My wife and I love to explore southwest Florida. Generally, when we go on an excursion we’ll end up at a brewery we’ve never visited. Recently, we drove to Sarasota and rode the Legacy Trail, at least 12 miles of it before giving in and going to Calusa for the Citronious and Dry-Hopped Pilsner can release. We took the scenic route home and wound up in St. Pete at Dissent Brewing.

Dissent is a small place located in a kind of strip mall. The vibe is very intimate and pleasing. It was a Saturday afternoon, and the taproom was about half full. The bartender was quite nice and patient with us, but this beer was the reason we came so let’s get to it!

There are a ton of Mexican Chocolate stouts out there. Some of the most famous are Abraxas from Perennial and Mexican Cake from Westbrook. The cinnamon and chili peppers are the key ingredients. Calusa even did one with similar ingredients called Batch 200. So, Mexican Chocolate Cake from Dissent has a lot to live up to. It pours coffee black with a thick caramel head that dissipates quickly to a thin ring around the inside of the glass. Swirling the beer momentarily recreates the head but it again disappears quickly.

The aroma gives this beer so much promise. So much sweet chocolate on the nose and very little else. The description says “Tequila Barrel Aged Imperial Stout w/ Cocoa Nibs, Vanilla Beans, Cinnamon, and 3 Mexican Chili Peppers.” I don’t get any Tequilla on the nose. Again, the ONLY thing I get on the nose is sweet chocolate…which I like. So let’s see how it drinks.

Well, the taste is where this stout falls short. It has an unbelievably thin mouthfeel, which is extremely disappointing. I’d prefer this to be thick, viscous, and decadent. It’s none of those. It boasts a lot of the same general ingredients as Abraxas and Batch 200, but this one is all heat. The chocolate, if any, is overpowered by the peppers on the palate. I don’t get any of the barrel aging on the tongue either, which is unfortunate. I’m wondering if there’s too much cinnamon in this, which could contribute to the heat. I’m not getting any vanilla either, which makes me sad. Man, I wanted to love this beer, but alas, it was decent but not what I’d hoped for. However, if you’re up for a spicy sweet stout that will create a heat wave in your mouth, then this beer is definitely your thing. I do, however, dig the vibe of this St Pete brewery and hope to try more from here. Cheers!

Beer Stats

• ABV: 10%
• IBU:  n/a
• Untappd Rating: 3.98
• # of Ratings:  137

Helpful Links

• Dissent Craft Brewing
• Abraxas by Perennial Artisan Ales
• Batch 200 by Calusa Brewing
• Legacy Trail in Sarasota
• EyeAmBaldman on Untappd (add me!)
• Buteiful.beer on Instagram