Stone - Xocoveza 2016

Finally this showed up here in Nor Cal and got the chance to do a side by side with last years. 12/21/15 vs. 10/21/16. I can honestly say that '16 is a little muted. Even with '15 having a year on it. '16 is still good and very balanced. However, '15 has a little more bitter char up front that enhances the chocolate and a little more cinnamon finish. '16 doesn't seem to have as much punch.

 

Tried it for the first time yesterday and thought it was very good, I didn't find it watery or the flavors to be muted.

 

OMG this beer is delicious....dozed off on the couch Saturday night after a couple-woke up the next morning with half a glass left-drank it at room temp and it was still awesome!
This is the drink of Aztec gods......
WBAYDN-this...
Latest 'WOW' beer-this
Desert Island beer-this

 

Picked up a sixer for $16.99. I like this much better than Weyerbacher Sunday Mole Stout - the Mexican spices come through where I didn't get much of anything with Sunday Mole Stout. Still not much heat though.

 

Anybody made a clone of this? Been looking for a Xocoveza clone recipe preferably all grain but haven't had much luck.

 

Word...I have bought 5 sixers in the last month myself , & my local grocer STILL has at least 5 left!!! Thank you stone for the great distro!!!!!

 

Wasn't sure where to post this but thought I would comment here.

I'm slowly drinking down my cache that I bought up since the end of the Holidays. To make a long story short, some garage stored 10/09/16 dated xocoveza gushes when I open them now. Happened last night, and again today. Flavors seem to still be intact. I doubt anyone ages this beer but I did have plans to drink a few here or there. Now it may need to be ASAP.

I do have some November, and December run that didnt seem to gush. This last one was opened at room temp. Could that have any contributing factors? I guess I need to try a 10-11-12 and get some proper analysis going.

Fear is either bottle bombs or infection creeping up.

 

how did it taste? I mean Id imagine many of the adjuncts falling off

 

I had a few others try it along with me. It doesnt seem to have fallen off much. Less vanilla, i dont quite pick up the pepper heat, but by and far its still tastes very much like Xocoveza. Coffee is very much in the background sort of lingering. It has that chocolate char thin mouthfeel sort of vibe by and large. I think it had that from the beginning lol.

So we opened another 10/9, no issues at all.. Then we get to open a 12/02/16 and we could feel the pressure build as we began cracking it open. We let the co2 escape out slow (like when a soda is shaken up and you slowly open the top). That one seemed primed for a gush.

I guess bottomline, I made this post just as a warning to you all, who like me, saved a case or two of this for random days through the year. The warning is that you may or may not get a gusher. Don't be a victim.

Good luck

Onto a 11 dated bottle next.

edit: 11/07/16 opened just fine. Now I felt I just wasted 4 different Xocovezas lol.

I do remember from the past, my local shop usually sells some older stock along with the new stuff, and I bought the bomber a year after it released. It wasnt even close.. So in my mind, I put a one year time table on the aging process/attributes of this beer. It does not and will never age for the better IMHO. But the fall off right now isnt so bad that I feel thankful that I can drink this stuff through to July and August

 

I have a few '15s left. I'll post soon after I try. I'm sure the nutmeg and maybe cinnamon will fade. Still expect a good taste

 

I opened up a Xocoveza dated11/22/16 a few days ago and it was excellent. Stored at room temp. 80 degrees. All flavors still intact.

 

Funny, me too. Mine was about 62 degrees from basement. Very good

 

I'd try one right now but after a Bells Mars, and Waldo's, nothing will taste right until tomorrow

 

I didnt intend to alarm anyone or make them drink and try some old stock. But one gusher last night is a sort of coincidence.. Happening again (of the same sixer), I just had to say something. I've had hefeweizen gushers (weihenstephaner) and those drank fine.Bottle conditioning does happen.. Here, there really isnt a build up on the bottom of 6 month old stored bottles. This beer is quite clean

The flavor itself did not lend itself to potential infection in any regard. But that excess co2 build up does scare me as far as broken bottles come June and July. I guess just be careful. Move these to colder conditions.

If anything for now, if it does gush, you lose 1-2 oz of beer and make a mess. I guess I'm just trying to give you all a heads up.

Cheers

 

I'm pretty sure one of my bottles gushed back in like December when it was fresh. It could be a bottle/batch variation, since not all of them gush at the same temperature. The 2 or 3 bottles I had so far all tasted fine, great and tasty. I haven't had one in a few months now.

 

Just opened a 10/1/16 bottle and everything seems in order.

This did remind me to start drinking these. Got too much when the '16 release came out, thinking I'd drink them regularly throughout the year like I did with '15. I must have lost interest a little because they haven't been getting as much attention this year.

 

Drinking one now, still awesome.

 

Did a "blind" taste test of 15 vs 16. Probably should have drank them without looking at the glass, I was able to pick them both out. Both really good, the 16 looked newer to me so that probably helped me pick it out.

 

So... how did they actually taste?

 

Really good!