Chocolate Week

Indulge yourselves during Chocolate week (12-18 October 2009) with the new, specially brewed Cheshire Chocolate Porter from Marks and Spencer’s brand new range of mouth-watering beers and ciders. If chocolate hedonism is your goal, try paring your favourite dessert with this traditional strong dark ale with a heady cocoa twist – any true chocolate lover’s dream come true.

Renowned Maître Chocolatier, Simon Dunn, has taken chocolate malt, natural chocolate essence and Madagascan vanilla bean extract and has worked for the first time with Frederic Robinson, head brewer at the Unicorn Inn brewery in Cheshire, to create the ultimate ale for chocolate enthusiasts. A traditional brewing method has been used, based on a special blend of two unique recipes (dating back to 1899 and 2002) injected with a serious chocolate hit at the beer conditioning stage.

Cheshire Chocolate Porter is a full bodied ale with ripe malt and a velvety smooth chocolate taste and with milk chocolate and a touch of sweetness on the nose. It is set apart from other chocolate beers by its appealing milky light colour, combining the depth of the dark ale with rich, milk chocolate colour and flavours. Not only does it pair to perfection with chocolate puddings, it also intensifies and balances the flavours of main courses such as a rich venison casserole. ‘Porter’ – the predecessor of stout – was the most popular beer in England at the end of the 18th century when its slightly sweetish but hoppy characteristics and evident roasted malt flavour was favoured widely. With Cheshire Chocolate Porter, the classic has been given an up-to-date revamp and is a true blend of the old and the new.

Marks & Spencer is launching the intensely chocolate infused beer just in time for Chocolate Week. It will be hitting the shelves, along with its innovative and exciting range of beers and ciders, on 12th October. Get stocked up in preparation for a sublimely chocolaty week…