Blog #32. Vocation Brewery & Yeastie Boys Breakfast Club. A meal in a can.

I have been so exited about this beer and nervous - the last two I was this excited about have bombed hard.

The large 440ml can has a fantastic design - crisp and clean and very inviting. It stands out among the many cans in my fridge.

The smell is heavenly: sweet like the blueberries mentioned on the can, but the malt creates such a sweetness - It smells dense, like waffles! I can't stop sniffing this beer. And now it smells like christmas pudding. A guinessy smell is always there in the background, offering support.

Sitting proudly on my latest purchase from the 'crap' isle in Lidls.

It has a dark brown red colour that is very inviting and pretty: I'm falling in love.

It smells so dense, like its a meal replacement from Huel or something, but it has JUST the right level of fizz - not so fizzy as if you need to burp before you've even had your first sip and not flat like the last 1 inch of diet coke in the fridge - the co2 level matches the flavour perfectly.

First taste is the blueberries that hit hard - rich and sweet, immediately followed by the malty sweetness, just like the smell. Under all of this is the creamyness of Guiness. Your mouth completely succums to the rich, sweet favours, but unlike some fruity beers, you don't forget this is a beer, there are still hops libgering in there. Rather than a swift pint, it is more like a journey. A tiny hint of bitterness, but creamy malt flavours and sharp blueberries are how this incredible beer finishes. How did they get all of this in here?!

I know stouts are traditionally a winter beer, but I couldn't put this down, or stand up afterwards.

The magic part: 6.9%. Now I know why I can't stand up, and I want a nap.

As a co-founder of bigbeerblog.com we of course have a WhatsApp group and I have just spilled my heart out about this beer to my fellow sommeliers (ha!) and the topic of 'does a 10 exist?' came up.

I'm in love. 9/10.

Nothing here I dislike.

(The fact this is 6.9% and 3 units per can have helped me give this beer the rating it deserves, but my god it is knocking at the 'perfection' door, but I don't think I could ever give a beer a 10... Or could I?)

-Ben.