Vocation Brewery “Naughty & Nice"
Straight outta Hebden Bridge comes Vocation Brewery. No doubt in ma mind one of the best breweries of 2015. What defines one of the best? When you've not had a bad beer from them that's what. I've dranked numerous by all the forms: bottle, can, cask, keg, and there's not been a dullard among 'em. In a sea rich with craft cans, Vocation are one of the first ones I reach for in a buoyant bottle shop. In fact, cans are so prevalent these days that they should maybe think about renaming bottle shops as CAN shops. Ha ha. That’d be rich but dead on.
The cans are mint. All their beers are mint. Heart & Soul session IPA: mint. Life & Death IPA: mint (maybe the mintest). Pride & Joy APA: mint. The Black IPA: you get the idea. I scored this limited edition of Naughty & Nice, a decadent chocolate stout, from Bottle (maybe should change name to Can ha ha) in Heaton Moor. Shout out to Bottle, always an insatiable selection of beers on keg and a sprawling bottle (AND CAN) line-up. Particular shout out to their Omnipollo bottle range and they frequently get kegs from the Stockholm brewery, lesser seen stuff! I digress…
Naughty & Nice is billed on the can (not bottle) as a “decadent and rich” chocolate stout. That it is, my boy! Did I feel naughty and nice when I was drinking it? I suppose I felt nice. I didn’t much think about feeling naughty. Could have called it Cheeky & Nice. It is a bit cheeky. Cheeky is less naughty than naughty, right? Can’t say I often feel cheeky, mind. ANYWAY! Let’s not get caught up on the name. This is indeed rich stuff. It’s very chocolate and it’s strengthy at 7.5% so a bit of a sipper for supper.
It’s really very good stuff. It hits the spot. It’s deep and dark and powerful. It coats the back of the spoon. It’s Nigella Lawson possessed in a winter forest emptying wheelbarrows of croissants into a bubbling chocolate lake. It’s that video “Sweet Like Chocolate” by Shanks and Bigfoot. A great closing beer or extended opening ceremony beer. Just a good time all round. I don’t know about Naughty but it certainly is Nice! My friend Nick offered it up as a more drinkable Yellow Belly, the esteemed 11% Peanut Butter Biscuit Stout from Buxton and Omnipollo, shine on!
Go get it. Especially if you like chocolate or beer. Or get it for somebody who does. Go get everything Vocation does, you shan’t be disappointed. Hebden Bridge got talent.
Vocation Brewery “Naughty & Nice” / 7.5% / 330ml can / £3.00 / Bottle, Heaton Moor
