HOW TO PAIR BEER WITH EVERYTHING: Xocoveza Mocha Stout
Beer: Chris Banker/Insurgente/Stone Xocoveza Mocha Stout
Brewer: Stone Brewing Co.
Style: Milk/Sweet Stout
ABV: 8.10%
Description: Xocoveza Mocha Stout pours a deep black with a frothy tan heads that leaves behind a think lacing on the glass. The aroma is a veritable bouquet of flavors with coffee, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, dark chocolate, toasted malts, and vanilla all present front and center. While the combination may sound strange, they blend together perfectly. The taste follows the nose with coffee and dark chocolate up front, followed by a quick bite from the pepper with vanilla following to quickly sooth before hints of spices wash over, leaving a semi-dry finish behind.
The flavors are so vast and complex that it will take a few sips before all the differences become apparent. The full body and moderate carbonation make for an extremely smooth beer. Stone has brewed another fantastic collaboration beer that sounds so crazy, but must be tried to truly believe!
Ideal setting: Xocoveza Mocha Stout is a beer that requires some attention be paid to it. While stout season is in full effect, and a warming stout while enjoying a night with friends is always a plus, this is a beer that is best enjoyed at home in front of a warm fireplace, either alone or with friends.
Ideal music: The complex layers of flavor locked within this delicious beer should best be enjoyed with music with equally complicated layers of sound. A night home listening to jazz makes for a wonderful music and beer pairing.
Some great albums to enjoy with this beer are:
- Weather Report – “Heavy Weather“
- The Bad Plus – “These Are the Vistas“
- Pat Metheny – “Kin“
- Charles Mingus – “Mingus Ah Um“
- Miles Davis – “Bitches Brew“
- Thelonious Monk – “Monk’s Dream“
- Cannonball Adderley – “Somethin’ Else“
Ideal movie: The deep flavors cause some introspection within the beer and life around. A film that is dark, deep, and complex makes for the best pairing.
Some great films to watch while enjoying Xocoveza Mocha Stout are:
- “Touch of Evil“
- “The Night of the Hunter“
- “M“
- “Eyes Without a Face“
- “The Seventh Seal“
- “The Killing“
- “8 1/2“
Ideal book: When drinking a stout of this caliber, it is best to enjoy one of the classics, but again something dark and introspective will be the best match for this beer.
Some great books to read with Xocoveza Mocha Stout are:
- “As I Lay Dying” by William Faulkner
- “The Idiot” by Fyodor Dostoevsky
- “The Stranger” by Albert Camus
- “The Power and the Glory” by Graham Greene
- “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka
The perfect experience: Xocoveza Mocha Stout is most certainly a beer to drink and discuss with friends, if you have friends that appreciate someone waxing philosophical about beer all night. However, this is a beer that is fairly complex that truly opens up as it warms up as well, which makes for a beer that is best enjoyed at home to truly unlock all the complexities within.
