Over the years I’ve read claims chocolate malt imparts a chocolate taste.
Others have stated chocolate malt is the color of chocolate and has nothing do to with the taste/flavor.
Which assertion is correct?
Both
Yes.
Both are true because different manufacturers’ chocolate malts are made and roasted to different degrees. I personally find light chocolate flavors in the more pale chocolate malts, 300 lovibond and lighter. Darker chocolate malts tend to impart heavier roast flavors.
+1.
I use chocolate malt quite a bit and the only time I get “chocolate” is with the lighter L chocolate malts…200-300L
Crisp Pale Chocolate (220L) is my favorite for this purpose.
Every maltsters roast malts are different, you have to try them and decide.
Weyermann calls their Carafa malts chocolate malts. Last fall I had some Schwarzbiers in Liepzig, and those were very Chocolaty. I don’t think they were using British malts in Germany.
the descriptions like “chocolate” or even “black malt” (implying fully burnt) give your mind impressions before tasting, but chocolate malt from english maltsters gives a particular taste i wouldnt pin to dark chocolate, elements of it for sure but its more just an impression i have in my mind that i know i can get if i use certain amounts of chocolate malt. i like it for sure, but i try to balance out chocolate malt with other roasted malts.
i really enjoy playing with dark malts and you kind of need to just try them.
pale chocolate malt definitely has a place, and it is probably closer to eating chocolate in many ways than chocolate malt, but its much more than that and takes consideration. i enjoyed pale chocolate malt in a sort of mid-darkness coloured brown ale most i think
I do appreciate all the input. Most interesting.
What about “Chocolate wheat”? Does this follow the same SRM as the regular chocolate malt? (lower SRM = chocolate taste, higher SRM = color).
I have used Castle Chateau Chocolat from Belgium as my chocolate malt for quite a few years. It is really roasted pretty dark almost 500L. I really liked the flavor it imparts in the beer. But to my chagrin, I can’t get it anymore probably due to supply chain issues so I think I am going to switch to Thomas Fawcetts Chocolate malt which is a lighter roast (around 200L) or Dingemans Chocolate malt (around 350L)and see how that works in my porters.