Some ingredients go so well together in a dessert that I just can't help but wonder how they might turn out as a beer interpretation. Imperial stouts were my style of choice for a long time, so much so that I experimented with different pairings, like chili + chocolate in "Firestarter", coffee + chocolate in "Darkest Days" or coconut + chocolate in "Decay Of Disregard". One combination that I've always enjoyed but had never tried to brew was cherry + chocolate. Normally cherries get added to the beer either as whole fruit or puree, but what I had in mind was to actually use a homemade black cherry jam that I've enjoyed ever since I was a child. It was made from of a type of small wild cherries (Prunus avium var. silvestris) which were much darker in color, almost black-purple, and with a distinctive bitter-sweet taste. I used that jam to slowly referment this beer for 3 months, after which I transferred it on Belizean cacao nibs roasted in Munich by Truly Craft Chocolate. With notes of red fruit, raisins, and dark honey, these nibs were perfect for such a beer.

Back in 2018 when I visited Jordan I got to experience a wine tasting at Jordan River Wines where their very knowledgeable and hospitable sommelier recommended 3 different wines for me to try from their Classic, Reserve, and Limited Edition ranges. One of these was a 2014 Tempranillo Reserve aged in oak barrels for 24 months which I enjoyed so much that I ended up purchasing a bottle. A few years later, when I finally opened this 12 year old wine, I also poured a bit of it onto toasted oak chips for an infusion.

The cacao nibs were blended with the wine infused oak chips and used to condition this stout for another 6 months. During this time, a Brett culture also made its way into the beer, further fermenting it while also slowly building up its complexity even more. Lastly, the beer was bottled on the vernal equinox of 2025 and matured in the cellar for another 12 months before finally being ready to pour the following year. At 13.0% and with such a complex profile, it's best enjoyed slowly and not too cold, to allow for those notes of red fruit, raisin and cherry chocolate to come through, slowly.