Flying Monkey Chocolate Manifesto

Chocolate Manifesto is an imperial stout from Flying Monkey in Ontario, built around three types of chocolate and poured at 10.0% ABV with a bitterness of 60 IBU. That IBU figure is moderate for the style, which is the point: the hop bitterness is there to keep a high-gravity, chocolate-heavy beer from turning cloying, rather than to dominate. Expect a thick, creamy body, deep roast, and a chocolate character that reads as a feature of the recipe rather than a background note. Stouts built on this template typically show cocoa, dark chocolate and espresso, with a warming finish from the alcohol. Because the chocolate is layered in from several sources, the flavor tends to move between milk-chocolate sweetness up front and a drier, darker cocoa bitterness toward the end. Roasted malt supplies the structure underneath, and the 60 IBU should cut through the sweetness enough to leave a clean, slightly dry close instead of a syrupy one. Carbonation in imperial stouts is usually low and soft, which adds to the creamy texture the producer describes. Serve it cool rather than cold, around 10 to 13°C (50 to 55°F). Straight from a refrigerator the chocolate and roast flatten out and the beer tastes thinner; letting it sit for 15 to 20 minutes after chilling opens up the aroma. A snifter, tulip or small stemmed tulip glass suits it best, since the narrowed rim concentrates the cocoa and roast aromas and a 10% beer is best poured in modest portions of roughly 150 to 250 mL. For food, lean into the chocolate. Flourless chocolate cake, dark chocolate truffles, salted caramel desserts and vanilla ice cream (poured over as a float, if you like) all work, and the beer's bitterness balances the sweetness. On the savory side, aged cheeses such as Gouda or sharp cheddar, smoked brisket and mole-style dishes pair well with the roast and cocoa. It also stands alone as an after-dinner beer, and as a high-ABV stout it can be cellared for a short time if you want to see how the flavors soften.