Silent Night - Mother Earth Brewing

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.08/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at the Mother Earth Taproom. Served in a Mother Earth tulip glass.

Beer poured a dark brown, almost black with a thin tan head. Smell was a roasty/coffee aroma with hints of bourbon, but much lighter on the bourbon than pretty much any bourbon barrel stout I have had. The bourbon really wasn't all that present in the taste at all. I got a good amount of vanilla and oak along with some bitter dark chocolate and some roastiness. The roast flavor did not overwhelm, however, as the barrel aging seemed to mellow it out. Mouthfeel was medium bodied and fairly carbonated; it wasn't too heavy or too syrupy, the body seemed to suit the beer perfectly. This was very drinkable for a 9% ABV beer. I definitely couldn't taste the big alcohol flavor, and on top of that, this was a very smooth, easy to drink imperial stout.

Overall I was very impressed with this beer. Most bourbon-barrel aged stouts hit you over the head with bourbon, but the bourbon here was only a minor complement to the great stout flavor. This beer was extremely well-balanced and easy to drink for such a big stout. Definitely something for non-stout lovers (like me), as it really was not bitter at all.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2010 04:30:37 | More by starrdogg

CrellMoset

Virginia

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

On tap at Duckworth, Charlotte, NC. Enjoyed right before the keg kicked - good timing! Arrives in a fluted pint.

Appearance: Arrives a dusky brown, dark but not entirely opaque, and with plenty of garnet and transparent sepia tones around the edges of the glass. It's capped by a nice enough half finger of sepia head (cheers to the Duckworth's guys for bringing me a glass as full as this, even as the keg winds down). The head is fine, pearly, bubbled and glittery, though the retention leaves a little to be desired. The side stick is decent, as well, perhaps above what one usually gets out of an Imperial Stout or a barrel aged-anything, drippy and patchy along the sides of the glass. A bubbly, soapy collar and decent splotches of surface lacing mark the spot where the head once was.

Aroma: Toasty cocoa powder is large here, followed closely by caramelized wood sugars, slight peat or smoke, and a nice kick of spicy whiskey or bourbon. It's a very mellow nose on the whole, gentle, with little to no alcohol spice. It's either very mature or too subtle for my tastes - I can't quite tell which yet.

Taste: A rather dry body, characterized by toast, lots of bitter chocolate, and a fair kiss of earth. Bourbon is prickly, warming, borderline hot here, and more pungent (at least relative to what else is here) than in the nose. On the whole it's competently blended, and the barrel notes contribute a nice amount of vanilla and plenty of oak.

Mouthfeel: Lots of lift, with a thinner body than I'd have liked, making for a fluffy, elevative, bubbly stout, though it does still manage to retain a level of creamy evenness.

Drinkability: A good beer, but not a great beer, and definitely not on par with, say, Abyss, -bal Speedway, BT, or KBS. I've heard the Olde Hickory Event Horizon is a little superior to this one, so I'm glad I picked up a bottle of it (it had just kicked before I arrived - good thing they had a backup!). That being said, for $5 and for a brewery's first attempt at what is very obviously a fairly difficult feat to accomplish, this is a really enjoyable beer - I'm largely being a hardass because of the company that any barrel aged stout brewed this days must stand next to. Worth trying, and even worth seeking out, and bodes of good things to come from Mother Earth.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2010 03:29:51 | More by CrellMoset

Macky20

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had to see what all the fuss was about this one... Well worth the agreement to split a bottle with a good buddy!

Pours beautifully, oily black with a half finger of dark tan head. Nice lacing with good retention on the glass. Aromas consist of coffee, oak, nougat, molassas, and alcohol. Taste did not disappoint with noticable hints of honey or molassas, dark chocolate, coffee undertones and bourbon. Density and carbonation are certainly on par for this style and the drinkablity is above average, but will get better with time. This is a great beer now, worth picking up several bottles and putting them in the cellar!

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 20:12:08 | More by Macky20

chaz410

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Got this black beauty on tap at Duckworths in Charlotte!
I literally changed my plans for the day when I heard it was being tapped at Duckworths.
Pours a deep black body that sucks out light from all around it! It has a half finger length caramel colored head that stays pretty thin for a while.
Smell is fantastic! It's full of rich chocolate, coffee, roasted malts and vanilla notes with some charred oak. Small amounts of caramel and raisons are layered in as well. There's some slight metallic smell that hints at very bitter chocolate nibs.
The taste is exceptionally balanced for how young this big beer is. It's full of deep roasty flavors, mostly barley roast but a fair amount of charred oak followed by nice layers of chocolate malt, cocoa, vanilla and even slight nutty sweetness. It's a velvet-like sweetness, one that coats but is still uplifting. It has caramel and some hoppy pine notes at its base along with deep red fruit subtle edges and a nice, slightly coffee-like bitter, and bourbon-like alcohol finish.
Very thick and fluid mouthfeel. It feels right at home being tossed across your palate/tongue.
It's not "drinkable" but I did order two of these, with another beer in between and I hardly ever repeat orders of beers in a session. It's surprisingly balanced and therefore a very approachable beer for any moderate beer enthusiast!
Great beer that matched my high expectation!

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2010 04:16:44 | More by chaz410

Bung

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tap at Duckworths. Dark brown pour, not all that close to black really. Rocky tan head.

Aroma, Roasty malt, dark chocolate, lighter caramel and vanilla.

Taste is roasted malt again, large chocolates and cocoa. Vanilla, caramel and just a hint of oak or spicy hop presence. Kind of a mocha latte finish that lingers very nicely for a while.

Just a tad much carbonation keeping it from a creamy mouthfeel. Still medium bodied and very easy drinking for the 9%.

Possibly the best organic stout I've tried, possibly better than Pisgahs offerings. After reading some of the bottle reviews will probably not bother at that price point, but this is worth trying on draft.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2010 00:13:21 | More by Bung

Sponan

Tennessee

3.13/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Barley's, 10 oz serving.

A - Standard black pour with a thin, dark brown head that quickly disappeared. Some lacing, but nothing exceptional to see here.

S - Some smoke/char, a little chocolate and dark fruit. Then my nose hairs were singed by some booze and I could not smell anything else. Outside of the booze, I found the smell to be the best feature of the beer.

T - A hint of chocolate, followed by some coffee and burnt malt bitterness. And then like the smell, my mouth was assaulted by booze. I don't even get much bourbon, more like rubbing alcohol along with some lingering, unpleasant char bitterness. This beer also seemed to be lacking a bit of the malt backbone and sweetness I prefer in the style. Not dry exactly, but hidden by the burning in my mouth.

M - Well carbonated and reasonably thick. I enjoy the feel of this beer. Another strong point .

D - Even sipping on a small glass, I found myself wishing there was a smaller pour. Knowing what this beer costs in a bottle, it is likely I will not revisit. Definitely not if I am buying.

Not sure what to say. I love Mother Earth's regular line, but this beer just doesn't seem like it is ready. I think the base stout needs some work before even considering the barrel aging.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2010 20:23:52 | More by Sponan

bamarita

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

So, I've now had it on tap (@ Duckworth's in Charlotte) and from a bottle which was a pain in the ass to get (had to drive to Raleigh, NC.) I have to admit the beer isn't that wonderful from the bottle (it seems to lack certain characteristics) so I will be reviewing from my on-tap experience. Its very black in color with a medium reversed head that goes away fairly quickly. It smells of roasted flavors and some good stout coffee. Tastes of sweet roasted awesomeness, coffee, chocolate, and ester. Mouthfeel is thick and oily and awesome. Drinkability is high.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2010 03:20:36 | More by bamarita

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle shared by bmanning--thanks, Ben. After reading the initial reviews on this, I was quite excited to try it. Unfortunately, it doesn't nearly live up to the hype. Served in a tulip.

Pours near black with a bubbly reverse-cascading head. This quickly fades into a tan collar with some large carbonation bubbles. The nose is roasty with quite a bit of smoke as well as some charcoal and bourbon. The bourbon is a bit light, with the smoke coming through on a stronger level. There is some definite boozy heat, and this makes its presence known more so in the mouthfeel. Slightly prickly carbonation. As it warms, the nose is still a bit light, though it exhibits more notes of coffee and roasted malt. The finish is a bit odd--harsh and a bit bitter. A bit disappointed in this, though it's not a bad beer. Could probably use quite a bit of time.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 00:17:40 | More by Thorpe429

KidsDoc

California

4.53/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Mother Earth tap room - approx 12 oz pour into brewery snifter. Served cool and enjoyed over about 45 mins time frame.

A: dark, opaque black with thin brown top layer and thin light brown/tan head. Good lacing - head dissipates quickly (9% ABV)

S: sweet chocolate and roated malts. The bourbon scent in pervasive but mellow and not overpowering. This has an incredibly inviting smell.

T: amazing blend of bourbon background that fits alongside a deep roasted malt. Creamy chocolate up front, strong roast middle and lingering bourbon presence. Dare I say this bourbon is so well blended it trumps the giant KBS in this style. The bourbon is truly complimentary and not overbearing. Not a hint of the 9% in the taste.

M: incredibly smooth carbonation and creamy with a huge thick mouthfeel.

D: a sipper for sure but the balance makes its worth the time spent sitting on this one.

**this may have the local bias here but truly this was an impressive bourbon aged stout that I do prefer to KBS

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2010 23:53:25 | More by KidsDoc

JebediahScooter

North Carolina

4.55/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into a DFH Signature glass on 12/15/10. One of the last three bottles to be had at Peace Street Market. Beautiful bottle with excellent artwork.

Poured almost totally opaque with little to no light peeking through when held up to a light. Decent finger-and-a-half dark khaki head that dissipates fairly quickly. Lacing almost disappears completely after the head subsides.

Smell is bourbon and charred wood up front, with a spicy sweetness underlying. It's almost like taking a big whiff of a smoked meat with a sweet rub as you're carving after having taken a sip of your whiskey neat. Very nice.

First sip is, again, bourbon and wood up front with a strong roasted maltiness and very very dark chocolate through the sip. The bourbon presence reasserts itself in the boozy aftertaste, along with strong black coffee. As it warms, it mellows, giving way to the wood, roasted malts, barely-burnt bread, and coffee. The coffee seems to dominate the aftertaste now, which I love.

This beer is excellent in my mouthpiece. Fairly good bite from the carbonation that nicely complements the aggressive flavor. As the taste mellows with warming, the mouthfeel follows suite in lock step. It's becoming nicely smooth and velvety. Feels similar to a Rochefort 10 as it warms.

I could keep sipping this beer all night, but at $18.99 a bottle...well, you know. I'm only through half of the bottle, but I have a feeling that sipping it all night might put a hurtin on me.

Overall, a fantastic bottle from this young brewery, definitely the most impressive effort that I've tried from them. Well done, Mother Earth!

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 02:02:34 | More by JebediahScooter

atsprings

North Carolina

4.55/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Busy Bee served in a DFH signature glass a deep opaque black with a very nice, frothy light tan head that slowly diminishes to a ring and leaves decent lacing on the glass. Aroma is a fragrant amount of oak in front of roasted malts, cocoa and fresh ground coffee. The taste is a wonderfully complex blend of dried fruits, bitter cocoa, molasses, espresso, oak, burnt caramel, and licorice, absolutely exceptional! The beer is on the heavy side of medium with smooth carbonation. This is an incredible Oak-aged Imperial Stout, one I would love to have again. I plan on picking up a few bottles of this one!

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2010 00:24:56 | More by atsprings

ncaudle

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12-12-2010
poured from bomber into Allagash tall snifter.

as with the on-tap it pours a pitch black with a thick pillowy tan head. after a few minutes the head dies down to a ring at the top of the liquid - no lacing left behind.

the bourbon is a touch more present than the draft but still not over powering. dark chocolate, molasses and coffee round out the flavors with dome roasted malts.

medium mouthfeel and slightly less carbonation than draft. still very drinkable at 9% though the alcohol is more noticable.

overall rating based on both tap and bottle.
1 bottle is set aside to drink next christmas.
---

12-4-2010
poured from tap at brewery into snifter.

as with the base Imperial Stout pitch black with thick pillowy head. this one diminishes fairly quickly not leaving much lacing.

again, sweet coffee yet theres the wood and bourbon. I find most bourbon barrel aged brews tend to be too boozy for me - not this one! according to the note on the bar this was aged only 1.5 months in a Heaven Hills barrel. the sweet aromas of the bourbon is there but doesnt overpower. perfect to my tastes!

nice medium thick feel. the base stout really stands out under carbonation compared to the nitro.

just fantastic!

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2010 19:53:10 | More by ncaudle

rockyfire

North Carolina

5/5  rDev +21.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours pretty much black. a little head that dissipates very quickly. a very nice looking beer.

Amazing smell. bourbon, oaky, chocolate and roasted coffee. Subtle notes of vanilla as well.

Awesome. perfect amount of bourbon taste. then you get the breakfast stout flavors in there. the coffee and chocolate notes. A little sweet tasting as well.

Medium to heavy bodied. smooth and creamy. Not too carbonated. JUST PERFECT

I'll definitely be on the lookout for this when they release to the rest of the State. But it was definatly worth the 2 hour drive to pick up my two bottles. I may go back tomorrow for another two. Thanks Mother Earth for brewing such great beers.

Serving type: On Tap at Brewery. Bottle purchased

Serving type: on-tap

12-03-2010 01:16:13 | More by rockyfire