Billie's Craft Beer Fest 2023, Saturday. Black beer, tan lacing. Aroma and Taste of chocolate, Bourbon, vanilla, hazelnut.

Peanut butter- and brownie-themed pastry stout from Liverpool, sampled at BCBF. Waferthin, yellow-beige, open ring on a jet black beer. Aroma of indeed peanut butter but not all-dominating, mocha ice cream, brownies indeed, black chocolate, sunflower oil, plum jam, vanilla, toffee, cappuccino. Sweet onset, candied cherries and plum jam, vague umami (black olive) but sweetness dominant, medium carbonated with full, creamy mouthfeel; black chocolate, pecan nut pie, peanut (not so much peanut butter, though) and caramel layers, vanilla touch, roasty bitter coffeeish notes in the end but subordinate to this chocolatey, caramelly and peanutty flavour combo, highlighted by whisky-like alcohol in the end. Retronasally, the peanut butter association does linger – in spite of the fact that no actual peanuts went in here. Quite a clever, complex and balanced creation, better than expected even.