Hardywood dark chocolate peanut butter porter

Hardywood's dark chocolate peanut butter porter is a dark, roasty porter built around chocolate and peanut butter flavors, and it is best served cool rather than ice cold. To find out whether CBC Liquors has it in right now, search our website or call the shop and ask. If you came looking for butter the wine, the Butter wines are a separate thing, covered further down.

What is a dark chocolate peanut butter porter?

A porter is a dark ale brewed with roasted malt. That roasting is where the flavors people describe as chocolate, coffee, toast and caramel come from. A dark chocolate peanut butter porter takes that base and leans into the dessert side of it, adding chocolate and peanut character on top.

Hardywood is a craft brewery based in Richmond, Virginia, and this is one of its flavored porters. If you have had a chocolate stout or a coffee porter before, the idea is the same: a dark beer where the extra ingredient is meant to be tasted, not hidden.

Because the beer is a flavored specialty release, the exact recipe, strength and availability are the brewery's to set. Check the can or bottle label for the details on the one in your hand.

Does CBC Liquors in Westford have it?

The simplest way to find out is to search the website for Hardywood or for the beer's name, or to call the shop at 142 Littleton Rd and ask whether it is in. Specialty beers come and go, and a quick question saves you a trip.

If it is in, we are open Sunday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Pickup runs on the same hours as the shop.

If it is not in, ask us what is close. We can point you to other dark beers with a similar chocolate and roast profile, and the next section covers where to start looking yourself.

What is the difference between a porter and a stout?

The two styles overlap so much that even brewers argue about where one ends and the other begins. As a loose rule, porters tend to be a little lighter in body and softer in their roast, with chocolate, caramel and toasted notes. Stout leans toward a heavier body and a sharper, more coffee-like roast, though plenty of stouts break that pattern.

For a peanut butter beer, the porter base is a sensible choice. A softer roast leaves room for the sweet, nutty flavor to come through without a lot of bitterness fighting it.

If you are not sure which you prefer, try one of each side by side. The difference is easier to taste than to explain.

What does it taste like, and how should I serve it?

Expect a dark beer that reads as dessert-adjacent: cocoa, toasted malt, and a nutty, peanut butter sweetness. Flavored porters like this are usually fuller and rounder than an everyday lager, so a small pour goes a long way.

Serve it cool, not frozen. Straight from a very cold fridge, dark beers taste flat and muted. Let a bottle or can sit out for ten to fifteen minutes first, and pour it into a tulip, snifter or small tumbler so you can smell it as you sip.

Do not rush it. A beer like this is something to sip slowly, and the flavors open up as it warms a few degrees in the glass.

What food goes with a chocolate peanut butter porter?

The easy answer is dessert. Brownies, flourless chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream or a plain shortbread all work, because the beer supplies the chocolate and nut flavor and the food gives it something simple to lean on. Poured over a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a porter like this makes a quick float.

It can also go the other direction, with savory food. Smoky barbecue, roasted meats and aged cheeses stand up to the roast in a porter, and the sweetness of the peanut butter flavor plays against salty and smoky dishes the way a sweet glaze does.

A note for anyone cooking for guests: a beer that is described as peanut butter flavored may be a concern for people with peanut allergies. Read the label and ask the people at your table before you pour.

What can I buy at CBC Liquors if I want a similar beer?

If the Hardywood is not in, start with the Dark Beer section. It gathers the porters, stouts and other roasted styles in one place, so you can compare descriptions and pick one with chocolate, coffee or caramel notes.

For flavored or unusual releases like this one, the Speciality Beer page is the other place to look. Flavored dark beers, seasonal releases and one-off brews tend to be grouped there rather than with the everyday styles.

If you want something lighter for the same evening, the Easy Drinking Beer page has the simpler options, which suits a mixed group where not everyone wants a heavy dessert beer.

I searched butter and found wine. What are the Butter wines?

Butter is a wine brand, and it has nothing to do with the peanut butter in the porter. If the word brought you here by accident, the two Butter wines worth knowing about are BUTTER Chardonnay and BUTTER PINOT NOIR. You can see the whole range on the Butter brand page.

Chardonnay is a white wine, and a buttery style of it usually means a fuller, rounder wine, often shaped by oak and a winemaking step that softens the acidity. Pinot noir is a lighter red, usually served with a slight chill.

Neither is a substitute for a dark beer, but if you are putting together a dessert table with something for everyone, they are good companions to have on hand.

Can I get it if I live in Chelmsford, Acton, Lowell or nearby?

CBC Liquors in Westford also serves Chelmsford, Carlisle, Littleton, Acton, Tyngsborough, Lowell, Billerica, Boxborough and Dunstable. Besides walking in, you can use pickup, delivery or shipping, depending on what suits you.

If you are outside Westford, check your town's page first, for example Chelmsford, Acton or Lowell. Delivery hours run Sunday 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday to Thursday 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM, and Friday and Saturday 10:00 AM to 9:30 PM.

As with any specific beer, ask about this one before you plan around it. Search the website or call, and we will tell you whether it is in and how you can get it.