It's a case of two stouts are better than one here as, for the second year running, Suburban have doubled down on limited release wintry goodness. Their pair of stouts come in the form of a 5.7 percent ABV raspberry offering and a bigger one brewed with salted chocolate and fig stout.
the fruited puree was added into the ferment creating fresh raspberry flavours and aromas. And for the bigger of the two, first a big roasty chocolate stout base was brewed before dried figs and pink Murray River salt was added into the ferment.
The Raspberry Stout features fruit purée added to the fermenter, which unleashes dominant, sweet candy like raspberries that blend with rich, creamy chocolate on the nose. The fruit character comes through clean, reminiscent of those little raspberry Jubes; add in the chocolate and you end up with something that's more decadent fruity dessert. The body is neither thick nor thin, while there's a very mild tartness from the raspberries that helps balance the sweetness so, while it's sweet it's not sickly, at 5.7 percent ABV, you can go back for seconds or thirds without risking ending up in bed early.
The companion piece started out with a big, roasty, chocolaty base beer to which was added dried figs and pink Murray River salt. Those roast and chocolate flavours are front and centre in a thick and lush beer with the dried figs and salt working together on the back palate, chiming in late to add some earthy, herbal tones and a salt character that lingers a little alongside a subtle, dark chocolate bitterness. Add in a touch of coffee and a solid dryness and you've got your Salted Chocolate & Fig Stout.
Matt King
Published August 15, 2021 2021-08-15 00:00:00