Brewery: Stigbergets x Wylam
Country: Sweden
Size: 44cl
ABV: 12%
Price: 60kr
Systembolaget: 11676
One of the Christmas traditions in my house when I was growing up in England was to get a Terrys Chocolate Orange as a present. From a young age, I always loved the mix of citrus and chocolate and still do to this day. I’m always on the look out for chocolate orange stouts and I was so happy when one was finally released a couple of weeks before the tasting. Although on the more expensive end of the spectrum, I snapped up a few cans straight away. I was especially happy as it was made by two breweries that I have had a lot of good beers from in the past, with both Stigbergets and Wylam producing some great products in the past. When I took my first sip, I knew I had made a great choice.
It poured like a mixture of red wine and tar, it was that thick. Zero head formed on this very black bodied thick monster of a beer. Massive sweet orange and milk chocolate aromas emanated the glass, and I thought it was beautiful. The heat from the alcohol entered the nose too, with the 12% definitely noticeable as I could feel the boozy warmth all the way into the sinuses. The taste was a delicious blend of melted orange, dark chocolate, brown sugar and molasses. The warmth really shined through again, with the whole chest slowly heating up with every mouthful. A bitterness was left on the palate, similar to bitter chocolate.
This was a delicious, heavy imperial dessert stout. I would say this is a beer to share after a dinner if you fancy something different from dessert. I had no trouble drinking one of these on my own though, so I think it depends on how much you like sweet stouts. If you are a fan of chocolate and orange, then track this down immediately!