Sloop Coco Baked

Coco Baked is a 6.5% ABV stout from SLOOP of New York, built around cocoa on a malty base. At an IBU of 30, bitterness sits in the moderate range for a stout, which leaves room for the cocoa and malt to lead instead of hop bite. Stouts brewed with chocolate or cocoa usually show roasted malt, a bittersweet cocoa edge and a rounded, fuller body, so expect those traits here, with a dessert-leaning sweetness held in check by the roast. The 6.5% strength is enough to carry a substantial body without tipping into the heft of an imperial stout. That makes it workable as an after-dinner beer or as a slow sipper, and it should hold up well as it warms in the glass, when cocoa and malt aromas typically open up further. Serve it cooler than room temperature but not cold, roughly 50 to 55°F (10 to 13°C). Straight from a refrigerator at about 38°F the chocolate and roast tend to be muted, so give the bottle or can 15 to 20 minutes on the counter. A tulip or snifter concentrates the cocoa aromatics, while a nonic pint or tulip-style stout glass works if you prefer a larger pour. Pour with a moderate head, since the foam in this style helps carry the roasted and chocolate notes. For food, lean into the cocoa. Flourless chocolate cake, brownies, vanilla ice cream or a affogato-style float all line up with the beer's chocolate character, and the roast cuts through the sweetness. It also suits savory dishes that benefit from roast and char, such as smoked brisket, grilled sausages, mole-style braises and aged cheddar or gouda. Salted nuts and dark chocolate with sea salt make a simpler pairing.