Stone Xocoveza

It was really good last year when I had it. A bit pricey (want to say like $16/6 pack?) from what I remember but no I haven't seen in this year yet.

Hopefully it sticks around a bit

 

I shared a bottle from last year a few weekends ago and it was incredible.

 

It's good stuff; not my all-time favorite for the (non-BA) style, but excellent and pretty easy to get. I can't speak for Indy, but it just dropped in Chicago the last few days, so I'd imagine you guys'll see it soon.


The BA version is fantastic, in my opinion. Even with the weak (3 months, I think?) barrel treatment, it's a really tasty beer.

 

Maybe it's because I sat on it a while and the flavors mellowed, but I thought the BA version wasn't as good as the regular release. With that being said, the regular version is one of my favorites, so maybe my expectations were too high.

And I may be a loon, but the moment that I saw it pop up around Chicago my spider senses started tingling. As I was telling my local beer guy, I want to make sure I have enough Xocoveza and Backwoods Bastard to last me through the long Chicago winter.

 

It's very good for what it is. I am not the biggest fan of the spiced stouts, so I don't care to buy any, but I wouldn't turn it down by any means! I liked the barrel version as well.

 

Sorry, not Indy, but....Skokie Binnys. Bottle date 9/20.

 

Binnys Grand has a bunch as well

 

A lot of people don't like the Charred version as much, and I get it. For me it's just a taste that's more in-line with what I like. I don't like pepper in my stouts, and the Charred version evens that out a little, and brings out the vanilla and chocolate more. I think that Stone should be aging it for, at minimum twice as long as they do, and I definitely get why people will pass on it at $20 (especially if you like the original), but for me it's the better of the two.

Keep in mind, however, that I have yet to run into a non-BA spiced stout that I prefer to the BA version.

 

Saw 50 cases of it at a local grocery store in Cleveland earlier this week. Literally 50 cases. Was a big display.

 

Good. Maybe the hype beasts stay away since it's so readily available.

 

Picked up a sixer in SE Michigan last weekend, I think it was $15.99. They didn't have piles of it on the floor, but this place tends not to do case stacks of non-Michigan craft, so no idea if allocation was stingy or not.

 

I can certainly see your point regarding the heat/pepper being more subdued in the BA version. It's one of the reasons that I don't care for it as much as I happen to love the mild burn/pepper when mixed with the chocolate flavor.

And I fully agree with it needing to be aged longer and that's probably also some of my issue with the Charred version. It muted the flavors that I really like, while not imparting as much barrel aged flavor as I had hoped.

Again - I'm not saying the charred was bad, it just didn't live up to the expectation that I created based on the base beer that I love so much.

 

Yeah, no need to temper your response at all, it sounds like we're on the same page. When I first had Malevolence Caliente, my first thought was, "man, a BA version that lessened the chiles would be fantastic!" And then it was!

Xocoveza did enough that I prefer the BA version, but it doesn't taste like a "true" BA beer, so I certainly agree with your preference. It's almost a "muting" of the original beer more than an addition of much of anything else. And since I like but don't love the original, that's why I prefer the other.

With all that being said, I was delighted when I heard that Stone was bringing Xocoveza back last year, and am really happy it's a holiday staple now.

 

Amen. It fits the winters around here so well.

FWIW, Sal Beverage World in Elmhurst had some on the shelf today.

 

I struck out in my attempts to find Xocoveza around Indy today. The beer finder on Stone's website said it arrived in the area last Thursday. Contacted Cav on twitter the other day and they simply responded that it would be available "soon" (not terribly helpful). Someone at Crown Liquors told me it might be 2 weeks yet. Parti Pak south got their Cav delivery today and it didn't include any Stone beers.

Anyone have luck finding this in Indy? Its been on sale in neighboring states for a week, trying to figure out why it would have gotten here (to Stone's Indiana distributor) last week (according to Stone) yet wouldn't be hitting shelves at places like Crown Liquors for 2 more weeks.

 

Nope, nothing up north in Carmel either. I know someone at Goose the Market and they got a huge shipment of stone this week but none of this. Oddly enough, Vine and Table had a Stone tasting last weekend and they brought Xocoveza to try, but not actually purchase. They gave the same "any day now" answer that you got.

 

Just so nobody gets the wrong idea, Vine & Table doesn't actually have any in stock that could be sold yet...just like everyone else. The local Stone rep was able to make sure we got a couple to sample, but we're perched on the edge of our seats waiting for it to drop like everyone else.

 

I posted in the New to Ohio thread that the Cleveland area (and one in Chicago) grocery store, Heinen's, has kegs through October so it seems to be more readily available in the area than previously; although last year Lizardville had plenty of 12 oz bottles with no limit at $3 per and Ray's in Kent had it on tap.

 

Anyone see Xocoveza yet in Indiana?