Twin Leaf Brewing to Re-Release MDXXI Mexican Chocolate Stout
20 July 2016 --- On Saturday, August 6th, Twin Leaf Brewing will re-release MDXXI, an 8.2% ABV Mexican Chocolate Stout originally brewed for the brewery’s first anniversary in early 2015. The brewery is bringing back the beer due to popular demand.
“As we approached our second anniversary in March, numerous people asked if we were going to brew another batch of the Mexican Chocolate Stout we made for our 1st anniversary,” said Tim Weber, Head Brewer and Owner of Twin Leaf Brewery. “I had already brewed Grand Cru 100, a robust Belgian quad which was aging on oak barrels. I had to tell them no. And yet, the requests have kept rolling in all summer.” Weber added, laughing, “I guess it was time to give the people what they wanted.”
MDXXI Mexican Chocolate Stout draws its inspiration from Aztec drinking chocolate, a spicy and bitter beverage created by the mesoamerican people. In the original drink, pulp from the cocoa seed was blended with spices, wine or pureed corn. MDXXI mimics this tradition by blending cocoa nibs, cinnamon and Arbol chilies with sweeter chocolate malts.
“We create the beer by making a sort of tea with the chilis, in order to get the heat profile correct, and add this tea post fermentation,” said Weber. “The beer then ages on cocoa nibs to impart the bitter chocolate characteristic. It doesn’t take long to extract the flavors from the nibs. The resulting beer has a layered flavor profile, with a smooth, sweet base balanced by mild spice and heat.”
