My buddy Nick has gotten a little eccentric since he moved to Southern California. He puts on sweaters when the temp drops below 70. He won’t drive in the rain. And to top it all off, he stopped eating dessert!

But, I suppose that last one isn’t entirely zonkers — Nick gets all of his sweet cravings met by The Bruery. 

These Orange County dessert masters are renowned across the state for their opulent, Barrel-Aged Pastry Stouts. Today’s Vermont Sticky Maple is thick as molten chocolate and drizzled with syrupy goodness, thanks to hefty amounts of dark malts and a stint in Bourbon Barrels with real maple syrup. 

The boozy treat smells like a stack of flapjacks but tastes more like dark chocolate, molasses cookies — it’s like an entire day’s worth of dessert packed into one can!

The warmth from the 11.3% ABV boldly comes through, though the layers of maple, chocolate, and oak spice help it feel like a snuggly blanket. 

And, you probably shouldn’t wait to stock up. Thanks to all their sweet-toothed fans like Nick, The Bruery’s dark desserts like this one rarely leave Cali! 

Rated 4.20 on Untappd; 93/100 on BeerAdvocate

*The brewers called in a cross-country favor with their friends at Vermont’s Butternut Mountain Farm to get their hands on the maple syrup for this delicious dessert bomb.

Tavour strictly supports independent beer. The Bruery is certified independent by the Brewers Association