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Appearance: Pours black with a thick brown head.

Aroma: Intense cinnamon, cocoa and coffee are followed by nutmeg and peppers. As the beer warms up, the flavor combinations evolve and the cocoa and vanilla notes really start to open up.

Taste: Cocoa and cinnamon are at the forefront. The coffee, nutmeg and vanilla follow, and the fruitiness and heat of the pasilla peppers come through nicely on the finish.

Palate: Full-bodied and very smooth with a light bitterness. The sweetness adds a lot to this beer without being too syrupy.

Overall: When we tasted Chris Banker’s winning beer at our annual AHA Rally back in March 2014, I think everyone on the brewing team was blown away by the multiple layers of flavor in this beer. Chris’ inspiration was Mexican hot chocolate, and he was able to perfectly replicate the flavors. The inclusion of Cervecería Insurgente for this collaboration was a fun addition. We first met Co-founders Ivan and Damian at the 2014 Craft Brewers Conference in Denver, and given their brewery’s proximity to us in Mexico, and their approach to brewing, we thought they’d be a perfect fit for the third collaborator.