Moa Imperial Stout (Aged In Pinot Noir Barrels) - Moa Brewing Company

alysmith4

District of Columbia

3.5/5  rDev +0.6%

03-12-2013 02:52:35 | More by alysmith4

kojevergas

California

2.59/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

My second beer from this brewery. I didn't much care for the first. Expectations are above average; it sounds good and I'm in the mood for the style, but I'm suspicious of its current low (by beeradvocate standards) ratings. Self-identifies as an Imperial Stout; it doesn't specify that it's a Russian Imperial Stout. Cost was $5.99 at a nearby Whole Foods; I guess that alone should have set off warning bells - a barrel aged import from halfway across the Earth oughtn't to be so inexpensive. Imported by Moa USA - another red flag, as a quaint local kiwi craft brewery wouldn't have its own importing company stateside.

"Flavored ale." Aged in Pinot Noir Barrels. Bottle fermented and conditioned. 10.2% ABV confirmed.

12.7 fl oz dark green (ugh...) bottle with attractive text and symbols on the actual glass and a hood and wire cap (i.e. cage) over a cork served into a Mitchells of Lancaster flared stem-tulip in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live.

Cork pops out with unnatural ease; that is the easiest cork to pop out I've ever come across and I've encountered one or two corked beers.

A: Pours a two finger dark khaki colour head of nice cream and thickness, and pretty good (~4+ minute) retention. Soft complexion. Light lacing as the head slowly recedes.

Body colour is an opaque (nontransparent and nontranslucent) solid dark black; not quite a jet black. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Spot-on for the style, but not unique or special. Still, it's looking good. I'm starting to get a bit more confidence.

Sm: Chocolate, chocolate malt, white grapeskin, some generic woody notes but I wouldn't say oak, wine must, dark malts, a hint of vague lychee. The darker more conventional stout notes are up front whilst the wine-redolent notes are on the climax and finish - leaving me with the impression this is going to be structurally imbalanced and divisive. The notes don't feel cohesive and seamless, but rather opposing. Some cream. No coffee or roast. Some overly present hop character, including primarily floral hops. The out-of-place wine notes are unwelcome and supplant the imperial stout character. The barrel aging seems to overwhelm the base beer; this isn't seeming ideal at all. A mild strength aroma with a troublesome blatant lack of balance and subtlety. Nothing about the execution screams careful deliberate barrel aging. I'm skeptical of this.

T: Oh boy. She's imbalanced as hell. It's a warzone: overwhelmed traditional imperial stout notes - including chocolate malt, a bit of cream, and dark malts - struggle to fend off the pesky overbearing wine notes to no avail. By the start of the second act, the imperial stout notes have been defeated and only the wine notes remain, accompanied by an unwelcome untamed sweetness punctuated inappropriately by strangely artifical lychee notes. Nothing in terms of barrel or wood here; if you wanted refined oak you'll be disappointed. The wine notes grow a bit musty by the climax, evoking a raisiney caramel-ly vibe as the climax hands the baton to the lackluster finish. Aftertaste is all unwelcome sweetness that just plain doesn't belong in any beer of the style. Zero coffee, zero actual chocolate, zero roast. Some artificial grape juice. Syrupy.

I think I might be able to safely say this is a spectacular failure at an imperial stout; American Imperial Stout or Russian Imperial Stout style status notwithstanding.

Grows more and more raisin-y and a bit vinous as it warms. Whatever pinot noir the barrels previously contained was a poor wine.

Flavour duration is average. Flavour intensity is well below average for the style, but average overall.

Mf: Dries unnecessarily on the finish. Overcarbonated. Rugged. Smooth up front, but it coarsens as it goes, evoking a shriveled raisin-y character rather than whatever intricate smooth wine notes they unsuccessfully went for. Poor presence on the palate. Fails to facilitate the better flavours from the profile. Syrupy and thick - overly so for the lack of flavour diversity and depth.

Dr: Fails to hit the key elements of the style on a fundamental level. Frankly, I'm unsure what to give it. Partly because in spite of all its flaws, it's still damn drinkable for 10.2% ABV. I don't hate it, though I could certainly see where such a response would be justified. It requires an alteration of one's expectations; if you're expecting and in the mood for a good imperial stout, this will massively disappoint. Wouldn't recommend it to friends and I wouldn't get it again. I'll concede that it's a failure at what it's attempting to do, but if we consider it aside from its purported style, it's not a bad beer per se. I can see this beer being a love/hate brew for many. But at its current price point, I'd say it's worth the roll of the dice.

It may be the biggest waste of barrel aging I've ever come across.

C-

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 05:40:06 | More by kojevergas

vickersspitfire

Texas

3.26/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours out a nice dark brown color, almost black and is topped off with a nice dark tan head that’s very bubbly. The bubbles are thick and creamy and there seems to be plenty of carbonation I this one. Mild chocolate aromas come through; fig and raisin are also detectable, light floral smells are also present. This one is very crisp and is rather light bodied for an imperial stout, it’s also pretty bitter there are some berry flavors that come through. It looks and smells good but this is not what I expected from this beer, not bad overall just not what I expected from a RIS.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 03:48:51 | More by vickersspitfire

marshmeli

New York

2.5/5  rDev -28.2%

06-16-2013 20:05:32 | More by marshmeli

Pencible

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

A: This poured a nearly opaque black, with lots of tan head. The cork shot of the bottle before I even finished loosing the cage.
S: It smelled like bitter dark chocolate, with some astringent dark fruit and earthy oak and smoky coffee.
T: It tasted like rich dark chocolate and tart raspberries, like a fine truffle, with some licorice and smoky coffee and oak. It had a clean and lasting aftertaste that was bitter, tart, and a little sweet.
M: It was very thick with fine natural carbonation. Fantastic body.
D: This was a great beer. Nice unique take on barrel aging a stout that added a lot of delicate complexities. It took forever to pour, but it was worth the wait, with great scent and taste and perfect body. The finish wasn't super smooth, but the alcohol was decently hidden. So it wasn't difficult to drink, but it was better to sip. Not sure how it would age, but I really enjoyed it fresh. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2013 18:59:14 | More by Pencible

drgonzo2k2

California

3/5  rDev -13.8%

06-08-2013 02:11:02 | More by drgonzo2k2

jjd315

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -13.8%

06-07-2013 13:55:15 | More by jjd315

ygtbsm94

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +7.8%

06-07-2013 01:28:24 | More by ygtbsm94

JeffTheJuice

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +7.8%

06-04-2013 12:29:28 | More by JeffTheJuice

GrindFatherBob

New York

4.5/5  rDev +29.3%

06-03-2013 19:31:53 | More by GrindFatherBob

Chugs13

New Jersey

2/5  rDev -42.5%

06-02-2013 23:53:17 | More by Chugs13

craftbeerasian

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +0.6%

05-30-2013 00:08:04 | More by craftbeerasian

chickencoop

California

4.5/5  rDev +29.3%

05-29-2013 06:28:31 | More by chickencoop

mxchap

California

2.25/5  rDev -35.3%

05-21-2013 04:20:29 | More by mxchap

bcuz7

Florida

4/5  rDev +14.9%

05-19-2013 22:14:26 | More by bcuz7

jakeox

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +7.8%

05-18-2013 23:46:33 | More by jakeox

TheBadger0289

New Zealand (Aotearoa)

4/5  rDev +14.9%

05-15-2013 10:24:10 | More by TheBadger0289

Morockm

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +7.8%

05-12-2013 14:00:17 | More by Morockm

Howlader

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +7.8%

05-12-2013 02:30:59 | More by Howlader

DruC4

Michigan

4/5  rDev +14.9%

05-11-2013 18:50:15 | More by DruC4

ninetytwo

New Zealand (Aotearoa)

3.25/5  rDev -6.6%

05-10-2013 11:44:31 | More by ninetytwo

MightiestBeard

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +22.1%

05-09-2013 02:48:06 | More by MightiestBeard

JMS1512

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +7.8%

05-07-2013 20:04:01 | More by JMS1512

Prospero

Colorado

1.45/5  rDev -58.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Terrible, agreed with others, tastes and smells like band aids. No coffee roast like one would expect in a RIS and while the pinot is apparent, it lacks the fruit character. It must be infected I can't imagine this being intended to taste like this. Like the rating suggests, the appearance is the best attribute and not that great as the head retention is next to none (somewhat expected with barrel-aging). Back to the drawing board on this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 02:49:30 | More by Prospero

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +14.9%

04-28-2013 15:33:05 | More by Jason1337