As much as it kills me to say it, the supermarket monstrosity that is Tesco is putting some great beers on their shelves. I’ve also noticed the price range of their specialty beers is slowly creeping upwards too, which suggests they have cottoned on to the market.

Under normal circumstances, this would be quite worrying for the smaller outlets, but until Tesco builds a micropub on aisle 9 I think it’s safe to say that this town is actually big enough for the both of them. Nevertheless, I will continue to support my local micro pub from lockdowns to lock-ins, hopefully more of the latter!

Anyway, credit where it’s due, Tesco supplied a great beer for this weeks #beersaturday and they may also have ushered in my official return to the dark side…

You want chocolate? BAM! 💥 Take that! And don’t forget to send me a postcard from the fat camp, Chubby. And don’t think for a minute that because this beer Packs more bananas than King Louis’ first dump of the day you can claim to be eating plenty of fruit! This is gluttony, pure and simple! So just accept that fact and get ready to enjoy a beer that’s certainly bringing you one step closer to our glorious beer god in the sky.

Thicker than Bubba’s bottom lip, and stickier than a Stick insect stuck on a stick bun, this barrel-aged stout is in a league of its own. Bring a spoon, my beersaturday friends.

Not only is this imperial stout a tastebud-busting behemoth, but it’s also an alcohol colossus too! A liver-thumping 12% of alcohol reveals a darker side to this sweet flavoured liquid dessert and unlike some imperial stouts I’ve tasted this one doesn’t try to hide it. Normally, this unbridled showing of alcohol would turn me right off but due to the higher carbonation infused into this beer it steps away from tasting like a liquor and retains its beer status.

Another surprising characteristic of this beer is the head it proudly displays. Thick, tasty, and aromatic, all to be expected from the head of a barrel-aged imperial stout. However, longevity isn’t something I’m used to when I drink an imperial stout. Normally it takes a vigorous pour to create a good frothy head but with this beer not only did the head appear with ease it also lasted well into the latter stages of the supping. Delicious!

If you’re not frothing at the mouth by now, I’d suggest you check for a pulse. For those of you who find yourselves slavering like a rabid dog, I prescribe a trip to your local Tesco where you can pick up a can of this scrumptious stout for just £5 a can.

Vocation’s barrel-aged banana chocolate imperial stout scores a 9 out of 10 on the beer-ometer and has put itself firmly on my brewery radar. As for Tesco, they still suck balls, but maybe just a little less than before.

image source

Happy #beersaturday, folks! I hope you’ve all enjoyed this post. Please check out the tag above and go support all the other boozy beer hounds stumbling around in the beer community.

As is customary in a true beersaturday post, I would like to invite @bill.prag to write a post about beer with no less than 3 pictures.

See you all next week!