Cucapá La Migra Imperial Stout - Cucapá Brewing Company

schopenhauerale

British Columbia (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

12-24-2012 07:35:43 | More by schopenhauerale

schnarr84

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +7.8%

05-05-2013 19:17:33 | More by schnarr84

jazztoloc

Mexico

4/5  rDev +7.8%

05-04-2013 02:06:47 | More by jazztoloc

tbryan5

Louisiana

4.5/5  rDev +21.3%

04-17-2013 02:02:06 | More by tbryan5

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%

03-24-2013 18:59:57 | More by wisrarebeer

Randroid

Texas

4.3/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Brown pint bottle with a white and green label in what I think of as the Cucapá style. Beer poured a very dark black/brown with a thick tan head.

Smell: Dark chocolate malt, a hint of molasses and spice, and just barely a bit of hops. Smells damn fine!

First Drink: Earthy stout flavors - chocolate, caramel, a bit woody, and again just a bit of hops bite.

Mouthfeel: Very thick mouthfeel, a little tacky, but goes down smooth with just a bit of carbonation that keeps the beer flavor going.

Last Drink: More of the bitter hops coming through now, and the high ABV is hidden fairly well.

Drinkability: A beer with a lot of flavor that seems tailor made for slow drinking.

Notes: First beer I have had from this brewery and it seems extremely well crafted! Looking forward to trying more brews from Cucapá. Not overly complex but it hits all the right points on time.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 00:49:08 | More by Randroid

Thomas_Picton

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +7.8%

10-28-2012 21:48:38 | More by Thomas_Picton

Johnhaley1989

North Dakota

3/5  rDev -19.1%

10-05-2012 20:35:07 | More by Johnhaley1989

kojevergas

California

2.88/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

1 pint 6 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a nonical Guinness pint glass in me gaff in high altitude Castle Rock, Colorado. Reviewed live. Expectations are average; I mean, a Mexican Imperial Stout? Call me prejudice.

Served straight from the refrigerator and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as n carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a one finger khaki colour head of pretty nice cream, fair thickness, and above average retention. Colour is a solid nontransparent black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Light chocolate, some roast, dark malts, stale milky cream notes, and extremely light indistinct hopping. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Underlying cream, dark malts, light chocolate, a strange note I can't quite place, and hints of poorly handled roast. Rather simple for the style, and certainly a bit strange from that weird note I can't identify. I don't find it horribly enjoyable, but it's better than expected. Decently balanced. Built pretty standardly for the style. Not impressive, unique or special. Not subtle or complex.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with nice cream. Completely wrong for the style, which demands coarseness and dryness. Thickness and carbonation are adequate.

Dr: Drinkable and alright for the style, but not without its flaws. I wouldn't get this again - maybe on draught. A decent offering considering it's a Mexican brewery - as biased as that sounds. Better than expected, to its credit. Hides its ABV pretty well.

C

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 04:27:30 | More by kojevergas

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.38/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22 oz. bottle into a Surly Darkness Chalice.

Appearance: Pours a dark and oily black with a little hint of brownish red. Moderate bubbles and a decent two fingers of tan head that slowly fade to a thin layer. Decent amount of lacing on the glass.

Smell: Sweet dark roasted malts with some good hints of dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, and toffee. Also some hints of molasses, anise, and vanilla. Hops are pretty faint. Chocolate and coffee is pretty rich in the aroma. Promising smell.

Taste: A pretty rich tasting stout. Nicely sweet dark roasted malts with good notes of dark chocolate, coffee beans, caramel, toffee, vanilla, and molasses. Light hints of anise and oats. Light presence of earthy hops adds some balance towards the finish. A very good tasting stout.

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. Very creamy and rich feel. Somewhat syrupy. Very smooth for a imperial stout.

Overall: Another impressive beer from this brewery. Nicely rich and robust take on a imperial stout. The chocolate and coffee flavors are very solid.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 05:57:44 | More by MattyG85

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

650ml bottle. Weird that the regular version has more ABV than the Winter version. And what's with the Ministry of Love-esque tilted portrait on the labels of this brewery?

This beer pours a solid oily black, thoroughly so, until late-afternoon sun backlighting exposes some lean cola edges. The foamy, bubbly, somewhat creamy mocha head stops at a skinny single finger's depth, before quickly return to whence it came, leaving a few burps of super-surface lace blobs around the meniscus of the glass.

It smells of sweet, candied chocolate, almost Tootsie Roll in nature, caramelized brown sugar, rising pastry, doughy malt, and some plain earthy hop dryness. The taste is much more roasted than the nose let on, though the malt still holds onto its caramel and sweet chocolate base, with some additional spicy, woody, root notes, lingering dark sugar, and somewhat astringent leafy, grassy hops. The biggish booze does well to remain hidden.

The bubbles are pretty restrained, but hardly absent, the body a timid medium weight, a tad creamy, and generally smooth. It finishes somehow dry, amongst the still moderately active choco-caramel malt; perhaps both the understated hops and alcohol conspire in the shadows.

While a decent-tasting affair, this offering's stout credentials need to be questioned - I'm getting much more of a PNW black ale vibe here. Lots of inherent commonalities between the styles, I get it, but I just sense a strong trend in that direction with this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2012 23:56:57 | More by biboergosum

ohtheguilt

Georgia

2/5  rDev -46.1%

04-23-2012 13:26:34 | More by ohtheguilt

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

04-01-2012 20:19:57 | More by Mebuzzard

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Jim at Sherbrooke for the sample. From a 650 ml brown bottle. Pours out a dense opaque pitch black, capped by a thick loose creamy beige head.

Roasty malt and espresso, some licorice on the nose. Dry character. Not overly complex yet hits the key notes well.

Very dry flavour. Dry woody, earthy, slightly smoky malt up front--almost astringent. Some warming alcohol fuels a dry heat in the middle. Quick spike of licorice and molasses nearing the finish, while the finish itself has an ash-like smoky dryness.

Medium-bodied mouthfeel, slippery slick texture, moderate carbonation.

Impressive Imperial Stout from Mexico, although to be honest it's more impressive that Mexico is capable of producing beers of this calibre compared to the all-too-well-known varieties of yellow fizzy lagers they pump out into the rest of the world. As far as the beer itself it's more reminiscent of a strong dry Porter than the typical complexities of Imperial Stouts, although it holds its own nonetheless. On a personal note it's somewhat too dry and astringent for me, however there's no real flaws in it.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 06:57:31 | More by IronDjinn

nmann08

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

03-12-2012 12:53:05 | More by nmann08

ygtbsm94

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -12.4%

03-12-2012 04:12:37 | More by ygtbsm94

jhb138

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -32.6%

02-20-2012 22:01:28 | More by jhb138

Tyrawlings

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

02-16-2012 20:26:57 | More by Tyrawlings

oberon

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a deep murky chocolate brown with a thinner deeper tannish colored head atop.Alot of molasses and vanilla in the aromas with undertones of dark roast coffee and unsweetened chocolate,the molasses cookie-like aromas really stood out.Sweetish with vanilla and molasses again being the main component on the palate,there is some dark roast underneath the molasses and vanilla but it doesnt stand up to the spiced sweet flavors.Hmm this isnt bad but it seems to be a bit overdone in the vanilla/molasses category,take away some of the sweetness and you have a top notch IRS.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 00:45:42 | More by oberon

MasterSki

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A Mexican Imperial Stout - thanks Jason. Served in a tulip.

A - Quick-dissolving tan foam settles to a thin ring, a few wisps, and no lace. Dark brown body with a reddish glint at the edge of the glass.

S - This smells like a Black IPA. Slightly charry and smokey, some black patent character, turbinado sugar, faded hops, hint of licorice, and some sharp alcohol.

T - Again, it's very much like an American Black Ale, but with some extra sugar and chocolate added to it. Charry bitterness, some floral hops, chalky cocoa powder, and so forth.

M - Pleasant but zesty carbonation, smooth medium body, a bit sticky, and minimal alcohol presence.

D - If this was a labelled a Black Ale I would have thought it was a pretty enjoyable take on the style. However, it's pretty bizarre and unconvincing for an Imperial Stout. Drinkable for the ABV, and actually avoids the harsh astringency of most Black IPAs, which is a feat in and of itself. One of the top 5 Mexican beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 15:09:48 | More by MasterSki

fernz18

California

4.25/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap @ Beerbox TJ on 12/27/2011. One of the couple of IRS brewed in Mexico, by one of the forefront craft breweries in the country. I wanted to compare this with the Old Rasputin.

A - Thin tan head with little lacing. Medium thick body, dark dark color.

S - Nice, really nice roasted malts. Heavy on the chocolate and coffee notes. This promises to be a good above-average beer. The hops aren't really there, which I'm glad for because it distinguishes itself from the typical IRS that are being brewed form SD currently.

T - Nice powerful coffee taste and a good backdrop of chocolate. Good, really good IRS. Really little booze, could drink this all day and then find myself hugging the toilet for getting a bit over-confident.

M - Mmmm, the most disappointing part of otherwise a strong IRS showing. I really wished it could be thicker and more vicious. No burn what-so-ever from the alcohol.

O - Very surprised by this wonderfully crafted brewery. Typically consistent brewery from Mexico, kinda like Sierra Nevada. Doesn't blow your mind, sometimes surprises but never dissapoints. Simple and well-crafted RIS. Better than Old Rasputin I believe, but that's because I don't like my RIS's to be too hoppy.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2011 10:32:46 | More by fernz18

davidtarantino

Mexico

5/5  rDev +34.8%

12-23-2011 21:33:47 | More by davidtarantino

dasmusik

Minnesota

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%

12-23-2011 08:04:35 | More by dasmusik

TheHoppiest

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into an oversized snifter. The bottle bears the brewery's motto, "The Best Rated Mexican Craft Beer". Not sure if that is intended to reassure or not. The label further informs that is is brewed, in part, with "piloncillo (Mexican candy)". I'm trying to picture how I'd feel about an American brewer that brewed a beer made with "American candy"...

Anyways, pours an impenetrable black, with a thin tan head that reduces to a smoky sheen, with a few bubbles ringing the glass.

Smells oaty and malty, with vanilla, hints of cocoa, and, dark fruit. The dark fruit smell combines with a smoky, tangy, almost acrid aroma that balanbces out the sweeter oat and malt smell.

The tang carries through to the taste, as well. Plenty of heavy malt, with dark, bitter coffee, hints of vanilla, chalky dark chocolate, and a tang that tastes a bit like cherries or currants. Despite the label's claim that there are "three hops" in here, the only bitterness I get is a dark, roasted coffee bitterness.

Thick, heavy mouthfeel, like an oatmeal or cream stout, with a bit of chalkiness to give it a dry finish.

A decent, if slightly different take on the imperial stout. Not sure what piloncillo is made out of, but whatever it is gives this a shot of dark fruit that works well with the roasted and oaty qualities of the stout. Just like a Mexican molé sauce has super dark, bitter chocolate, this stour similarly is dark, bitter and dry. Perhaps this is Mexico's best; if so, they could do a lot worse.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2011 02:07:18 | More by TheHoppiest

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A deeply roasty Imperial Stout with a complex dance of well rooted sweetness and heavy burnt grains.

Pouring a thick and hazy very dark brown color, the beer screams "Stout" while carrying a dainty yet withstanding light tan head of tightly knit bubbles and slight pockets of lace left behind. A quentessential Imperial Stout appearance.

Burnt grains, cocoa, roasted walnuts, and slight sour scents all fill the nose with a lush and robust scent. Grain sweetness of molasses, cooked berries, and scorched cobbler all culminate in a tart, sweet, and roasty aroma.

Deep roasted coffees, dry cocoa powder, bitter walnuts, heavy toasted breads, and scorched caramel all play into the bold and full flavors. Burnt currants, grapes, berries, and apples give a bridge across the roast character and into the estery portions of mid palate. Finishing with coffee and roasty bitterness, a malty tartness arises that reminds me slightly of soured milk.

Full bodied as well, the lush and creamy initial textures actually make a quicker transition to dryness faster than expected from large Stouts. Never reaching complete dryness, the roasty acrid feel allows for a slight harsh powdery texture that falls apart and allowing a grainy sweet feel in finish.

A solid Stout, but with so many world class versions on the market, this one may get overlooked.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 04:41:01 | More by BEERchitect