First Posted: 11/3/2014

Description – Terrapin’s Wake ‘N Bake pours dark black in color with a light brown head that disappears rather quickly but leaves behind a thin lacing on the glass. The aroma is full of fresh brewed coffee and bitter dark chocolate, a very inviting scent indeed. The taste follows the nose with bitter chocolate hitting the plate up front followed by deliciously sweet coffee; the overall impression is of perfectly roasted malts balanced perfectly with coffee. The oatmeal imparts a very smooth mouthfeel that makes this beer so incredibly easy drinking, albeit a bit on the thin side, but no points deducted for that here. The sweetness is held in check and is balanced perfectly with the bitter notes from the coffee and the 9.4 percent ABV remains impeccably hidden. This is the perfect beer to stock up on for the impending winter months and is a must try for all dark beer fans and coffee drinkers alike.

Food Pairing – The roasted malts and coffee make this a perfect beer for desserts and also for saltier dishes. Try pairing Wake ‘N Bake with a lovely ham dinner, the chocolate and coffee notes are a perfect counterpoint for the salt in the ham and to kick this up a notch try pairing with a prosciutto ham based dish. The dessert pairing for WnB are absolutely endless as there as so many great flavors to play off of in the beer for the ideal match. For a truly divine pairing try this with a Salted-Caramel Six-Layer Chocolate Cake, the salty sweet flavors are absolutely perfect while the chocolate is enhanced tremendously with this match, it should also be noted though that not every stout can pair with this dessert as one is needed that can withstand the overwhelming flavor profile of the dish but WnB can certainly handle its own. Rich and decedent chocolate desserts also make for a great pairing such as: dark chocolate truffles, chocolate pumpkin cake, double chocolate truffle pie, and flourless chocolate torte. This is one of the best beers to keep stocked throughout the winter as it goes perfectly with such a wide array of foods that many indulge in during the winter months.

The Final Word – Terrapin is a brewery that can never be accused of not experimenting enough with their beers, especially stouts. What is even better is that they are all fantastic, try Moo-Hoo Chocolate Milk Stout if this beer is not proof enough. The Wake ‘N Bake Stout has long been one of their most popular and beloved beers. The strong coffee notes are a perfect morning kick while the 9.4 percent ABV helps to unwind after a long day making it a great beer for any time of the day! With stout season now officially kicking off as the cold weather bears down this is the perfect time to try this world class stout. Also if you like to age beers this is a perfect candidate for a 2-3 year cellar experiment.

Where can I get it? – Currently available in 12 oz. bottles at: Cooper’s Seafood- Scranton; J & H Beer- Plains Twp; Backyard Ale House- Scranton; and Goldstein’s Deli- Kingston.

Remember, enjoy responsibly!