9.7% ABV
National Release/ Limited Season

As is usually the case this time of year, dark weather brings out the dark beer in my libation rotation. Shying away from the conventional brewed coffee, the stout has become my go-to for comfortable drinking. Spending time in Ireland just recently, my liver has come to expect little else than the delicious homemade Guinness that really isn’t the same on this side of the Atlantic. Coming back after a fair share of Black & Tan’s and Baby Guinness Shots (the most delicious shot if Kahlua and Baileys are up your alley), I spent a fair amount of time during the Holidaze getting reacquainted with Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, Sierra Nevada Stout and the annual Christmas Car Bomb (while abroad, order at your own risk, fyi).

But now that we have entered the gloomy months of January, and the reality that some of my favorite drinking activities involve cheering on the Eagles and Flyers, it will all be for naught. Leading up to the beginning of the season, expectations were high for both…and then the house of cards all flew apart. That is why today’s showcase beer seems almost metaphorical to the current sad state of affairs in the 215.

While doing the proper homework behind Stone’s Stochasticity Project- Master of Disguise, the original concept was expected to be nothing more than the annual April Fools Joke back in 2010. Labeled a stout, yet lacking key components, namely roasted malts and the signature color, Master of Disguise still smells and tastes like a true stout. Would I have been able to guess the color had I been blindfolded? Probably not. The chocolate and coffee combo delivered a delicious first sip that they eyes couldn’t quite rationalize since it looked more like an IPA imposter. Weighing in at 9.7% ABV, consuming a couple Master of Disguise will most likely blow your cover. You may even turn into Dana Carvey if your not careful. Turtle, Turtle.