Side Project Brewing CK Persona 2026 Strong Ale

Technical Details

Tasting Profile

4.6Untappd

Side Project Brewing’s CK Persona (2026) is a commanding Strong Ale — Other from the cult Maplewood, Missouri brewery founded by Cory King, a name the ‘CK’ initials proudly honour. In the glass, it pours a deep, opaque mahogany-black with a tightly beaded tan head that clings to the edges in fine, oily sheets. The nose opens with waves of dark caramel, pure bittersweet chocolate, toasted oak, and a warming spirit backbone that signals serious barrel influence. A whisper of vanilla and dried dark fruit rounds out the aromatic complexity.

On the palate, the body is dense and viscous — a hallmark of Side Project’s obsessive barrel programme — delivering a long. Also layered sweetness counterbalanced by subtle roasted bitterness. Flavours of molasses, charred oak, dark chocolate truffle, and caramel unfold in sequence, each note giving way to the next with extraordinary precision. The finish is exceptionally long, warming, and faintly boozy, with residual cocoa and oak lingering well after each sip. A collector’s release rated 4.6/5 on Untappd with nearly 400 ratings, CK Persona 2026 rewards both immediate enjoyment and careful cellaring. Discover it at winesandspirits.ch. Full details at https://untappd.com/b/side-project-brewing-ck-persona-2026/6590883.

Food Pairing

The Side Project CK Persona 2026 Strong Ale pairs magnificently with a dark 72% Valrhona chocolate fondant, whose bittersweet intensity mirrors the beer’s caramel and roasted oak depth. Equally compelling alongside a slow-braised short rib with a sticky bourbon-glazed reduction, where the beer’s barrel-aged richness amplifies every savoury, umami-laden note on the plate.