Hubbard's Cave Mocha Pot de Crème 2Pk

Hubbard's Cave Mocha Pot de Crème 2Pk is a 12.0% ABV imperial stout brewed with chocolate, coffee, vanilla beans, and lactose, sold as a two-pack. Rated 94/100 on BeerAdvocate, this decadent pastry stout from Niles, Illinois has earned a devoted following among dark-beer enthusiasts for its dessert-like richness and layered coffee character.

Quick Facts: ABV: 12.0%  |  Origin: Niles, Illinois, USA  |  Style: Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Hubbard's Cave Brewery

Production & Heritage

Hubbard's Cave Brewery operates out of Niles, Illinois, producing a rotating lineup of bold, adjunct-heavy stouts that have gained serious traction in the Midwest craft scene. Mocha Pot de Crème is built on an imperial stout base loaded with chocolate, vanilla beans, and lactose — the latter contributing the silky, full-bodied mouthfeel that defines the style. The coffee component comes specifically from SPUTNIK Coffee Roasters, a deliberate sourcing choice that separates this release from imperial stouts relying on generic or unspecified beans and gives the brew a distinct, roasty depth.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens immediately with rich chocolate and vanilla, followed by roasted coffee and a faint marshmallow sweetness. There is a subtle warmth beneath the confectionery aromatics that hints at the 12% ABV without overwhelming.

Taste: The first sip delivers a wave of creamy mocha — chocolate syrup and espresso blending seamlessly on the entry. Mid-palate, vanilla beans assert themselves alongside the lactose-driven creaminess, creating a texture reminiscent of an iced mocha with heavy cream. A restrained bitterness from the roasted malt and coffee grounds keeps the sweetness in check, preventing the profile from tipping into cloying territory.

Finish: The finish is medium-long with lingering chocolate, a gentle coffee roast, and a trace of warming alcohol. The lactose smoothness carries through to the end, leaving a velvety coating on the palate.

How to Drink Mocha Pot de Crème

Pour into a snifter or tulip glass at around 45–50°F to let the chocolate and coffee aromatics fully develop; warming slightly in the hand reveals additional vanilla complexity. This imperial stout is best enjoyed on its own as a sipping beer, though it also works in creative beer cocktails: a Stout Float with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream amplifies the dessert character; a Black Velvet variation layered with champagne provides a striking textural contrast; and a Beer-amisu cocktail blending the stout with coffee liqueur and mascarpone cream leans into the mocha-dessert DNA of the base beer.

Best For

• Sharing with a fellow craft-beer enthusiast over a slow evening
• Pairing with a rich chocolate dessert course after dinner
• Gifting to a dark-beer collector who appreciates limited pastry stouts
• Cold-weather sipping sessions when a high-ABV, warming stout fits the mood

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Mocha Pot de Crème taste like? It drinks like a liquid mocha dessert — rich chocolate, roasted coffee from SPUTNIK Coffee Roasters, and vanilla cream dominate the profile, with lactose lending a thick, silky body. A mild bitterness from the dark malt and coffee grounds provides balance against the sweetness.

How does Mocha Pot de Crème compare to Founders KBS? Both are coffee-forward imperial stouts, but KBS incorporates bourbon-barrel aging that adds oak, vanilla, and whiskey heat, while Mocha Pot de Crème skips barrel aging in favor of lactose and vanilla beans for a creamier, more dessert-oriented profile. KBS tends toward roasty dryness, whereas Mocha Pot de Crème leans into confectionery sweetness.

Is Mocha Pot de Crème good for sipping neat? Absolutely — at 12% ABV, this imperial stout is designed to be savored slowly from a snifter or tulip glass, where its layered chocolate, coffee, and vanilla aromatics can fully unfold.

Where is Mocha Pot de Crème made? It is brewed by Hubbard's Cave Brewery in Niles, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago known for its active craft-brewing scene.

What foods pair well with Mocha Pot de Crème? Flourless chocolate cake mirrors the beer's intense cocoa character; crème brûlée echoes the vanilla-custard sweetness; smoked brisket provides a savory counterpoint to the lactose richness; aged Gouda offers nutty, caramelized notes that complement the roasted malt; and espresso brownies double down on the mocha theme.

What sizes does Mocha Pot de Crème come in? This release is sold as a two-pack of cans, the standard format for Hubbard's Cave's imperial stout offerings.

Is Mocha Pot de Crème worth the price? With a 94/100 BeerAdvocate score and specialty ingredients including SPUTNIK Coffee Roasters beans, this positions as a premium craft imperial stout that delivers complexity and production quality consistent with its price tier.

Why Mocha Pot de Crème?

A 94/100 rating on BeerAdvocate places Mocha Pot de Crème in elite company among American imperial stouts. The intentional use of SPUTNIK Coffee Roasters' beans — rather than a generic coffee addition — gives the brew a coffee dimension with real origin character, something many competing pastry stouts lack. Combined with the vanilla-bean and lactose additions, the result is an imperial stout that tastes genuinely like its namesake French dessert rather than a one-note sugar bomb. For drinkers who want a serious, well-constructed dark beer with verifiable quality behind it, this two-pack delivers.