Chocolate, coffee and a multitude of hops. Yep, sounds like a couple of very Dainton releases. First up is a first for the brewery, with Dainton trying out a new hopping technique for Hop Rising. In order to get as much from their hops as they possibly could, the brewers packed them into different steps across the brewing process with the mash, lauter tun, kettle, whirlpool and fermenters all receiving a healthy dose. Dubbed a "Defiantly Hopped IPA", the idea was to pull as many aromatic compounds, or Thiols, out of their Strata, Columbus and Mosaic hops and it's an idea that's proved fruitful too. In many ways, Hop Rising resembles a classic West Coast with candied orange, grapefruit, pine and a big bitterness, but those flavours are joined by a far juicier and tropical pineapple and a substantial herbal hit.
Meanwhile, returning for winter is Choctail, which brings together three of life’s great pleasures: stout, chocolate and coffee. More specifically, the beer includes chocolate from Ratio and coffee from Little Rebel for a particularly rich, thick and decadent 9 percent ABV beer - even by Dainton’s standards. Largely those flavours are dark chocolate, coffee and roasted malts with a touch of underlying rich fruits that bring to mind walking into a coffee roastery just as the beans are heating up. (Having said that, it's possible it's a bit more like walking into a cocoa roaster just as they're getting to work...)
*Will Ziebell
Published June 22, 2022 2022-06-22 00:00:00
