A Light in Dark Places

Oh Lighthouse.  Oh...oh Lighthouse, do you ever know how to treat a man just right.  First you shocked me by introducing an IPA that I actually liked, then you thrilled me by releasing a beer so dark and rich that it made Oprah look pale and poor by comparison.  And now...

May I present Lighthouse's newest addition; their dark chocolate porter.  

Now, as this review is coming on the tail end of yet another chocolate beer, one may expect that certain comparisons would be made.  One would be correct.  Allow me to elaborate on the finer points of what differentiates Lighthouse's chocolate-infused brew from Granville Island's:

It's better.

More GIB drama.  Bring on the hate.

The end; I can go home now.  Actually, I'm already at home, so I guess I can investigate this further.  It's actually quite a lot better, in my mind.  Sure, porters are not stouts, but they're damned close, and even with a significantly reduced alcohol percentage (5.5%), Lighthouse melts the chocolate competition from GIB.  It munches it.  It devours it.  This porter is one hot chocolate.  One might even say that for porters, it's the new chocolate, *ahem*...bar.  Is...is that enough?  Can I stop making bad puns now?

Immediately following the glorious sound of carbonation escaping a cracked lid, the bottle cap sailing clear across the room, your flaring nostrils are met with a roasted aroma of delicious proportion.  Puckered, salivating lips awaiting, you thrust the frothy head sloshing about the top of the pint glass into your mouth, the liquid's tantalizing flavours dancing across your tongue.  Your eyes roll into the back of your head as an exasperated gasp escapes your mouth, and you reach down to-

Ahem.  Whoops, wrong blog.  You can read more on this story at my extra-risque alternative beer blog over at www.beerotica.blogspot.com

(If you went to it you're dumb but I still love you)

Back to the beer.  Yes, that may well be a slightly...sensationalized review, but the truth is it's just a very, very solid chocolate porter.  While the ABV is seemingly weak, the result actually manages a feel that is quite potent, giving a kick much stronger than beers with a significantly higher percentage.  The chocolate flavour, like Brooklyn's black chocolate, is pretty much perfect.  It doesn't dominate the beer flavour; it accompanies it exactly how you'd want it to.  The roasted taste of both cocoa and coffee beans makes for a very robust sensation.

As for the all-important question that I'm sure is on the tip of your collective tongues...where the hell is the cruising at?  Well, it hasn't exactly been cruising weather, on top of my own beloved cruiser developing a few faults and me, in turn, developing a severe case of inability to be bothered in fixing them.  But hey, summer is just around the corner folks...


Taste:  An excellent equilibrium of chocolate and malty beer, with complex, roasted flavours and a kick that would make Wesley Snipes proud.

Aroma:  Like a great, sophisticated dessert, this does not reek of simple-natured sweetness, but challenges the nasal passages, and invites the mouth to join in on the excitement.

Aftertaste:  Porters have never been particularly exciting or revolting to me when it comes to aftertaste, and this dark chocolate doesn't stray far from that.  It certainly lingers and evolves more than...certain...other...chocolate brews (which shall remain unGravilleIslandBrewerynamed)

Recommended?:  Definitely.

Verdict:  It's not the bombshell that the Belgian Black was, but Lighthouse has crafted yet another really fantastic beer.  Chocolate and beer living together in harmonious union within one bottle.  You see?  There's hope for us all.

Score:  8.5 mugs out of 10.


For more on Lighthouse Brewing, cruise on over to their website:  http://www.lighthousebrewing.com/