Name: Malagos Porter
Brewer: Fat Pauly’s Hand-Crafted Ales & Lagers (Philippines)
Style: Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer (Base Style: Baltic Porter)
ABV: 7.1%
Review Year: 2021
The Malagos Porter is a Filipino classic– a delectable dark beer brewed by Fat Pauly’s Hand-Crafted Ales & Lagers (Iligan City) in partnership with the country’s award-winning chocolate maker, Malagos Chocolate (Davao City). This porter was brewed with Trinitario cacao nibs fresh from the Malagos Chocolate farms.
Paul “Pauly” C. Stuart del Rosario, with the help of his brother Peppo, started brewing in 2010, albeit in very small batches. It was only in 2016 when Green Gold Gourmet Foods, Inc. took over the brewing operations to strengthen and expand the business. Green Gold Gourmet Foods, Inc., which is owned by Pauly’s family, is known best for Suka Pinakurat, the pioneering and often-imitated spiced natural coconut vinegar.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer (30A) with the Baltic Porter (9C) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website. Note that this beer was brewed with cacao nibs.
Recommended Reading: Brewing With Chocolate: Tips from the Pros (BYO, 2019)
TASTING NOTES
Clear amber brown with a tan-colored head. The nose is prominently chocolate, supported by molasses and licorice. Medium body and carbonation. Chocolate and coffee dominated the flavor profile backed by malty cacao nibs; bitterness and sweetness were modest. Low hop presence; clean fermentation character; very light tannins (but not distracting). Slightly dry finish with an aftertaste of faint coffee and cacao nibs. No raw and harsh qualities.
THE VERDICT
The Malagos Porter is an excellent presentation of what quality cacao nibs can do to a well-crafted, easy-drinking dark beer. The cacao infusion complemented the rich malty and clean fermentation characteristics associated traditionally with Baltic Porters. This beer has less of the dried and dark fruit qualities most classic Baltic Porters have, yet the chocolate theme made up for these. Don’t expect a thick and roasty dark beer because this is not an Imperial Stout. Pair this with a bar of Dark Chocolate (85%) from Malagos.
Now we are curious about how Malagos cacao nibs would fare with other beer styles such as American Brown Ale, Wee Heavy, or even English Barleywine.
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