Cigar City Brewing Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout
Nick Burgoyne, Brewer, Wood Cellar/Specialty Brands at SweetWater Brewing Company in Atlanta, Georgia
“The first time I tried Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout from Cigar City Brewing Co. (Tampa, Florida), it was like nothing I’d ever tasted before. The mouthfeel was like velvet on my tongue, the flavors perfectly layered with precision. The cinnamon, cacao, and vanilla are in harmony with a slight burn from the chile peppers. Not only is this the OG pastry stout, but it’s also my favorite.”
Barreled Souls Brewing Stay Puft (2019)
Tom Troncone, Founder and Brewer, Muckraker Beermaker in Franklin, New Jersey
“A 2019 release from this criminally underrated Saco, Maine, brewery, Stay Puft hits all the marks. Made in collaboration with the to-die-for Portland pizzeria Slab Sicilian Street Food, Stay Puft is an imperial stout with roasted marshmallows and graham crackers that fills the nose and taste buds with heaps of cotton candy, vanilla, and dark chocolate. Barreled Souls makes several variants of Stay Puft (including a peanut butter and a strawberry), but one stands above the rest: a barrel-aged version that spent 11 months in Booker’s Bourbon barrels. Yum.”
Stone Brewing Xocoveza Stout
Kane Wille, Head Brewer of O’Connor Brewing Company in Norfolk, Virginia
“Stone Brewing Co. (San Diego, California, and Richmond, Virginia) has always been a personal inspiration and an absolute industry monster in my eyes. Xocoveza tickles my fancy most of all. Notes of sweet milk chocolate, medium-roast coffee, spicy cinnamon, and rounding vanilla abound. Xocoveza is lush and decadent without being cloying. I know it’s not hard to find, but since when did beer have to be rare to be great?”