The first release of 2024 (I know we are a bit late to the party, but these things take time!) is “Strictly Social,” a 10.2% Mocha Imperial Pastry Stout. We tweaked our base pastry stout recipe and added a touch more caramel and chocolate base flavors through some malt tweaks. Additionally, we introduced dark brown muscovado sugar, caramelized in the boil kettle before adding the Wort, which was boiled for over 3 hours to enhance thickness. Along with the hop additions, we included cinnamon sticks to add a touch of extra flavor, bringing out sweetness. A dose of lactose was added for extra residual sweetness. After primary fermentation was completed, we added Bourbon Vanilla pods, fresh roast cocoa nibs, and super-fresh Brazilian Coffee Beans from So Roast Coffee in Southampton, conditioning for 3 months to perfect the flavors. A touch of chocolate essence was then added before carbonating to enhance the beer’s aroma. The end result is a lovely sweet beer complemented by the bitterness of the coffee and chocolate additions.