Bragdy Purple Moose - Chocolate Moose

Chocolate Moose is a chocolate and vanilla stout from Purple Moose Brewery, brewed in Porthmadog on the edge of Snowdonia in North Wales. Listings for the beer vary between around 4.5% and 5.6% ABV, which suggests recipe or batch variation over time, so it is worth checking the specific bottle or can for the exact figure. It is brewed with real chocolate, and is described by the brewery as a smooth, rich stout with lingering chocolate and vanilla flavours balanced by a subtle, well judged bitterness rather than sharp roast character.

Purple Moose Brewery was founded by Lawrence Washington, whose interest in brewing began in 1995 and developed over several years of recipe development and market research before the commercial brewery opened in Porthmadog, with brewing starting in June 2005. The brewery is housed in a former ironworks in the town and has grown into a 40-barrel operation with a strong reputation in Welsh brewing, having won more than 100 awards over the years, including gold in category at the CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain competition and a Best Welsh Speciality title at the Great Taste Awards.

Stouts are a dark, roasted style of beer traditionally built around roasted barley and dark malts, which give the classic coffee and chocolate notes found in the style even without any added chocolate. Chocolate Moose takes that natural link further by brewing with real chocolate, layering genuine cocoa character over the roasted malt base and adding vanilla for a rounder, more dessert-like finish. Expect a dark, near-black pour, a creamy head, and a body that leans towards the smooth and rich rather than thin, with the sweetness of the chocolate and vanilla kept in check by the beer's natural bitterness.

Chocolate Moose is well suited to serving at a slightly warmer temperature than most beers, around 10 to 12 degrees Celsius, which allows its chocolate and vanilla notes to open up fully. It pairs naturally with desserts, particularly chocolate based ones, as well as with strong, salty cheeses such as a mature cheddar or a blue cheese, where the contrast between sweet and savoury works well. It can also be treated as a dessert in its own right, drunk slowly after a meal rather than alongside food.

As a distinctive Welsh take on the chocolate stout style, Chocolate Moose reflects Purple Moose Brewery's two decades of brewing in Porthmadog and its reputation for award-winning, characterful beer, made in a former ironworks a short distance from the mountains of Snowdonia.