Around The Bend Puffing Billy 4Pk

Around The Bend Puffing Billy 4Pk is a 6.9% ABV American brown ale from Illinois, brewed with five specialty malts and finished with cacao nibs. Scoring 88 on BeerAdvocate, this chocolatey, roast-forward ale stands out for its layered malt complexity and creamy mouthfeel.
Quick Facts: ABV: 6.9%  |  IBU: 34  |  Origin: Illinois, USA  |  Style: American Brown Ale  |  Brewery: Around The Bend Beer Co.  |  Format: 4-Pack
Production & Heritage
Around The Bend Beer Co. operates out of Illinois, producing inventive takes on classic beer styles. Puffing Billy builds its grain bill from pale, caramel, Munich, chocolate, and oat malts — a five-malt foundation that delivers layers of roast, sweetness, and body. The beer is hopped exclusively with Northdown, a dual-purpose English hop variety that provides restrained bitterness without overshadowing the malt character. The defining production step is the addition of cacao nibs during finishing, which introduces an extra dimension of chocolate aroma and a nuanced cocoa bitterness that complements the dark malt base.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: Unsweetened cocoa powder and dark caramel malt lead, followed by mild coffee grounds and a faint metallic edge reminiscent of dark cacao. A sweet, nutty undertone rounds out the nose.
Taste: The entry is dominated by bittersweet chocolate, rich and full without veering into cloying territory. Mid-palate brings dark roast coffee, nut butter, and a subtle vanilla-like sweetness from the caramel and Munich malts. The Northdown hops provide measured bitterness at 34 IBUs, keeping everything balanced as the cocoa intensity peaks.
Finish: Medium in length with a creamy, smooth texture that lingers on the tongue. Residual notes of roasted grain and dry cocoa powder fade gradually, leaving a clean but satisfying close.
How to Drink Puffing Billy
Puffing Billy drinks best at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, poured into a tulip glass or English pint to open up the cocoa and malt aromas. It also works as a compelling base in beer cocktails: try it in a Black Velvet floated with dry sparkling wine for a roasty twist on the classic; blend it into a Beer Float with vanilla ice cream, where the chocolate and coffee notes create a dessert-like experience; or use it in a Michelada Negra, where the malt sweetness balances lime, hot sauce, and Worcestershire.
Best For
Sharing during fall and winter cookouts or bonfire nights
Pairing with a chocolate dessert course at a dinner party
Gifting to a craft beer drinker who gravitates toward malt-forward styles
Exploring American brown ales beyond the usual hop-heavy craft offerings
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Puffing Billy taste like? Puffing Billy is dominated by bittersweet chocolate and dark roast coffee, supported by caramel malt sweetness and a creamy, medium body. The cacao nib finish adds dry cocoa bitterness without heaviness.
How does Puffing Billy compare to Newcastle Brown Ale? Newcastle is a lighter, more sessionable English brown ale with a toffee-forward sweetness and lower ABV (4.7%), while Puffing Billy runs hotter at 6.9% with significantly more roast character and an added layer of cacao nib bitterness. Puffing Billy is the bolder, more complex option for drinkers who want depth beyond caramel and biscuit.
Is Puffing Billy good for sipping on its own? Yes — the creamy mouthfeel, balanced bitterness, and layered malt character make it a rewarding standalone pour, especially at cellar temperature in a tulip glass.
Where is Puffing Billy made? Puffing Billy is brewed by Around The Bend Beer Co. in Illinois. The brewery focuses on creative interpretations of established beer styles using distinctive ingredients like cacao nibs.
What foods pair well with Puffing Billy? Smoked brisket or pulled pork benefits from the roasty malt cutting through the fat. Dark chocolate brownies echo the cacao nibs and amplify the cocoa notes. Sharp cheddar provides a savory counterpoint to the malt sweetness. Grilled mushroom burgers mirror the earthy, umami depth of the brown ale. Pecan pie works well, as the nutty sweetness complements the nut butter mid-palate character.
What sizes does Puffing Billy come in? Puffing Billy is available as a 4-pack, which is the standard format for this release.
Is Puffing Billy worth the price? Puffing Billy positions as a mid-range craft brown ale, and the five-malt grain bill plus cacao nib finishing justify its place above commodity brown ales. For drinkers who value malt complexity and chocolate-forward character, it delivers strong value in its category.
Why Puffing Billy?
What separates Puffing Billy from the broader brown ale category is the cacao nib finishing step, which adds genuine chocolate complexity rather than relying solely on roasted malt to approximate those flavors. The five-malt grain bill — pale, caramel, Munich, chocolate, and oat — creates a fuller, creamier body than most American brown ales achieve. Its BeerAdvocate score of 88 reflects consistent approval from experienced beer reviewers, and the exclusive use of Northdown hops keeps the bitterness restrained and complementary rather than competing with the malt. In a landscape where hop-forward beers dominate craft shelves, Puffing Billy is a reminder of what skilled malt-forward brewing can accomplish.