WHEN TWO BECOME ONE
What happens when an espresso Imperial Stout meets a vanilla-packed American Barleywine?
You find Common Ground: Affogato.
Brewed as our first collaboration with Cloudwater, this indulgent blend combines their rich, coffee-forward Imperial Stout with our sweet and sticky vanilla American Barleywine. The result is a beer inspired by the classic Italian dessert, bringing together bold espresso character and smooth vanilla sweetness in a single pour.
TWO BREWERIES, ONE COMMON GROUND
For our first collaboration with Cloudwater, we wanted to create something that reflected both breweries equally.
Rather than developing an entirely new recipe, we took two individual beers with strong identities and brought them together through blending. The aim was simple: allow each beer to contribute its own character while creating something greater than either could offer on its own.
Cloudwater's Imperial Stout provides depth, roast and coffee intensity. Our Vanilla American Barleywine contributes sweetness, body and layers of caramelised malt. Together, they create a beer that is rich, complex and remarkably balanced.
THE FOUNDATION: CLOUDWATER'S COFFEE IMPERIAL STOUT
At the heart of Common Ground is Cloudwater's Coffee Imperial Stout.
Built on a base of chocolate and Munich malts, the beer delivers notes of dark chocolate, cocoa and roasted coffee while maintaining a smooth, full-bodied mouthfeel. A carefully selected blend of coffees from Rwanda and Nicaragua brings a distinct espresso character, adding layers of roast, subtle fruit complexity and aromatic depth.
The stout brings structure to the blend, providing the roasted backbone that defines the beer from the first aroma through to the finish.
THE OTHER HALF: VANILLA AMERICAN BARLEYWINE
Blended into that stout is our Vanilla-laden American Barleywine.
Long boils and an intense malt bill create layers of caramel, toffee, dark fruit and warming richness. Vanilla additions enhance those flavours, introducing a smooth sweetness that softens the edges of the roast and ties the blend together.
The result is not simply coffee and vanilla sitting alongside one another. The barleywine adds weight, texture and complexity, transforming the stout's espresso character into something far more dessert-like.
It's this combination that gives Common Ground its affogato-inspired identity. Both breweries have filled carefully selected barrels for a barrel aged collab, keep your eyes peeled (for 9-12 months).
WHY AMERICAN BARLEYWINE?
Barleywine is often associated with rich malt character, but the American interpretation brings an additional layer of structure.
Where English barleywine typically focuses on toffee, caramel and dried fruit flavours, American barleywine introduces a firmer bitterness and a more assertive hop profile. Those characteristics help provide balance and prevent the beer from becoming overly sweet.
For this collaboration, that structure was essential.
A gentler barleywine would have struggled to stand alongside the intensity of the coffee stout. The bold character of American barleywine allows the beer to retain its identity within the blend while complementing the roast, chocolate and vanilla flavours.
YOU AFFOGATO TRY THIS ONE (SORRY!)
This collab beer is launching alongside both of its base beers; Cloudwater's Coffee Imperial Stout and our Vanilla-laden American Barleywine, at eight venues across the UK with only eight of these kegs in existence. Taste all three side by side to see how the blend evolves from its individual components, or, if you're feeling adventurous, experiment with your own ratio and create a blend of your own.
As the first collaboration between our two breweries, we wanted to share the experience in person. Find your nearest launch venue and join us to explore the beers, the blend, and how Common Ground: Affogato came together.
