Xocoveza
Stone Brewing

XocovezaXocoveza
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From:
Stone Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #448
ABV:
8.1%
Score:
96
Ranked #937
Avg:
4.33 | pDev: 9.47%
Reviews:
840
Ratings:
4,355
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 06, 2024
Added:
Jul 10, 2014
Wants:
  381
Gots:
  1,200
This is a beloved stout. When first introduced as a limited special collaboration release with San Diego homebrewer Chris Banker (after his recipe won our annual homebrew competition) and Cerveceria Insurgente, it was an instant hit and fans began clamoring for its return. Seeing as how its amazing flavor profile is evocative of Mexican hot chocolate, featuring coffee, pasilla peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and a generous amount of chocolate, we concluded it was the perfect stout to re-release in celebration of the Holidays and the entire winter season. This is now a highly anticipated yearly tradition that we are pleased to present from us to you, and makes a perfect wintry gift from you to your friends, loved ones, or simply to yourself. Cheers!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Tavo2311:
Photo of Tavo2311
Rated by Tavo2311 from New Jersey

5/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Nov 22, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of Ushouldbeworkinh
Reviewed by Ushouldbeworkinh from England

3.53/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pour with a tight tan head, rather carbonated for a impy stout, but it is only 8%. Smell is coffee, spice and a hint of chili. Taste is the same, very coffee, oddly dry. I was expecting something sweet and onctuous, this is more dry and thin. Feels more like a coffee porter than an adjunctzd imperial stout. Not all that good.
Mar 06, 2024
 
Rated: 4.04 by howardnss from Pennsylvania

Feb 28, 2024
Photo of travis1108
Reviewed by travis1108 from Missouri

3.2/5  rDev -26.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
I'm going to start with the finish because sadly that is what brings this entire beer down. It leaves the taste in your throat that I can only describe as soaking a piece of metal in chemicals until it rusts and then sucking on it.
What a damn shame because very pretty to look at the smell follows the description on the can perfectly as does the taste when it FIRST hits your mouth and then....ugh it all falls apart. What a disappointment. Especially considering it came highly recommended from someone who always gives me good suggestions. I only got one can. Part of me wants to buy another just by chance that this one was off or aybe my taste buds were but....
Feb 08, 2024
Photo of Slowbrew101
Rated by Slowbrew101

4.51/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
Was a great beer . I got to enjoy this wonderful beer at WOB MACON GA. To bad they don't sell them anywhere near me.
Feb 03, 2024
 
Rated: 3.77 by Supper1

Jan 30, 2024
 
Rated: 4.02 by Whyteboar from Michigan

Jan 29, 2024
 
Rated: 3.91 by PaulMayer from Illinois

Jan 26, 2024
 
Rated: 3.31 by cabsandking from Ohio

Jan 17, 2024
 
Rated: 4.46 by TwilightBeerCareer from Illinois

Jan 16, 2024
Photo of DarkPassport
Reviewed by DarkPassport

2.86/5  rDev -33.9%
look: 5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75
Appearance: On draft into stemmed tulip glass. Very dark brown with thick, lofty dirty brown head. The foam stuck around for a long time and left plenty of lacing.

Aroma: Overpowering cinnamon with some bready malts. Reminiscent of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal with milk.

Taste: Spicy cinnamon. Dark malt. Alcohol. Maybe a touch of chocolate.

Feel: Thin and watery with medium carbonation.

Overall: The light feel of the beer didn't carry the weight of the flavor. Plus the spice profile was over the top and the alcohol feel was stronger than expexted for the ABV. There is a lot of potential here if they were to thicken it up and balance the malt flavors with the spices.
Jan 15, 2024
Photo of dkoehler42
Reviewed by dkoehler42 from New York

4.05/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
It's a dark brown in the glass, and it doesn't allow light through. There's a brown head and aroma of roasted malt and sweetness, with maybe a hint of cinnamon. The peppers are present up front, but not unpleasant when paired with the chocolate flavors. The pepper spice does carry through the entire sip while the sweetness departs earlier but the whole thing finishes cleanly.
Jan 12, 2024
 
Rated: 3.84 by Sparty1965 from Michigan

Jan 09, 2024
 
Rated: 4.5 by warpedrevolution from Illinois

Jan 06, 2024
Photo of AccipiterofBeer
Reviewed by AccipiterofBeer from New York

4.07/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours a jet black with a tan head with evident carbonation. Wintry spices and cacao on the nose. Very chocolately taste when it is cold, but the spices really come out and overpower that chocolately flavor when the beer warms. This is a stout that you want refrigerated. Lactose. Cinnamon. Coffee. A hint of spicy pepper. The mouthfeel is on the thinner end. Overall, this is a good stout. One you should try if stout is your thing.
Dec 22, 2023
Photo of gromme
Reviewed by gromme from South Carolina

3.19/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Very overrated beer.

Despite long list of ingredients, its taste lacks complexity. Spices predominate. Cocoa and vanilla are not really identifiable. Slightly metallic aftertaste.

Mouthfeel misses the mark for an imperial stout. It is thin and carbonated.

Overall, simply fails to deliver the rich, decadent drinking experience suggested by its packaging, or to justify its premium price. Has more in common with middle-of-the-road porters than other imperial stouts in this price bracket.
Dec 17, 2023
Photo of mwilbur
Reviewed by mwilbur from Minnesota

3.99/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from 12 oz can into snifter.
A: Pours a dark brown hue with 2 inch frothy mocha head with good retention, eventually settling to a thin skim with nice lacing on the glass.
S: Milk chocolate, cinnamon, roasted malt, almond, vanilla, and coffee.
T: Roast malt with bitter chocolate and coffee hits first, followed by cinnamon, vanilla, almond, and just a touch of spicy pepper.
M: Light medium body. Very bitter with mild dark sweetness and a touch of spicy heat. Lingers nicely on the palate.
D: A nice example of style. Lovely holiday brew!
Dec 11, 2023
Photo of steved5500
Reviewed by steved5500 from Colorado

2.88/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Totally disappointed. In a few words this is a thin gruel. Nothing as before. A blind taste testing would not even give me the faintest hint of Mexican cocoa. Back to my go-to of norwell, Old Rasputin and anything else that provides substance.
Dec 08, 2023
 
Rated: 4.41 by Iggy88 from Ohio

Dec 01, 2023
Photo of wiggibow
Reviewed by wiggibow from Nebraska

3.31/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Not sure if this 2023 batch is different, or I'm just misremembering this beer. I recall being absolutely blown away by it back around 2017/18 or so, enough that I would have considered it an all time favorite. Easy 5/5. I quit drinking for some years and haven't had one since, so I eagerly snatched up a sixer the second I saw the new release at my local store.

This tastes nothing like I remember it. I recall the espresso flavor absolutely slapping me in the face, the spices being well balanced but easily discernable, and a textbook thick, creamy, full-bodied imperial stout mouth-feel.

What I'm getting from this 2023 release seems practically the opposite; I can hardly tell there are any spices in there, I taste less of a coffee flavor in here than in plenty of other non-coffee stouts, and the body is rather thin - much closer to a standard stout than an imperial.

It's still a pretty tasty brew, I definitely don't dislike it, but it is a catastrophic disappointment compared to my glowing memory of this beer, so it is very difficult to be objective here. Either my memory is playing tricks on me, my pallete has changed, or they've altered the recipie in some way. Either way; my disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.
Nov 30, 2023
Xocoveza from Stone Brewing
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 4355 ratings