Some beers are meant to be shared, divvied up amongst friends in wine glasses. I had Barrie’s own Flying Monkeys The Chocolate Manifesto brew split with three friends as a house warming toast. With a decadent $11.95 per 750 ml bottle price tag, this is not meant for drinking in your housecoat while watching hockey. There’s something luxurious about one-offs and milk chocolate stouts that make me want to dress up a little fancier and enjoy them with friends.

We paired this bad boy with brie and Oka cheeses, and there was already a bottle of red wine in us when we cracked this one open.

Without further ado:

Appearance: Thick and dark, almost midnight black. Low carbonation. Very thin head, not as frothy as other milk stouts. It kind of looked like liquid chocolate. Comes in a single box that is promises an “exbeerience” of decadence and transcendence.

Aroma: Like walking into Willie Wonka’s factory while getting hit in the face with a chocolate pie.

Taste: Chocolate and a hint coffee. Sweet but not over the top. Sweet and smooth with a heavy mouth feel. Had to resist the urge to lick the inside of the glass. I was tempted to throw a marshmallow into the glass to soak up the remains.

Aftertaste: Uhhh chocolate? It was like drinking a rich Mayan hot chocolate without any of the back of the throat thickness you get from milk.

Overall: A great option for entertaining, special occasions, gifts. Would buy again if I’m wearing my fancy pants and in the mood to splurge.

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Shawna O'Flaherty

Shawna is a 30-something Montreal native transplanted to Toronto in 2010. Wine loving, beer sniffing and rum swilling come naturally to her, and she is also a certified Irish whiskey taster. She has hosted beer and cheese pairing events in the past.

Shawna has visited vineyards in 8 countries on 3 continents, and has a knack for finding the hoppiest beers around. A dedicated Booze Hound, Shawna completed the Wine Specialist Certificate at George Brown College in 2018.

She can be found drinking alka-seltzer and coconut water in the morning.

Email: [email protected]

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