Beer Review: Two Evil Pachamama Porter

In September, I reviewed Muy Malvada Porter, a collaboration brew between Lima's Cerveceria Barbarian, and the Two Roads and Evil Twin breweries. 

Muy Malvada was the test brew for a beer which was to be brewed and released in the US this Fall or Winter by Two Roads and Evil Twin.  That beer, which is available now, is Two Evil Pachamama Porter.

According to the blurb on the can, Pachamama Porter was created after a trek to Peru. In Andean cosmology the life-giving Earth is known as Pachamama, literally, "Mother Earth". The brewers felt that, "since our ingredients were provided by Mother Earth," they would name the beer after her. (Unfortunately, the trade name "Pachamama" was already trademarked in Peru, so the Peruvian version bore a different name.) and that it would be made "using local ingredients." Pachamama Porter is brewed with sweet potato, and Peruvian panca chiles and purple corn.

The Peruvian version was brewed using jora, the malted corn that is used to make traditional chicha corn brew, however, in Pachamama Porter, Two Roads and Evil Twin have substituted it with the purple corn used in making the non-alcoholic drink chicha morada. It might have been a flavor preference on the part of the brewers, but  I suspect it was due to the relatively easier and cheaper access to Peruvian purple corn over jora in the US.

Pachamama Porter has the deep brown color that is the hallmark of a porter, and plenty of body. There is a very pleasant earthiness, doubtlessly imparted by the panca chiles, and a very slight pepper note at the back end, and a light sweetness.  It is a complex and very tasty beer.

It clocks in at 6.5% abv, and although it lists no other specs on the can (nor on Two Roads' website), Muy Malvada came in at 20 IBUs, so it may be safe to surmise Pachamama has a similar amount.

I'm quite glad to have found it.