Brewery: Vocation | Location: Hebden Bridge | Find them: Vocation
This isn’t the first time we’ve battled beers from Vocation. We did a three-part battle a couple of years ago when we tried a selection of sours, DDH IPAs, and stouts.
But it’s been a while since we’ve had any of their beers, and we felt like February was the perfect time to indulge in four tasty-sounding chocolate stouts.
We’ve tried the original Naughty & Nice and the caramel cookie version before, but the chocolate orange and white chocolate versions were both new brews. We were intrigued by the idea of a white stout, as there aren’t many around.
Naughty & Nice Original: 5.9%
We thought it only right to begin with the original Naughty & Nice, which is delicious. It’s thick, creamy, and luxurious - full of chocolate and vanilla flavours.
Brewer’s note: Indulgent and deliciously naughty,this bold blend of wickedly decadent chocolate, roasted barley and dark crystal malt give this stout a deep, rich flavour, with an intensely smooth finish. This heavenly combination is a little bit naughty but extremely nice.
Naughty & Nice Chocolate Orange: 4.5%
I’m a huge fan of chocolate oranges, so this sounded right up my street. It certainly smelled orangey.
It was a little bit thinner than the original N&N (probably because of the lower ABV), and it wasn’t nearly as chocolatey. It might have suffered because we tried it after having had such an indulgent brew to start, but it just wasn’t as good. It wasn’t unpleasant, and the orange flavours definitely came through - it reminded us of orange Matchmakers.
Brewer’s note: A smooth, indulgent stout inspired by the classic chocolate orange. Roasted malts bring depth and richness, while oats and lactose give it a soft, creamy texture. Finished with real orange peel and natural cocoa for a decadent festive twist.
Naughty and Nice Caramel Cookie Chocolate: 8%
Smells like chocolate caramel cookies. Tastes like chocolate caramel cookies. Yummy. More body than the choc orange and slightly more booziness (not surprising given the higher ABV).
Brewer’s note: This one has crunchy cookie and smooth caramel flavours, draped in a silky milk chocolate stout - stick two fingers up to thirst.
Naughty & Nice White Chocolate & Raspberry: 6.6%
I think this is the first white stout we’ve tried, and it was good, but not overly stouty. The best way to describe it is like the difference between a chocolate brownie and a blondie. They have similarities, but aren’t quite the same. And like a blondie, this was sweeter but not as indulgent as the dark chocolate stouts. The raspberry flavours did come through, and it was lovely and jammy.
Brewer’s note: Creamy white chocolate and raspberry blend with the roasted warmth of our signature stout. A light malt base with hints of vanilla and a subtle jammy sweetness give way to deep, rich chocolate flavours. Indulgent and irresistibly silky.
