Prescott Brewing Company's Achocolypse Chocolate Porter Is A Perfectly Balanced Dessert Beer

The Beer: Achocolypse Chocolate Porter
The Brewery: Prescott Brewing Company (Prescott, AZ)

Aroma: Giant chocolate intensity that's more dark chocolate than milk, though there's a presence of both, with secondary aromas of toffee, caramel, light rum, and brown sugar. Dessert beckons with just one whiff of this locally crafted ale.

Appearance: Though it's a deep brown color and opaque, the beer actually turns bright red when held to direct light. A tan head consisting of very small bubbles leaves a persistence that lasts indefinitely and leaves a lacing on the glass as the beer is consumed.

Flavor: Imagine Hershey's syrup poured over French vanilla ice cream, and you've captured the essence of this beer's flavor. The chocolate radiates throughout the palate, starting sweeter where the tongue contains a higher concentration of sweet receptors, and finishing a little less sweet, but not bitter. Despite the intensity of the chocolate, the beer is well attenuated and, because of that, doesn't leave the drinker with a heavy palate. Toffee and caramel flavors add complexity. The aftertaste draws out memories of vanilla, caramel, toffee, light rum, and, yes, more chocolate.

Many beers of this profile tend to be a "one and done" proposition, but Achocolypse definitely calls for a two-beer minimum. The base beer is a robust porter, and the additions of both bitter and dark chocolates achieve a balance the Prescott Brewery brewers have perfected over the years.

Pairing: Serve Achocolypse with virtually any dessert containing chocolate, raspberries, or bananas. In fact, bananas Foster would be a perfect pairing.

Prescott Brewing has been making handcrafted beers in Prescott, Arizona, since 1994, and distributes its beers throughout the state. This one was found in six packs and single cans at Total Wine Gilbert, but it can also be found at most craft beer stores and many grocery and convenient stores, including Trader Joe's, Bashas, BevMo, and Whole Foods.

For more information, check out Prescott Brewing Company's website.