Let them eat beer!

Those of you who also subscribe to my wife's blog, Danger Kitten Bakes, know that I recently made her a chocolate stout cake for her birthday. My mom gets credit for the idea (thanks mom!), because she knew I was planning to make a cake for Elena, and she came up with the idea of mixing our respective blog topics - beer and baking - into a dessert we could eat and then write about.

I won't recount the cake making process, which you can read about here, but I will tell you about the stout I used to make said cake. (The recipe called for Guinness; I thought otherwise.)

Dario, the wonder pig, protecting his afternoon delight...

Young's Luxury Double Chocolate Stout (5.2% ABV)

Wells & Young's Brewing Co.

Bedford, UK

Appearance: Coffee almost black in color. Super velvety head (creamier than Guinness).

Aroma: Chocolaty and robust, with a slight metallic edge lurking in the background. Once the beer warmed up a bit, the aroma blossomed into what can only be described as a plate of warm, chocolate chip cookies.

Taste: The first (and obvious) flavor is bittersweet chocolate, followed closely by a sweet nuttiness. It feels smooth and creamy on the tongue, with a hint of bitterness lingering at the back of the mouth.

Overall impression: If it's going to be stout, make mine an Oatmeal from either Wolaver's or Samuel Smith. Young's Double Chocolate was delightfully creamy and smooth, though a bit too sweet to drink all night long - much better to have with a plate of rich, creamy cheeses, or else with dessert. And, if you do choose to pair it with a dessert, you might as well make it a decadent, chocolate stout cake...

--Brewfus