Hardywood Joe-Joe's Chocolate Vanilla Creme Stout

Mind you, I'm no expert, but I've had a handful of chocolate stouts and porters in my day, and none really stood out to me in a big way. Can't say this one is much different except for the fancy packaging. I think I've enjoyed coffee and peanut butter porters at least as much as the chocolate ones. Then there was that beer that was both coffee and peanut butter that we found at Trader Joe's a few years back. That post was scribed by my erstwhile Pittsburgh-based colleague, but I can't say I disagree with his sentiments about that particular brew in any case.

Hardywood Joe-Joe's Chocolate Vanilla Creme Stout has a nice rich dark beer flavor with some mild sweetness and chocolate essence. It's a good bit milky, too. As far as anything cookie-esque, you really have to use your imagination. I didn't find the alcohol flavor to be particularly harsh despite a relatively high ABV for beer: 9.2%.

I didn't do the pro bartender pour in the video since I was recording with my other hand, but the beer still managed to fill my pint glass without an excessive head—just a nice layer of light tan on top of the deep dark brown body. No major complaints. The chocolate beer paired well with peanut butter pretzels and yielded a vaguely Reese's-esque flavor combo.

Not sure how we wound up with the moniker "Joe-Joe's" on the can but not the Trader Joe's logo. I imagine the Hardywood boss guy was like, "If we're gonna brew this stuff for you, how many times do you really need your name on the package? You get two instances of 'Joe' and then 'Hardywood' gets top billing, and that's my final offer."

Big Joe liked the product well enough that he shook hands on the deal. We like the brew well enough, too. $3.75 for a single pint or fifteen bucks for a four pack. Seven and a half stars from both Sonia and me for Hardywood Joe-Joe's Chocolate Vanilla Creme Stout.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

Trader Joe's Chao Tôm

If you've been reading this blog for any significant amount of time, you'll know I'm a sucker for appetizers and a lover of seafood. Appetizers made with seafood? It's a done deal. You know we're gonna try them and there's a good chance we'll enjoy them.

That's exactly what happened with this product. Scrump-dilly. After 10 minutes in the air fryer, the skewers came out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The bulk of the skewer is shrimp meat, water chestnut, spring onion, green beans, and lemongrass. It's a delightfully savory combo, full of flavor and noshable textures.

Drawbacks? There are a few, unfortunately. The product doesn't come with its own dipping sauce. The pic on the box is merely a "serving suggestion." Boo. Fortunately, we had our own sweet Thai chili sauce to use. The chao tom is good on its own, but it's great when served with sweet Thai chili sauce, Trader Joe's brand or otherwise.

The shrimp and veggies want to slide off the skewer pretty easily. I found myself holding the little shrimp patty in place with one finger so I could pull a bite-sized chunk off the end with my teeth. Otherwise, the whole thing wanted to slide off. Certain specimens were small enough to be eaten in a single large bite, but others were easily three or four bites.

Also, I wasn't a huge fan of the sugar cane skewers. They were much fatter than typical wooden skewers and they didn't really add a ton in the flavor department. I guess it's cool that you can chew on them after you've eaten the appetizer and get that sweet sugar cane taste, but they're a tad mushy after being dipped in sauce and gnawed on numerous times.

Still, this is a unique and tasty product imported all the way from Vietnam. I can't vouch for its authenticity, but Sonia and I will both tell you that it's quite yummy and worth a purchase if you're looking for some Southeast Asian flavors that won't break the bank. 

$5.49 for 8 shrimp skewers. Would buy again. Nine out of ten stars from Sonia and eight out of ten from me for Trader Joe's Chao Tôm.

Bottom line: 8.5 out of 10.