Style: Imperial pastry stout
Brewery: Stigbergets
Origin: Sweden
Size: 33cl
Alcohol: 12.5%
Price: 35kr
Systembolaget: 38120
This is part of a range of flavoured stouts that Stigbergets released in September 2022, which also includes “Peanuts!” and “Cacao!”. Vanilla extract has been added to it after fermentation to give it a big kick of sweet spice. This is currently standing at 97/100 on Ratebeer, and after having it in a previous tasting in Sundsvall in 2023, I understand why.
This was deep brown to black in colour with a mocha head that dissipated quickly. It had an oily, thick body that left a thin brown film around the walls of the glass after swirling, and almost no carbonation was noted after pouring. The aroma was pleasant, with espresso, dark chocolate and brown sugar at the forefront along with hints of vanilla but nothing that felt too artificial. The spice finally came into its own when the beer was tasted, as you felt the raw vanilla pod that added a slight bitterness to the taste. Dark chocolate and light roasted coffee were also evident in the taste, which both faded slowly in the aftertaste.
This was a big, heavy stout that would be great to share with a dessert rather than something you might drink on its own. The vanilla was present throughout the beer, with just enough so it wasn’t over the top and imposing. Another excellent beer from Stigbergets.