Imperial Stout - Mendocino Brewing Company

IchLiebeBier

Virginia

3.79/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Dark chestnut with medium beige head; excellent lacing

Smell: sweet; roasted malts; dried fruits; coffee; chocolate

Taste: Juicy malt on start; quickly hits with dried fruit and bitter grains; alcohol shows up in the mid; finishes slightly bitter, dry and full of chocolatey, bitter grains; coffee-like aftertaste. Not picking up much hop flavors

Mouthfeel: Creamy throughout with slightly viscous feel at the end

Remarks: Pretty excellent overall; a little bitter, but balanced pretty well throughout; complex profille

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2013 00:14:56 | More by IchLiebeBier

KajII

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

[Suggested Glassware: Snifter]

The pour was a muddy ebony black with a slight ruby hue and a medium cocoa brown head that bordered between average and large, which did recede down to a nice thick film creating some fair runny lacing.

The aroma was of roasted dark bread malts, light floral hops and a meaty leathery yeast with notes of toffee, chocolate, coffee, dark fruit (raisons and prunes) and just a hint of licorice.

The taste was a roasty bitter sweet with hints of chocolate and toffee early on, progressing with a mild hoppy bitterness, a touch of fruit, a bold coffee presence, a bit of licorice and a noticeable alcohol tinge right at the end. The flavor lasted a very long time following the swallow with a bitter roasty alcohol taste left lingering for quite a while longer.

Mouthfeel was full in body and dry in texture with a good strong carbonation, which is kind of unusual in a stout.

Overall this was a unique Imperial Stout with a bitter sweet fruitiness and a bold roastiness, which worked very well together along with the smooth alcohol flavor making this an enjoyable brew to sip on....

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 15:35:35 | More by KajII

riversider76

New York

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a darkest of browns, with a thin lighter brown head. Good retention and some lacing. Aroma is of dark chocolate, coffee, and fruit. Body is rich with some carbonation. Taste is of coffee, and bittersweet chocolate up front with a malty fruit edge in the finish. really good!

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 23:44:57 | More by riversider76

dheacck11

Connecticut

3.99/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour is super dark brown. Scant mocha head that fades to nothingness in seconds. no lacing to speak of.

Nose is malty and boozy, with lots of dark fruit and some coffee and caramel notes.

Flavor is really quite powerful. Lots of dark fruit with raisin, dried fig, and dried cherry leading off. Followed by rich and biting dark chocolate, with a hint of slightly stale coffee. Booze is palatable, but not overpowering.

Mouth feel is medium to full, leaves a nice thick coating afterwards.

A nice imperial stout. Definitely worth a shot if you see it around. Not as complex and balanced as some of the big hitters, but solid.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 23:53:23 | More by dheacck11

CFHMagnet

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I poured this one aggressively into a snifter. I got just a hint of head that disappeared before I could really get any read on it. It didn't even leave any real ring. No lacing tries to cling to the glass. Body is a deep dark brown.

There is a very pronounced head on this one. Dark fruit, caramel and toffee are very "loud" aromas, having been very noticeable as I poured. Roasted malt is present as well.

Dark fruit and roasted malt are up front. These transition into dark coffee, dark chocolate and hints of slightly over-roasted nuts. Booze comes in and plays around the flavors at the end. As the beer warms there is a hint of dark soda (similar to a Dr Depper or root beer) in the transition from dark fruit to dark chocolate/coffee.

This beer is heavy bodied. Carbonation is about average. The beer coats the mouth very thoroughly.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 18:36:48 | More by CFHMagnet

barczar

Kentucky

3.79/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

2011 vintage.

Pours an opaque black brown, with a foamy half inch milk chocolate head that dissipates fairly quickly, leaving light sheets of lacing.

Dark cherries, prunes, and raisins open the aroma, with an underlying buttery toffee character and a hint of roasted malt and soy at the finish. Those esters really dominate. Chocolate surfaces as it warms.

Flavor reveals more roast malt character, with highlights of chocolate carrying into a charred malt, fairly bitter finish. Sherry notes combine with bruised cherries early, with a bit of phenol surfacing mid palate. There's some booze evident. Licorice and coffee emerge.

Body is on the light side, with low carbonation, a tad bit of astringency, and significant alcohol warmth.

The esters really dominate the initial flavor, and malt complexity is lacking. Phenols were a little offputting, and the finish was a bit bitter for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 01:01:26 | More by barczar

Brant

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottom line up front: A solid imperial stout. Not as sweet as some of my other favorites, but still dang good. If you like more smoke than sweet, you'll be happy with this one.

A - Pitch black, like engine oil that's been in your car 3,000 miles too long. Head a nice caramel color.

S - Kind of a woodsy, coffee smell with sweet pumpernickel undertones. Smells like, well, a typical imperial stout for the most part.

T - Starts of with a punch of strong, slightly bitter coffee -- almost tangy or tart, but not overly -- then gets sweet for a few seconds before fading to smokey earthiness. Again, not as sweet as I like them, but that's just my personal preference. You won't have any issue with the taste if you like the smokier porters/stouts.

M - I really enjoyed the feel of the stuff. Smooth and creamy, "soft", really.

O - Easily recommendable. Looks good, smells good, feels good, tastes good. If you're like me and you like the really chewy sweet stouts, this will miss the mark -- but only slightly.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 23:02:34 | More by Brant

troysoy2

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass. A small-bubbled brown head gives way to decent lacing and a nearly pitch black body. Retention is okay.

The smell is of dark stone fruits and smoky, roasted malt. A slight sweetness comes through.

A nice, full bodied taste. Progresses from stone fruit and bitter chocolate on the front to mild smokiness, then dry roasted malt on the finish. The roast almost has a tanginess to it. This might go well with some barbecue. Hmm. The mouthfeel is a little on the light, effervescent side as far as stouts go, but it works for this beer.

Very nice job by Mendocino, and something I might look into getting again.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 05:29:05 | More by troysoy2

Dope

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

No date that I can discern but bottle is at least 2 years old.

A: Pours pitch black with a big effervescent medium brown head. Fades slowly, leaving some pretty nice lacing behind.

S: Lots of chocolate and coffee and some hints of dark fruit.

T: Chocolate and coffee up front. Fades into a nice char and dark fruit mixture (prunes and cherry) along with some really bitter chocolate. Some smokiness mixes in in the finish as well.

M: Heavy, smooth and creamy.

O: Not bad with a little age on it. Smooth and mellow and creamy for sure. Very drinkable. Lots of roasted malt and not much else. Odd bit of smokiness was a bit detracting for me mainly because I'm not a fan of smoked beers, but it was still plenty tolerable.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 05:23:09 | More by Dope

Brewmaster_Rick

California

4.58/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

MASSIVE chocolate and coffee notes, hints of charcoal. Heavy body, almost oily. Dark tan head, creamy. Damn well a beer you can dip a cigar in. Moderate bitterness for balance. Would go great over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Heavy, complex, near-perfection. One of my favorite imperial stouts for sure.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 18:31:28 | More by Brewmaster_Rick

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had the opportunity to try pretty much all the Mendocino beers on either tap at the brewery or in bottles recently and this was the best of the lot, which is unfortunately damning with faint praise. This is by no means an excellent imperial stout but it’s certainly a serviceable and drinkable one.

Looks pretty good: thick and dark black with a small tan head that settles slowly and some clingy lace. Heavily roasty, almost burnt aroma with sweet molasses, anise, and chocolate notes. The flavor has a bit of a soy aspect but it’s not too heavy or distracting. Again it’s quite charred tasting with decent molasses and burnt sugar sweetness, some anise, dark chocolate, raisins, and a hint of piney hops on the back end.

Medium bodied with medium carbonation; could use a little more heft; feels decent but not very smooth or creamy. Not something you’d go and seek out necessarily but a drinkable imperial stout that’s a step above the pretty mediocre beer this brewery normally cranks out.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 04:39:38 | More by tobelerone

LXIXME

New Mexico

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from about an inch above the glass gives this stout a big light brown head that settles into a pretty nice lacing above a clear dark brown to black colored imperial.

Aroma consists of that dark black licorice, that I used to love as a kid, blended very well with dark hardy fruits such as prunes and/or apricots with some dark roasted malts sneaking there way in there.

Dark roasted malts, light alcohol, dark fruits, Hershey's special dark chocolate combine to make a pretty good imperial stout taste.

A full bodied beer with a dry aftertaste with some of the lingering rich dark malts staying around to entice you to take another drink.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 22:41:31 | More by LXIXME

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured at a good temperature with a large, tan, foamy, frothy, thick head that settles after a bit and some lace. Color, with aid of my trusty iPhone flashlight, appears to an almost opaque, but clear, very dark, almost black ruby red. Aroma is malt, roast, burnt, toffee, old coffee, cocoa. Flavor's like nose, fairly dry, and bitter, a little carbonic tang and also a little salt. Body is creamy & decent except for some clashing high points from salt, burnt bitter. Finish is like flavor, good length, a bit boozy, and one is enough.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 01:51:21 | More by drpimento

Heavenisbeer

Georgia

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

In AVL.

A: Perfect. The deepest opaque hues of brown, with a toffee tinged pillow of a head. Three solid fingers, laying down to a dense 3 cms of gorgeous foam. The lacing stays put to the last drop.

S: Dark fruit forward; more so than any stout I've tried. Dark prunes, raisins, and plums plunge quickly into dark chocolate, toffee, and Breyer's Vanilla. The nose mellows, as sweet milk chocolate and fermented sugars take a bow.

T: Bold sweet chocolate takes the lead, as roasted malts, boozy bursts, and a slight char populate the middle. The finish is dry and hopped up.

M: Medium-bodied Imperial Stout, with a dry boozy undertone, and a grassy hop finish.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 03:21:08 | More by Heavenisbeer

jdense

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12. oz. bottle purchased in Boise, shared with beer buddy in The Big Feb 2012.

One finger rolling Guinness like head medium brown, fast dissipation with uneven layer of head retained. Some chocolate in the nose, more nibs than dark, roast becomes more assertive once it warms, light citrus hops. The roast is more prevalent than chocolate and hops are muted at best. Mouthfeel medium, decent effervescence, ABV well hidden. A decent non-barrel aged RIS though lacks depth of flavor, drinkability helps overall score.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 16:35:05 | More by jdense

IKR

California

3.58/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Very dark brown with a modest-sized medium beige head that faded fairly quickly.

Smell: Predominately coffee/roast malt notes. maybe a touch of brown sugar notes.

Taste: Primarily roasted malt notes for the most part, with maybe a hint of brown sugar from the nose. The beer finishes dry with some slight astringency. The alcohol presence is subtle for the ABV.

Mouth-feel: Medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation for the style.

Overall: Not bad, especially considering the price but not a mind blower.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2012 23:50:13 | More by IKR

TheSixthRing

California

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a black with subtle brown hue. The mocha colored head thickens to a finger or two, and hangs around for a bit. The lacing is impressively thick and sticky.

Smell - Classic Imperial stout smells here. Alcohol and chocolate, overpowering a faint coffee aroma. Sweet caramel cuts through. Nice smelling beer.

Taste - Aggressive flavor, as is common with an imperial. A lot of chocolate and coffee dark roasted malt, brought in balance by sweet caramel notes.

Moutfeel - Thick, almost syrup-like body, with a good amount of carbonation. The mouthfeel is certainly on point for an imperial.

Overall - This is a solid Imperial Stout. Thick and aggressive. Mendocino should be proud.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 03:14:10 | More by TheSixthRing

barnzy78

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, pours jet black with a thin brown head that dissipates quickly and leaves no lacing on the glass. Aromas are bold with dark cocoa, coffee, and anise. Tastes are bold also: espresso, dark chocolate, roasted barley, and anise with a pungent hop finish leaving the palate rather dry and acidic, reminiscent of reduced balsamic vinegar. Alcohol is non-existent. Mouth-feel is full bodied, but the dry acidity takes away from the overall feel. Overall, this seems to be all over the place as far as qualities go. Has some strong points, but has some weaknesses also. Recommendable for a try, but there are better, more balanced RIS's out there.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 04:00:39 | More by barnzy78

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Jet black and a thick, cough syrup-cherry cola head on it 1.5" in depth, dense bubble structure, was so close to getting a perfect 5, it only needed a kickass lace job, instead, it was merely good. Aroma was roasty, a tad astringent. Was kinda expecting some dark fruit, chocolate or sweet aromas, but they weren't really there.

Taste, a substantial beer, the alcohol is there but isn't confrontational or oppressive, you can get through it pretty well. Really would think this could have a little more sugar or something sweet to help it along. I guess if you're looking for a 10% imperial stout for less than 10$ a 4pack, this is a good choice, and isn't going to have all kinds of confusing nuances for people. I mean, this is a way better deal than Darkness, it just doesn't have all the bells and whistles.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 20:51:16 | More by Beerandraiderfan

righthereisay

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tervis tumbler mug.

Smell: Wow, very intense. Most intense smell of any "beer" I've ever had. Dark fruits, kind of like a dark belgium. Not like other imperial stouts.

Pours black, with little a dark brown head that stays for about 1 minute. Rather thick in my opinion.

Taste: Hmm. Dark chocolate, dark fruits, nice roasted malts, with a mild bitter finish.

This beer actually hurt my throat a little. Maybe that is the alcohol (which you cannot taste). This could give you heart burn.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 20:32:07 | More by righthereisay

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes some time in December 11

Poured into snifter from an undated bottel. It pours a jet black very thick looking with no head in sight.

Smell is typical stout, chocolate, malt and a small burnt coffee.

The taste is where this one gets tricky it starts out with chocolate roasted malts but at the back end you get a strange smoky or acid taste.

Very thick feel in the mouth

This is an ok imp stout just there are better options. Do not get me wrong I have 3 left and will enjoy them but maybe with a little age the strange but not bad aftertaste will mellow out a little.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 13:10:52 | More by nickapalooza86

BeerDocT

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

-Appearance 4.0: Poured out jet black. Completely opaque. Nice, half-inch khaki head. Looks like an Imperial Stout should.

-Smell 4.5: Wow, definite "tripel" smell. Lots of barley and malt and...raisins! Absolutely no "adjunct" smells such as coffee or chocolate. Very, very promising.

-Taste 4.5: Initial taste is actually salty on the tongue, but this is followed quickly by a subdued sweetness. Middle is all barley and hops and caramel sweetness, but again, not too sweet at all. Finish is long with roasted grains, hops, dried fruits, a slight dark chocolate taste and a definite (pleasant) bitterness. Wow, this is 10% ABV? No alcohol taste at all. Big, bold and delicious.

-Mouthfeel 4.0: Perfect amount of carbonation, but salty taste and slight burning sensation may turn off some sensitive folks (not me!).

-Overall 4.5: This brew is amazing. Not the best beer I have ever had, but it is still outstanding. If you were somehow able to take everything great about a stout and concentrate it times three, you'd have this beer. If you are a fan of Imperial Stouts and you can find this beer, BUY IT! You will not be disappointed!

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 20:50:10 | More by BeerDocT

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

dark brown, essentially black with a big full three finger high head of tan colored foamy lace on top.

chocolate, deep dark chocolate with lots of hints of sweetness, lactose sugar perhaps, maybe a touch of vanilla.
nice deep chocolate notes with hints of vanilla and coffee beans laced in throughout. Most of the alcohol has long mellowed out by now and really all that remains of it was some tiny traces down through the middle. Very nice earthy roasted malts swirling around in the back giving it much depth and a great profile.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 18:50:10 | More by mikesgroove

UCLABrewN84

California

4.1/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a thick opaque black with a 1 inch puffy dark khaki head that fades to a film on the top of the beer. Thin foamy rings of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, dark fruits, cocoa powder, and some slight coffee bean aromas. The smell becomes much more cocoa and cinnamon-like as the beer warms. Taste is of dark roasted malt, bitter cocoa, and coffee beans. A nice roasty bitterness sticks around after each sip. This beer has a nice level of carbonation with a smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good RIS that is somewhat surprising. I haven't really been impressed with other Mendocino offerings in the past but this is a solid effort for the style at a pretty good price.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 02:23:53 | More by UCLABrewN84

oberon

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured jet black,even when held to the light nothing came thru,a thinner tannish colored head atop that held pretty well.Deep char and coffee roast in the nose,a mix of dark fruit and a tinge of vanilla provided sweetness along with light sweet alcohol as it warmed.A tad thin but quite smooth in the feel,heavy roast flavors with dark fruit flavors,the roasted coffee flavors are the dominant flavor trait.A solid RIS,not as sweet as many,but not as complex as many either.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2011 17:57:06 | More by oberon