When Stone spiked their Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout with bourbon for their barrel-aged 2016 vintage of Xocoveza Charred, it became one of the Top 30 Milk Stouts on BeerAdvocate, earning a 4.29 rating on Untappd. And this year, we got our hands on a select stash that’s been cellared for a full year for sublimely silky depth.

Mexican Hot Chocolate is an enticing elixir of silky cocoa and peppery spices, vanilla, and cinnamon. After Stone aged their version in charred Kentucky Bourbon Barrels for six months and then cellared it for a year, they fashioned a smooth and boozy 9.6% ABV spiced chocolate-caramel treat, enhancing the complexity of this already-flavorful brew.

Aromas of cocoa-dusted cinnamon bread and a blend of spices send you diving straight into a sea of bourbon-spiked cocoa, with vanilla and lactose keeping the mouthfeel rich and silky. Pasilla peppers provide smoky cocoa and raisin notes with no heat – the spice comes directly from the cinnamon and nutmeg, floating alongside Chocolate and roasty Coffee Malts.

Pour a little Xocoveza Charred into your mug as you cozy up by the fire, but you can skip the marshmallows for this boozy Milk Stout. Its warm spicy presence reminds you to take it slow – this 9.6% ABV brew isn’t going anywhere, and neither are you.

Rated 4.29 on Untappd; Rated 4.24 on BeerAdvocate

LIMT 2 PER MEMBER. Limited Supply. Requests processed in the order received.

Stone Brewing - Xocoveza Charred- $18.99 for a 500ml bottle
Style: Barrel-Aged Milk Stout, ABV: 9.6%