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Pan a Flores

Pan a Flores, SouthNorte Beer Co.
Judges Ratings 
1 Review
92
Aroma:
24 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Appearance:
6 / 6
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Description 

Pan a Flores is an ode to our city’s patron saint, Saint Diego. Legend has it, Saint Diego performed a miracle when he took bread from the monastery to feed the poor. He was questioned on his way out of the convent, and miraculously, when asked to open his robes the bread turned into flowers. The story of Saint Diego’s bread to flowers, or Pan a Flores, is the inspiration behind our holiday release. This expertly crafted strong porter is brewed with cajeta, cinnamon, Oaxacan coffee, and Mexican chocolate for a truly festive holiday ale.

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
7.0%
IBUs: 
20
Served at: 
40º F
Judges Review 
Joseph Formanek's picture
Judges Rating:
92
Aroma:
24 / 24
Appearance:
6 / 6
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20

Pan a Flores by SouthNorte Beer Co is a full-flavored holiday treat for your senses. While there are a few quibbles, this brew delivers Holiday cheer quite admirably. This beer is being evaluated as a Category 30A Spice Herb and Vegetable beer as per the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines with “Porter” as the base style. 

Cinnamon, chocolate and coffee character dominates in the nose, leaving the impression of a spiced cappuccino or even a cinnamon brownie. This aroma is very rich and attractive and practically begs you to go ahead and indulge! The beer is a deep opaque black color, with a tan small-bubbled head that lingers well into the drink. The head retention is quite remarkable considering the level of chocolate that is evident in this brew. Even though the beer is opaque, it still does have a slight murkiness to it – probably due to the use of chocolate. 

From the first whiff of the aroma to the aftertaste, the same cinnamon, semi-sweet chocolate and coffee character from the aroma also dominates the flavor, which is quite impressive. Very little hop character of any type is noted, which, unfortunately, is a bit of a quibble for the overall flavor delivery. Without any real bitterness in the finish, the end of the drink is a bit flabby with all of the sweeter spice characteristics. It takes a little while for the palate to recover before the next sip – which does allow one time to ponder and savor all of the rich flavor character that you just tasted. The fermentation is very clean, with a medium-full body leaving a substantial impression.

The good brewers at SouthNorte have delivered a very impressive holiday offering in Pan a Flores with expert use of a complex blend of spice flavors. Cheers and enjoy! 

 

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