Welcome again beer lovers. It was an easy pick this week, I needed to get away from some of the fruit accentuated IPA’s that have been all the rage this year, and step into a delicious dark beer. There are a plethora of delicious dark beers out there though, OB TenFidy, Fort George Cavatica, some Sierra Nevada Narwhal is still around. But, I have been eagerly awaiting the return of this particular beer, Señorita is a Horchata Imperial Porter from Elevation Beer Company, in the tiny town of Poncha Springs, CO, near Salida, on CO Highway 50 on the way to Gunnison and Crested Butte, about 150mi from Denver, or 70mi from Colorado Springs, out there a ways, not unlike Paradox.

Reminiscing to time in Colorado, we always awaited new releases from Elevation with great anticipation, they were always well made, a bit unorthodox, but always incredible. This years Señorita comes in a new trimmed down 12oz package, down from the 750ml, a nice change if I do say so myself, a better price point, a better size for a single serving, and a better format to get your brand into the hands of more people.

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Beer — Señorita

Brewery — Elevation Beer Co. / Poncha Springs, CO

ABV / IBU — 8.55% / 25 

Price / Availability — $2.99 (12oz) / Limited Annual Release

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I love the simplicity and thoroughness here

Appearance (3/3) — A cola colored beer pours quickly out of the bottle into the tulip glass, there is a creamy off-white colored head that forms, not unsimilar to the label color, it sits on top for a moment, but recedes into nothing more than a thin layer of foamy film on top of the dark brown body of beer, it does manage to leave behind some solid lacing with each sip, a few rings of foam are left down along the inside of the glass.

Aroma (7/12) — Fairly mild and unassuming, there are big notes of roasted malts, chocolate, some hint of espresso and a hint of sweetness, though not overpowering in any one regard. Just a nicely roasted porter with subtle coffee and chocolate notes.

Flavor (17/20) — Waves of flavor here, showcasing a broad range from bitter and dry to sweet and rich. A real spectrum is shown, starts quite roasted and dry with notes of bitter bakers chocolate and nicely roasted malts. Leads way to a vanilla caramel sweetness and ends with a creamy, milky, smooth and round sweet finish. Picture a fresh caramel covered in dark chocolate, very well done, but lacks some of the Horchata signature spices.

Mouthfeel (3/5) — Fairly light and shows a high carbonation level with a clean finish. A bit of sweetness lingers and is left behind, but it is not cloying, just drinks like a good milk stout, but still comes across a bit light.

Overall (8/10) — A nice beer, really showcases some of the sweeter vanilla and lactose sugar components while still bringing a nicely needed balance of dark roasted malts and chocolates, with just a subtle hint of cinnamon spice. No cloying sweetness or overpowering spice notes, this is a great example of balance. This could be amplified in any direction, but I appreciate the subtle nuanced flavors and balance that Elevation has found here. Please, don’t change a damn thing.

OVERALL — 38 / 50 EXCELLENT