:
Not My Job, a southern English brown ale with notes of toffee and chocolate
Midnight Granite, a rich oatmeal stout with a subtle roast and smooth chocolate notes
Strangeways Brewing:
Woodbooger Belgian-Style Brown Ale, a brown ale with hints of chocolate, caramel and fruit
Triple Crossing Brewing Co.:
Vanilla Night Lands, a spiced imperial stout with vanilla beans and cacao nibs
