Silent Night - Mother Earth Brewing

nhindian

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from notes. Had at a Pittsburgh tasting a bit ago.

750ml bottle split and poured into a Stone taster. Thanks to crosamich for sending me this!

A - Pours a very dark brown, like a midnight black on a starry night. It really does give the impression of a calm, peaceful winter night night as is depicted on the label rather than a foreboding, ominous stout. It quickly builds a 1.5-finger, dark mocha head with good retention and silky lacing that coats most of the glass.

S - The aroma is full of strong roast and is rather quite smokey as well. If the appearance gave any hint of mildness, the nose quickly puts this notion to rest as it is bursting with a bold bouquet. There is a bit of char, drawing from the fireplace on the label, as well as some dark, pitted fruits. Underlying notes of bourbon play throughout the nose.

T - Right from the start the roast is incredibly flavorful and big. As in the nose, there is a lot of smoke, char, ash, and a hint of soy here among the concoction. This gives it a sweeter side mixed with some bitterness. The bourbon is actually a bit more mild than what I was expecting, but it is pleasant and smooth. Rich chocolate and a smidge of alcohol heat linger in the finish.

M - Mouthfeel is thick and heavy, giving it a full-bodied feel with low carbonation. the finish imparts a sweet, smokey after-taste. It is a little syrupy due to the low carbonation, but it doesn't impede the palate.

D/O - Drinkability is medium. This is definitely a bold beer that takes me by surprise. I don't know if it was the label or what, but I was really expecting a more subtle, overly sweet kind of stout. Although the roast and smoke are enjoyable, but after a while they begin to linger on the mouth that hurts the drinkability a bit. A flavorful sipper with bold, rich flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 03:14:24 | More by nhindian

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -14.8%

05-22-2013 01:09:44 | More by mikeincharleston

DangerDawg

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +15.6%

05-21-2013 02:16:09 | More by DangerDawg

wedge

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

@ Tasty Beverage

Blackish in color with a thin, spotty ring of tan bubbles around the edges. Dark chocolate, coconut, bourbon, and slight vanilla aromas. Bourbon roast, some black malt sharpness, molasses, burnt sugar, bitterness, fruit, and a charred wood finish. This beer could use some sweetness, and that's something I say too often. Well carbonated medium body and quite dry. Disappointing. It could really use a little bit of richness to add some character and smooth it all out. I'm glad I don't spend the $15+ for a bottle whenever I see it, though I bet a couple years in a cellar would do it some good.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2013 20:44:00 | More by wedge

jakeox

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

05-19-2013 01:48:25 | More by jakeox

RyanAU

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -8.8%

05-18-2013 01:15:38 | More by RyanAU

mmikey8

California

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

05-15-2013 16:35:54 | More by mmikey8

mhksuccess

California

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a snifter
very nice consistency extremely dark very light head almost none
smell: is heavy chocolate and oak not as much boozy as I would like and is reflected in the taste
Taste: heavy tones of chocolate and not much bourbon as I would like think it needed more time in the barrel before bottling
mouthfeel: is nice possible a little thin on the backside
overall: it is smooth and the flavors work i found it nice enjoyable to drink at the price I would have expected a little more and think will pass in the future

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 15:16:24 | More by mhksuccess

pvequalsnrt

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +15.6%

05-11-2013 21:09:45 | More by pvequalsnrt

Kelp

New Hampshire

4/5  rDev -2.7%

05-04-2013 23:33:58 | More by Kelp

PhatAtUT

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

04-26-2013 01:53:31 | More by PhatAtUT

Texasfan549

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

04-24-2013 18:11:35 | More by Texasfan549

zestar

California

4/5  rDev -2.7%

04-16-2013 09:59:01 | More by zestar

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

04-11-2013 17:26:09 | More by DaPan

mccallisters_dali

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +15.6%

04-07-2013 22:35:16 | More by mccallisters_dali

phishbfm

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +15.6%

04-04-2013 18:46:47 | More by phishbfm

bonkers

New Jersey

4.11/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My favorite Christmas present, Thanks Jilly!! It pours tar black, thin tan head, light lacing. The aroma is coffe and chocolate. The flavor is similar to the aroma, some oak, disapointed not to taste any bourbon. The coffee is prevalent on the finish. The beer is highly drinkable for such a big beer, light carbonation, no discernable booze. Liked it, but was expecting more.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 01:07:45 | More by bonkers

jriggins6

Georgia

4.25/5  rDev +3.4%

04-01-2013 12:18:10 | More by jriggins6

briandot

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -2.7%

03-30-2013 00:42:01 | More by briandot

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.24/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Served on-tap at City Beverage in Winston-Salem, NC

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some very light notes of visible carbonation and just a hint of very dark amber highlights. The beer has a two finger tall dense foamy dark mocha head that slowly reduces to a thick film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of dark roasted malts underneath much stronger aromas of freshly ground coffee and bourbon. There are some light to moderate notes of oak and vanilla with hints of dark chocolate.

T: Upfront there are some moderate flavors of dark roasted malts with just a hint of anise. After the malty flavors, there are moderate to strong flavors of espresso with some dark chocolate and just a hint of oak. Finally there are strong flavors of bourbon and vanilla with a light touch of alcohol.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Creamy with a light amount of alcohol warming in the finish. Just a touch of dryness.

O: This beer is delicious and meant to be slowly sipped and enjoyed - it really went well with slowing checking out the different beers available for sale at City Beverage and I didn't want the glass to be finished. Definitely one to get again, unfortunately there were no bottles available. Love the intensity of the flavors and aromas on this one.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2013 21:29:40 | More by dbrauneis

1up

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -2.7%

03-29-2013 15:05:45 | More by 1up

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.19/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle poured into a taster. Bottled 12/2012.

Appearance - Not quite inky. Nice mocha head. Medium collar.

Smell - Strong coffee. Bourbon is secondary. Slight vanilla barrel character. Nice chocolate fudge aroma.

Taste - Coffee up front. Bourbon more prominent. More barrel character. Very tasty. Slightly acidic coffee flavor. Fudgy chocolate, but only slightly. Burnt chocolate malt. Slight metallic flavor that I don't love.

Mouthfeel - Dry, medium bodied. Medium carbonation. Not boozy at all

Overall - This is really good. So glad I picked this up. I need more.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 00:38:58 | More by Alieniloquium

jacewg

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%

03-23-2013 16:33:24 | More by jacewg

smakawhat

Maryland

4.14/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on tap into a tulip glass.

Super dark walnut black body, with a faint tan creamy cap. Laces nicely, with a faint sense of carbonation present. Real dark and impressive.

Ripping roast grain, a hint of perfect booze and crushed coffee beans coming off a little bit like Kahlua. Grainy but solid.

A bit fizzy, with roast malts and coffee light flavor. A tad hint of wet which surprises myself as the aroma seemed to sense something bigger is coming. Faint estery dark berry fruits on the finish slightly, matching with a nice lingering roast and coffee astringency. Almost hop hinting with a pleasant bitterness and some tobacco notes also.

A real solid stout, even without much of the barrel aging characters present. Not crazy in love here, but a good one to know about.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2013 16:20:00 | More by smakawhat

Schlais

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -2.7%

03-19-2013 21:45:35 | More by Schlais