I'm wondering if I've misunderstood the remit of the Curious Society project. I had thought they were intended as accessible beers for normal people, but the last one, a double IPA, raised an eyebrow, and now a toasted coconut stout at 8% ABV has caused the other one to go up too. Maybe the Curious Society tribe has been convinced to be more adventurous. Or maybe the brewers are bored. Either way, I like a big stout so in I go.Coco looks very handsome in the glass, a properly dense black with a properly thick pillow of head. The coconut keeps its powder dry in the aroma and instead you get quite standard notes of chocolate and espresso. Nothing wrong with that. Oily coconut flesh sambas right to the centre on tasting, making the Bounty bar comparison irresistible. There's a creamy density to go with this, entirely in keeping with the strength, and a perfect balancing roast bitterness on the end. All is harmonious, integrated and complementary, with no silly tricks or extreme manoeuvres.
Perhaps I should adjust my surprise. While this is not a run-of-the-mill stout stout, it's no daft novelty either, nor in any way challenging. It is exceptionally well made, the ingredients balanced and the flavour journey conducted at a leisurely pace. Anyone even vaguely interested in Level 2 of craft beer will do well with it.