Firestone Walker Brewing Company (Paso Robles, California) has officially announced that Molé Merkin, the fourth out of five Proprietor’s Vintage releases slated for 2019, is available now for a limited time.

Inspired heavily by “family recipes inherited from [Barrel Program Manager Eric Ponce’s] grandmothers,” Molé Merkin is a Milk Stout aged in “bourbon barrels with additions of Puya chile peppers, cocoa nibs and cinnamon to capture the essence of the traditional Mexican sauce known as molé.” This treatment gives the beer “a hint of sweet spice” from the added cinnamon, “while the cocoa nibs bring luscious balance to the medium lingering heat of the peppers.”  Clocking in at 7.8% ABV, Molé Merkin “is a smooth, chocolaty stout with its own distinctive kick.”

“Fall is a perfect time of year to enjoy Molé Merkin. It offers these warming spices that really go with the cooling weather and vibes of autumn.

 

This beer has a lot of personal meaning behind it. Every time I taste it, it brings back childhood memories of family dinners and gatherings, where molé dishes were a staple. It’s that sense of joy and flavor that I wanted to convey with Molé Merkin.”

 

– Eric Ponce, Barrel Program Manager at Firestone Walker Brewing Company

Molé Merkin is rolling out now and will be available only as long as supplies last.  You can expect to find this Limited Release offering available in individually boxed 12 oz. bottles and on draft at select craft beer-friendly establishments located in North Carolina, Texas, California and throughout the rest of Firestone Walker’s distribution network. Prost!

Vital Information for Molé Merkin from Firestone Walker Brewing Company

Release – Limited/Proprietor’s Vintage; late September/early October 2019
Style – Milk Stout
ABV – 7.8%
Treatment – Aged in bourbon barrels with additions of Puya chile peppers, cocoa nibs & cinnamon
Fun Fact – “Ponce chose Velvet Merkin as the base beer because it was the perfect foil for the style he envisioned: ‘As a milk stout, it has this creaminess that evokes the creamy texture of molé. It also has chocolate notes that play really well with the cocoa nibs and cinnamon.'”
Availability – Individually boxed 12 oz. bottles & draft
Beer Finder – https://www.firestonebeer.com/find/