Down with the Thickness

Down with the Thickness by Pontoon Brewing was evaluated as a BJCP 2015 30A Spice/Herb/Vegetable beer with the base style of 16A Sweet Stout and with added hazelnut, cacao nibs, vanilla and lactose.

Pouring an opaque very deep brown, this beer is topped with a large dark tan head of tiny bubbles that dissipates slowly, leaving Belgian lace on the glass. Big vanilla and sweet chocolate greet your nose at first sniff. Additional sniffs bring out a nutty Frangelico note. The flavor is of big sweet chocolate with a lot of vanilla, moderate cold brew coffee and moderate nutty notes. A fairly low bittering, there are almost no hops, but there is a slight earthy character. The mouthfeel is a very full body, and the beer has moderate carbonation. The roasty character and sweet chocolate lingers into a long, sweet, almost cloying finish. This is a really sweet beer that can be sipped slowly but is probably best as a once-a-night dessert beer. Drink this beer with another complementary dessert like vanilla ice cream — or even better, put this beer and a couple of scoops of ice cream in a blender for a sweet, nutty, chocolate-y smoothie.