Let’s say you make it to the glorious age of 106. How will you celebrate? Hopefully with chocolate cake and beer. That’s pretty much how Spoetzl Brewery, in the small town of Shiner, Texas, has chosen to celebrate their latest anniversary. Spoetzl is best known for their Shiner Bock, an easy going lager that’s available pretty much everywhere in the great state of Texas. Spoetzl has been brewing that particular beer since 1913. I personally tried to drink every Shiner Bock on the shelves during a troublesome year I spent in Texas at the turn of the century. I was not successful. And yet, losing never tasted so good.
This new beer is something different entirely. A chocolate stout through and through, it pours black as ink and smells like Willy Wonka’s personal stash. Seriously, there’s chocolate in there. It hits you hard on the nose, then comes through even stronger on the taste. And I’m not talking about that fancy bittersweet dark chocolate. This beer has more of a soft, milk chocolate presence, thanks to the cocoa and chocolate malt that Spoetzl used in the brewing process.
The beer is pretty heavily carbonated and has a surprisingly thin mouthfeel. I expected something creamier, and perhaps a bit more complex. But if you’re gonna have a one-note beer, chocolate is a pretty satisfying note to have. This is birthday beer we’re talking about here. It’s okay to be a little indulgent.
Brewery: Spoetzl brewery
City: Shiner, Texas
ABV: 5%
Style: Chocolate stout
Availability: Bottles and cans in 2015