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Every year, our friends at 2 Beer Guys publish an amazing blog series called 31 Days of December. Every day features a beer, often a winter seasonal, for the holidays. They do posts from guest bloggers all over the country and we’ve been privileged to contribute the last two years. Below is an excerpt from our guest post last Friday, 12/11/15. Check out the rest of this years beer reviews. So many good things!
Highland’s Black Watch Double Chocolate Milk Stout is the second beer of the Warrior series.
The Warrior Series calls on the history of brave Scottish legends with big, bold beers with high ABVs and rich flavors and aromas. The King McAlpin Double IPA was the first beer in the series. The only bad thing about it was its limited release, and no longer available. Black Watch is the second beer of the series.
Black Watch has a wonderful chocolate milk aroma. We finished off a bottle of chocolate milk the day before, and that flavor and aroma was still imprinted on our palate. The malt sweetness and chocolate fill the nose, with no detectable hop aromas. The rich chocolate flavors are experienced all through the beer, from first smell and taste, through the middle, into the finish, and even lingering in the aftertaste. This is a chocolate bomb.
Black Watch has a rich velvety mouthfeel and the faintest touch of alcohol warmth. Remember, this is no lightweight 4% Milk Stout, this Double weighs in at 8%. The rich malts and chocolate flavors mask the alcohol significantly. Black Watch finishes with a lingering richness and sweetness, with noticeable, but not overshadowing, hop bitterness with notes of pine, spice and earthiness. There are just enough hops to let you know they are there, but they never get in the way of the chocolatey goodness.
This beer would pair well with rich beef dishes, like a roast or beef BBQ. A bowl of Chili or a dish with Mexican Mole sauce would be delicious too. It would also be nice with an English Cheddar, with the beer’s sweet chocolate flavors highlighting the creamy, sweet and nutty cheese flavors. When dessert rolls around, try anything with berries, raspberries in particular. A light raspberry sorbet or a raspberry tart would be a delightful contrast to the rich chocolatey beer. But, if you’re a chocoholic, don’t be afraid to pair the beer with a decadent chocolate cake. But this is also a beer you don’t need to pair, it’s a fine dessert all by itself.