Introduction

Maplewood Brewing and Distillery was the first double-production facility in Illinois when its opened its doors in 2014. A few years of slogging away and their Lounge opened, at the same time their craft began distribution across the state. A slow and tasty wave has moved across Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Kansas, and now up into the frozen north, as Maplewood makes pushes out of their home state to give everyone in the world a taste of their craft beer and liquors. Adam Cieslak, Paul Megalis, and Kevin Holl maintain the same enthusiasm and dedication to well brewed craft beer that they had when it all began. Five year-round beers decorate the slate, along with a handful of seasonal releases, running the gamut of styles. The Fat Pug is an oatmeal milk stout, combining the scrappy flavour of the oats with the smooth, silky qualities of a milk stout. Serves well at 10°C and can cellar up to a year.

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How it looks

Pours dark and stormy at midnight - totally opaque body with low carbonation. Tiny, smooth bubbles form the head that is sticky on the glass.

How it smells

Strong aroma of roasted malts, medium roast coffee, light pepper and cumin, and a touch of hop floral aroma.

How it tastes

The roasted elements take on a lot of the real estate for the taste - the coffee is especially strong. The hop disappears and the smoother qualities step up as the beer warms on the tongue. Overall this is a textbook milk stout and delivers on a smooth, warm beer with a flavour that rolls off and leaves behind a touch of the roasted bitterness and dry mouthfeel.

Recommended food pairing

Enjoy this one solo - it’s worth savouring.