Tasting Notes: Lompoc's 8 Malty Nights Chocolate Rye Porter

Before you light the last candle in the menorah, toast to Hanukkah with a glass of Lomboc's 8 Malty Nights Chocolate Rye. The porter is part of the Portland-based restaurant and brewery's new line of seasonal holiday beers. Just released on November 30th, it joins another one designed for the Festival of Lights — the Bourbon Barrel Aged 8 Malty Nights — and six Christmas-themed brews.

If Spin the Dreidel was a drinking game, this beer would make a fair substitute for gelt — both the aroma and taste deliver on the promise of chocolate in the name. Some found the smell to have a "chalky" chocolate quality, while one person likened it to the flavor of "a melted Fudgesicle." It has a richness and a nice roasted note that should make it resonate well with fans of Guinness, but not so much so that it turns off those who aren't. And for those with concerns that it might be too sweet, it isn't — there's a muted saltiness, a hint of soy sauce according to one taste-tester. All in all, a good brew to wash down all those latkes and donuts.