Nothing says Xmas Treat like 3 French Craft Beer Hounds

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Bootleggers Mint Chocolate Porter

I’m totally stoked that Tony invited me to be a part of the 12 Beers of Christmas!!  I usually spend my days, creating and finding the best gifts and gadgets for beer lovers, which is awesome! But drinking beer is always a welcome distraction. Over the years, I have done a review here and there(usually on YouTube with Beer Coaster Toby @beercoastertoby), but after all the drinking and tasting I’ve done, this might be my first ever written beer review.  So(insert knuckle cracking), here goes...

My contribution to the 12 Beers of Christmas will be Bootleggers Mint Chocolate Porter. Why this beer? Why not??  It sounds like a Christmas treat in a bottle.  

About the Brewery:  Bootleggers Brewery is from Fullerton, California and was started in 2008 by experienced homebrewer and entrepreneur, Aaron Barkenhagen. “Drink Fresh, Drink Local” is the motto at Bootlegger’s Brewery.

Specs:

Style: American Porter

Available: Winter

ABV 6.1%

IBU 15.7

Appearance: Dark brown in color with amber ruby highlights. There is a small tan head that doesn’t stick around for long.

Aroma: It smells of mint with whiffs of roasty chocolate and maybe a doughy-woodiness.

Taste: Dark chocolate with mint in the middle and finishes with a bitter roasted flavor.

Mouthfeel: Thin, but creamy--nice for a porter.

Food Pairing: Christmas cookies, no question.  Buttery, sugary, preferably shortbread cookies. They will balance the chocolate and mint.  

Summary: This beer is reminiscent of an Andies mint.  A nice chocolate porter with mint in the middle and a roasty chocolate finish. The most exciting part is that they didn’t ruin it with the mint. It so easily could have been a disaster of mint extract proportions, but it isn’t. They created something that is approachable for the beer novice and complex enough to intrigue the beer geek.

Cheers!

To check out the Gifts & Gadgets for Beer Lovers from Gina and the Craft Beer Hound team you can visit them at www.CraftBeerHound.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest!

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