December 11th, 2015
Day 11: Highland Black Watch Double Chocolate Milk Stout by Kendall Joseph
@highlandbrews @BeerMakesThree
To celebrate the Holiday Season, we have teamed up with beer bloggers and craft beer enthusiasts around the country to host the fifth annual beer advent calendar. This is the season of sharing and we intend to share our love of beer with you.
During the 31 days of December, we will be sharing our favorite regional/winter seasonals/holiday beers with the help from our fellow beer enthusiasts. We hope that you tune in every day, to hear our stories and share our holiday cheer.
Highland Black Watch Double Chocolate Milk Stout
Blogger: Kendall & June Joseph
Website: http://www.beermakesthree.com
Twitter / Facebook / Instagram: T: @beermakesthree FB: beermakesthree IS: beermakesthree
Beer: Highland Black Watch Double Chocolate Milk Stout
Brewery: Highland Brewing Company, Asheville, NC
Website: www.highlandbrewing.com
Twitter: @highlandbrews
Commercial Description: Next in our Warrior Series is a double chocolate milk stout named for Scotland’s Black Watch, the historic military regiment that protected the Highland’s. Brewed with five malts, roasted barley, flaked oats and one pound of cocoa nibs per barrel, we created a rich, high-gravity ale reminiscent of brownie batter and marshmallows with an aromatic nose and a lingering dark chocolate finish.
Beer Details: The Winter seasonal in the big, bold Warrior Series.
Beer Details:
-Style: Double Chocolate Milk Stout
-ABV: 8%
-IBU: 45
-Ingredients: 2-Row Base, Munich Dark, Chocolate Malt, Carafa II, Roast Barley, Honey Malt & Flaked Oats, Chinook & Willamette hops, Lactose and cacao nibs
Why we selected the Highland’s Black Watch Double Chocolate Milk Stout:
We selected Highland’s Black Watch Double Chocolate Milk Stout for two reasons. One, it’s a great Winter seasonal beer. And two, we love Highland.
Highland Brewing is Asheville’s oldest brewery. Yes, that Asheville. While new breweries like Wicked Weed, Wedge and Burial get a lot of press and love these days, Highland is the big dog in town. Ask anybody in Asheville, Highland’s founder Oscar Wong has done more than anyone in the past 22 years to put Asheville on the beer map. He’s helped a lot of people and breweries get started in the industry, and he’s just a really nice guy.
Oscar has retired and his daughter Leah Wong Ashburn and new brewmaster Hollie Stephenson (formerly of Stone) are at the reins now. They’re launching new beers and trying different things, like the new Warrior Series. The Warrior Series calls on the history of brave Scottish legends with big, bold beers with high ABVs and rich flavors and aromas. The King McAlpin Double IPA was the first beer in the series. The only bad thing about it was its limited release, and no longer available. Black Watch is the second beer of the series.
Black Watch has a wonderful chocolate milk aroma. We finished off a bottle of chocolate milk the day before, and that flavor and aroma was still imprinted on our palate. The malt sweetness and chocolate fill the nose, with no detectable hop aromas. The rich chocolate flavors are experienced all through the beer, from first smell and taste, through the middle, into the finish, and even lingering in the aftertaste. This is a chocolate bomb.
Black Watch has a rich velvety mouthfeel and the faintest touch of alcohol warmth. Remember, this is no lightweight 4% Milk Stout, this Double weighs in at 8%. The rich malts and chocolate flavors mask the alcohol significantly. Black Watch finishes with a lingering richness and sweetness, with noticeable, but not overshadowing, hop bitterness with notes of pine, spice and earthiness. There are just enough hops to let you know they are there, but they never get in the way of the chocolatey goodness.
While not a whale, Highland beers are only available throughout the Southeast and Ohio (AL, DC, FL, GA, KY, NC, OH, SC, TN and VA). If you don’t live there, find a friend who can send you a couple bottles.
What would you pair this beer with?
This beer would pair well with rich beef dishes, like a roast or beef BBQ. A bowl of Chili or a dish with Mexican Mole sauce would be delicious too. It would also be nice with an English Cheddar, with the beer’s sweet chocolate flavors highlighting the creamy, sweet and nutty cheese flavors. When dessert rolls around, try anything with berries, raspberries in particular. A light raspberry sorbet or a raspberry tart would be a delightful contrast to the rich chocolatey beer. But, if you’re a chocoholic, don’t be afraid to pair the beer with a decadent chocolate cake. But this is also a beer you don’t need to pair, it’s a fine dessert all by itself.
Do you have anything exciting events coming up and/or activities that you would like to share?
June and I sometimes join the Good Ole’ Boys and Good Ole’ Gals on the Sips, Suds and Smoke radio show. You can find them on stations all over the US, or hear the podcast on your favorite podcast network. The show about our beer trip to Oregon will be aired online at Noon CST on Friday, Dec. 18. There’s a SS&S app on the Google Store if you’re an Android user. iPhone users can find the show on iTunes.
About Beer Makes Three
We’re June & Kendall from Nashville, TN. We’ve been blogging together since 2012 about our shared love of beer. Our goal is to educate our readers about the great world of craft beer. Tennessee, and the South in general, is a bit behind the rest of the US in craft beer culture. The average Joe on the street doesn’t know much about craft beer yet. We’re trying to change that.
For more information, please visit: http://www.beermakesthree.com/
How we roll – Highland Brewing Company
We want to be the brewery of choice in the Southeast. To achieve that goal, we believe it takes more than great beer. With each new hire, it doesn’t take long to learn Oscar’s mantra: Honesty, integrity and respect. Nothing about beer, not specifically. But the larger ideals that lead to great beer – caring about how it’s made, caring for the people involved, from the grain farmer to the mom at the grocery store. Operating within these lines gives rise to a culture around a product. A culture that is sustainable for our employees, our customers and our environment. Come see us! Get a beer at Asheville’s first legal brewery and learn what we believe in.
For more information, please visit http://www.highlandbrewing.com/.