From the Beer Writer: There is a wealth of oaken wonderment stacked tall and deep within an inauspicious warehouse across the street from the tasting room spouting the wares of The Lost Abbey and its duo of cousin brands, Port Brewing Co. and The Hop Concept. Barrels previously used for wine, brandy, whiskey and tequila are crammed down the long end of the space, with numerous foudres standing sentinel near the entrance. All forms of beer have been funneled into these wooden vessels. When blended, almost anything can happen, especially with the talents and pedigree of the brewing industry vet doing the blending, Tomme Arthur. He’s brought together a wide variety of barrel-aged sours, stouts and barley wines to create truly unique offerings such as an American gueuze (a blend of one-, two- and three-year-old sour beers), tea beers and a sour blended and fruited to taste like sangria. Now, he and his crew have tackled the flavor profile of spicy Mexican chocolate. But here’s the rub…no chocolate was used in the making of this beer. A variety of ingredients combine to provide the depth of flavor presented by that South of the Border specialty while the blended bourbon barrel-aged strong ale base brings the octane, notes of tobacco smokiness (which marry with smoked chile notes) and inherent spirit flavors. Worried you missed out on this chocolaty, limited-edition brew? Fear not. The beer goes on sale at noon today on The Lost Abbey website. Click here or check out the company’s social media accounts for information and the link to the online sales page.
From the Brewer: ”My Black Parade, a bourbon barrel-aged dark strong ale with cocoa nibs, cinnamon, dried chilies and vanilla, started out as an ode to Mexican chocolate, a beer profile The Lost Abbey had not yet tackled. While not using actual Mexican chocolate in the beer, we wanted to capture the essence and nuances of the spice profile by breaking it down into separate components. And what better way to tie in the story of the beer than to make sure we release it and get it in peoples’ hands before Dia de los Muertos. Only producing 60 cases and having a three-bottle limit, My Black Parade will be one of our smallest and most exclusive releases to date.”—Tomme Arthur, Director of Brewery Operations, The Lost Abbey/Port Brewing Co./The Hop Concept
From the Bottle: No one knew her actual name, Though to most she was simply Madame Marigold-Princess of The Black Parade. Each November 1st she led a procession through the town square to a makeshift altar at an unmarked grave. Year after year, the processions grew larger and the celebrations more elaborate. Patiently she waited for him always. Yet, he never arrived. Then one year, she too was gone. Her legacy endures as The Black Parade marches on despite her absence. Each fall, the entire village celebrates the lives of all the departed including Madame Marigold and her anonymous lover.