Best Beers for your Valentine

Valentine's Day is all about showing your affection for that special someone with delectable treats. What better way to do it for that beer lover in your life than with some of the world's best chocolate beers and berry lambics? Check out this list for some great suggestions.

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Allagash Black

Product - Allagash Black
Brewed By: 
Allagash
Self-Defined Style: 
Belgian-style Stout
Strength (ABV): 
7.5% ABV
Best With: 
For dinner pair Allagash Black with beef Wellington, shepherds pie, and herbed goat cheese. Black is a perfect complement to sweet cream ice cream and oatmeal raisin cookies for dessert.
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Boon Framboise

Product - Boon Framboise
Brewed By: 
Boon
Self-Defined Style: 
Framboise Lambic
Strength (ABV): 
5.0% ABV

Burgundy color, huge complex aroma, moderate raspberry flavor.

Best With: 
Truly magnificent with duck, goose, venison, country pates and goat cheese ravioli. Excellent with dark chocolate cakes and tarts, vanilla or chocolate ice cream and cheesecake.
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Boon Kriek

Product - Boon Kriek
Brewed By: 
Boon
Self-Defined Style: 
Kriek Lambic
Strength (ABV): 
5.0% ABV

Frank Boon is one of the last lambic producers to use 100% traditional methods. His Lambics are 100% spontaneously fermented (no pitched yeast or chemical acidification). Aged only in oak (not stainless steel) and fruited with 100% fruit (no syrups, concentrates, or artificial flavors). The results are Lambics that are neither candy sweet or exaggeratedly sour. Just beautifully balanced, tart, dry and sparkling. Red beer with glowing pink head, insistent cherry palate an earthy aroma.

Best With: 
This beer is great with chocolate dessert, panna cotta, magret of duck and venison in a sour cherry sauce.
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Fantôme Chocolat

Product - Fantome Chocolat
Brewed By: 
Fantôme
Self-Defined Style: 
Chocolate Beer
Strength (ABV): 
8.0% ABV

A Belgian saison beer brewed with cocoa powder and chili pepper? Ay, caramba! Score another one for the unpredictable brewery that was the first -- and so far, the only -- to make ales out of dandelions and mushrooms, among other things.

Best With: 
This beer makes for a flavorful digestif.
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Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout.jpg
Brewed By: 
Lagunitas
Self-Defined Style: 
Cappuccino Stout
Strength (ABV): 
7.9% ABV

This one has a dark brown color with a medium beige head. Aroma is dominated by a light roast, some chocolate, and medium coffee with cream. Flavor has a good deal of creamy coffee with a nutty roast and chocolate in the background.

Autumn Seasonal Release

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Liefmans Frambozenbier

Product - Liefmans Frambozenbier
Brewed By: 
Liefmans
Self-Defined Style: 
Frambozenbier
Strength (ABV): 
4.5% ABV

All-natural, no syrups added, only whole raspberries pressed into juice just before being added to the beer. Features a massive raspberry aroma and the fresh, lively character of champagne.

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Lindemans Framboise

Product - Lindemans Framboise
Brewed By: 
Lindemans
Self-Defined Style: 
Raspberry Lambic
Strength (ABV): 
4.0% ABV

Long before hops were common in most beers, various fruits and vegetables were used to season beers. The acidity of lambic beers blends perfectly with raspberries. Rose in color. Magnificent aroma, delicate palate of raspberries with undertones of fruity acidity; elegant, sparkling clean natural taste.

Best With: 
Chocolate desserts (especially chocolate decadence), fresh raspberries, ice cream with a raspberry demi-glaze sauce, créme caramel, baked Alaska, Olympia oysters, caviar. Serve in flute-shaped Lambic glasses at 45 degrees.
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Lindemans Kriek

Product - Lindemans Kriek
Brewed By: 
Lindemans
Self-Defined Style: 
Cherry Lambic
Strength (ABV): 
4.0% ABV

Peter Breugel pictured happy peasants dancing and drinking Kriek in the 17th century. Lindemans has brewed Kriek since 1811. Deep rose in color. Bouquet of freshly harvested cherries; sparkling, smooth, fruity and refreshing, finishing dry.

Best With: 
As an aperitif in place of dry sherry, with carbonnade a la beouf, mussels in white wine or Gueuze, flavorful cheeses; traditionally served in tall, thick tumbler with cubes of sugar to sweeten to taste.
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New Belgium Frambozen

Product - New Belgium Frambozen
Brewed By: 
New Belgium
Self-Defined Style: 
Raspberry Brown Ale
Strength (ABV): 
6.5% ABV

Frambozen begins with the aroma of fresh red raspberries, followed by the ripe seductiveness of a fruity brown ale with depth and delicate malt notes. It is deep ruby in color, with flavors just as rich. Every year, New Belgium sends a delegate to the Pacific Northwest to oversee the process of turning freshly picked berries into a pure juice to be added in fermentation. The coming of Thanksgiving at New Belgium is ushered in with the first sighting of our cellar operators scuttling about, covered head to tow in a festive crimson berry wash.

Best With: 
Chef Todd Davies, Partner of Tap House Grill, recommends goat cheese brix, frisee, purple potato salad, chive, and pine nuts. The raspberry is quickly cut with the flaky buttery filo crust of the sharp goat cheese as are the malts, the creamy roasted purple fingerling potatoes complement the caramely malts, the peppery frisee, also cuts the sweetness of the raspberry. The pine nuts enhance the malty finish.
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New Glarus Raspberry Tart

New Glarus Raspberry Tart.gif
Brewed By: 
New Glarus
Self-Defined Style: 
Wisconsin Framboise Ale
Strength (ABV): 
4.0% ABV

Wisconsin framboise made with raspberries, wheat and year old Hallertau hops. This ale is fermented in large oak vats. The raspberry bouquet will greet you long before your lips touch your glass.

Best With: 
The quintessential dessert beer. Perfect with chocolate mud cake, cheesecake, or creamy desserts like mousse or crème brûlée.
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New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

New Glarus Belgian Red.gif
Brewed By: 
New Glarus
Self-Defined Style: 
Wisconsin Cherry Ale
Strength (ABV): 
5.1% ABV

Our International World Champion Specialty Beer is a true winner. Brewed with whole Montmorency Cherries, Wisconsin Wheat and Belgian roasted barleys. Over a pound of Door County cherries in each bottle. Ruby red in color, a medium body, highly carbonated and intense with cherry flavor and bouquet.

Best With: 
Crepes suzette, tuna salad sandwiches, roast duck, fruit or chocolate desserts. Mix this with a stout for a complex blend of chocolate and cherry.
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Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence

Product - Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence
Brewed By: 
Ommegang
Self-Defined Style: 
Belgian Stout
Strength (ABV): 
8.0% ABV
Color (SRM): 
42º L

Chocolate Indulgence comes with a thick tan head of foam resting on top of the rich onyx-colored liquid. The aroma immediately speaks of dark chocolate and dark malts. The gentle herbal nose of Perle hops compliments the darker notes, making the beer savory to the senses. The taste continues with the intense Belgian dark chocolate gliding across the tongue; starting sweet up front but giving way to rich cocoa flavors at the back.

Best With: 
Perhaps the ultimate companion to chocolate dipped Belgian waffles.
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Ommegang Three Philosophers

Product - Ommegang Three Philosophers 2012
Brewed By: 
Ommegang
Self-Defined Style: 
Belgian-Style Qaudrupel with Kriek
Strength (ABV): 
9.8% ABV

98% Ale - 2% Ale with Cherries Added

Unique blend of Ommegang Quadruple Ale and Liefman's Kriek.

Three Philosophers was made for contemplation.

Best With: 
Three Philosophers' deep nature makes it perfect with desser. Or as dessert itself.
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Rodenbach Redbach

Product - Rodenbach Redbach
Brewed By: 
Rodenbach
Self-Defined Style: 
Belgian Sour Red Ale with Cherry Juice
Strength (ABV): 
5.0% ABV
Best With: 
Works great with lighter chocolate based desserts.
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Rogue Chocolate Stout

Product - Rogue Chocolate Stout
Brewed By: 
Rogue
Self-Defined Style: 
Chocolate Stout
Strength (ABV): 
6.3% ABV
Color (SRM): 
40º L
Bitterness (IBU): 
69 IBU

Hedonistic! Ebony in color with a rich creamy head. The mellow flavor of oats, chocolate malts, and real chocolate are balanced perfectly with the right amount of hops for a bittersweet finish. Chocolate Stout is brewed with 10 ingredients: Northwest Harrington and Klages, Crystal 135-165 and Beeston Chocolate Malts, Cascade Hops, Rolled Oats and Roasted Barley, Natural Chocolate Flavor, Free Range Coastal Waters and PacMan Yeast.

Best With: 
Rogue's Chocolate Stout is the perfect beer to compliment any dessert, particularly cakes, custards, or raspberry based dishes.
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Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock

Product - Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock
Brewed By: 
Samuel Adams
Self-Defined Style: 
Chocolate Bock
Strength (ABV): 
5.5% ABV

Smooth, rich, and dark with the robust flavor and creamy texture of chocolate. Deep rich brown in color, Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock displays the distinct aroma of chocolate, toffee and malt. Tastes slightly sweet, full bodied with a finish of fine, world class chocolate.

Best With: 
This chocolaty dessert beer makes an ideal pairing with sticky date pudding, crème brûlée, or molten chocolate cake.
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Young's Double Chocolate Stout

Product - Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Brewed By: 
Young's
Self-Defined Style: 
Sweet Stout
Strength (ABV): 
5.2% ABV
Color (SRM): 
40º L

Chocolate malt and real dark chocolate are combined with Young's award winning rich, full flavoured dark beer to craft a satisfyingly indulgent, but never overly sweet experience. Dark, ruby color, nearly black, distinctive chocolate flavor, smooth, velvety finish.

Best With: 
This sweet stout yearns for a pairing with chocolate confections, cheesecake and tiramisu.