Beer Review - Ska Mole Stout

Ska Brewing Company Mole Stout - 5.5% ABV

There are 4 western states that I think of when I think of bastions of beerdom.  California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado.  We all know that the area around Denver is inundated with fantastic breweries and a few scattered in the mountains to the west and north, but do we really include Durango in the beer holy land?

Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 by a couple of minors.  Not, not miners, minors, underaged skate punks who, we now know, knew how to brew a great beer.  Their best beer line, in my opinion, are their stouts.  So popular that they have decided to create a new stout for every season. The Mole Stout was their autumnal selection for 2012 and boy is it a dandy.

To first understand this brew you must understand what mole is.  Mole is a culinary creation from south-central Mexico that mixes chocolate, unsweetened of course, with chilis, which stimulates quite and endorphine rush.  "The Autumnal Mole Stout is an ale brewed with cocoa nibs, spices and three varieties of chile peppers: Mulato, Ancho and Hatch green chiles, (also known as Anaheim Peppers.)" says the folks at Ska.  The beer pours a really dark brown, almost black, with an off-white head that hangs around for a bit.  It smells of chilis, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla and caramel, delicious and enticing.  The flavor is enormous, a bit sweet and a bit spicy with the cocoa shining through.  Hugely interesting with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, espresso, caramel are also there .... along with a smokey flavor.  It is really balanced, really complex but quite drinkable.  

Unfortunately I didn't try this earlier in the season so that I can buy more, but it makes me want to go out and buy there winter stout, Hibernal Vinifera, and anticipate the re-release of this beauty next fall.  If you find this still available I would highly recommend snabbing a 6-pack (yes, it is in cans). 

Ska Brewing
225 Girard Street
Durango, CO 81301
http://www.skabrewing.com/main.html