Firestone Walker releases new Mocha Dolce Nitro Stout
New seasonal stout infused with Madagascar vanilla beans, cocoa nibs coffee beans
– Firestone Walker Brewery this week released Mocha Dolce Nitro Stout, an all-new seasonal beer, “made to warm your soul as the weather turns cold.”
“We enhanced our classic nitro stout and took it to the next level with the addition of premium Madagascar vanilla beans, whole-roasted coffee beans and cocoa nibs—all of which meld perfectly with the beer’s rich, chocolaty character,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “The result is a smooth, creamy beer that reminds you of your favorite latte.”
Mocha Dolce Nitro Stout is a limited fall-winter seasonal that is rolling out to all Firestone Walker markets in six-pack (12-ounce can) formats. Mocha Dolce is also available in draft in a non-nitro version for a limited time.
Curated flavors
To create Mocha Dolce Nitro Stout, the brewing team partnered with three local and California purveyors: HoneyCo Coffee Roasters in San Luis Obispo; Cooks Flavorings in Paso Robles; and TCHO Chocolate in Berkeley.
“For the coffee beans, we landed on HoneyCo’s single-origin Columbia Granadilla medium roast,” Brynildson said. “We tried a bunch of different coffees and ultimately landed on their Columbia Granadilla as a perfect complement to the beer with its nougat and spun caramel flavors.”
He added, “We don’t grind the beans at all—we circulate the beer through the whole beans. It’s a less efficient way to gain flavor, but it prevents any of the bitter qualities that you might get from over-extraction.”
The Madagascar vanilla beans were sourced from Cooks Flavorings, a third-generation family enterprise renowned worldwide for its vanilla and other spices. Finally, the cocoa nibs came from TCHO Chocolate, with whom Brynildson has worked for several years.
“These are all amazing ingredients that work really well together,” Brynildson said. “We never want any one flavor to stick out—we want them to work in concert together to create this seamless Mocha Dolce character.”
