Shapeshifter have opened the dark beer flood gates early this year, releasing a trio as soon as the temperature has taken a first autumnal dip. Pivot Point, a 7.2 percent ABV chocolate stout, arrives just in time for Easter, giving adults a chance to indulge in some chocolate treats in liquid form – and it really does take liquid chocolate to a whole new level.
It pours a luscious, dark chocolate brown colour with a decent milky sweetness and dusty cocoa swirling around the chocolate. Hiding in the background is a little roast and even some hazelnut, completing the impression of this being a chocolate milkshake for grown-ups in beer form.
Divide By Zero takes things up several notches: a rich, boozy stout that has emerged from a whole year in ex-whisky barrels sitting at 12.8 percent ABV, with layers of complexity, and nothing short of a masterpiece. The thick, silky and syrupy, viscous mouthfeel carries an array of decadent, layered flavours: dark chocolate, smooth whisky, a touch of oak, a little roast and a dash of milk chocolate sweetness. Add in a little bit of warmth that's welcoming rather than harsh and you've got a sipper – or a sharer – for sure, and a beer that's benefited from playing the long game.
Matt King
Published March 26, 2024 2024-03-26 00:00:00
