Mexican Cake - Westbrook Brewing Co.

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

32oz growler to snifter. Sampled 4/13/12. Many thanks to rbradley for the hookup. Also, thanks to Vince for bringing this through to my tasting a while back.

A: A small 1/2 finger head rises and falls within 30 seconds on a gentle pour. The head is medium-dark brown in color. The body is pitch black. Islands of bubbles appear across the surface. Long legs line the glass after each sip while dots of lace stick here and there.

S: The nose is surprisingly unassuming. While nothing really stands out as spectacular, there isn't one thing to complain about either. Basic stout nose - light roast, chocolate, fudge and faintest hint of cinnamon.

T: Long, rich, layered notes of chocolate syrup and fudge. A hint of vanilla appears on the mid-palate. About 10 minutes in, the heat begins to make an appearance on the back end of the throat. Very gentle and more of a warming sensation than anything else. Cinnamon doesn't really come through on the palate but the overall flavor is fantastic, and it doesn't even matter.

M: The mouthfeel is unbelievable. So rich. So full. So supple. The carbonation is on the lower side of things - maybe because of the growler serving, or maybe it's just how the beer was designed - but it works really well with the flavor profile.

O: I flat out love this beer. In fact, I'm going to try to recreate it with my next attempt at a stout.

Serving type: growler

04-22-2012 23:10:03 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev -9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Brewed as a limited release to celebrate Westbrook Brewing's first anniversary. Poured from bomber into tulip glass. Pours espresso black along with a beautiful and huge head. Very nice lacing that lasts throughout. Aromas of sweet cocoa nibs, vanilla, cinnamon, and pepper. Picked up chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, and definitely can taste the habanero peppers! Unfortunately, I am not a big fan of chile/peppers in my beers so that took a hit in my ratings. Thick and creamy mouthfeel! If not for the peppers, this would have been an amazing beer for me. But I have to take account for the name, "Mexican Cake". Nicely done for that specific style.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 18:15:07 | More by CuriousMonk

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.48/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle shared by Dan.

Pours dark brown, near black with a large tan head. Well carbonated with a retentive head and light lace. Nose isn't very well balanced, alternate whiffs bring forward chocolate, peppers, cinnamon, vanilla, and roast; generally sweet and a little spice. Light bodied, slightly thin, with same flavor profile as nose, but predominantly spicy and chocolately. This and the Farmhouse IPA are my favorite Westbrook beers I've tried. If this was on the shelf in 4 packs locally I'd pick this up, but wouldn't actively seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 01:00:55 | More by yourefragile

EricCioe

Montana

2.98/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had at a chili beer tasting including Hunahpu's, Chocolate Sombrero, Theobroma, Cocoa Mole, and Ghost Face Killah.

This pours a viscous black with a small dark head. On the nose there are chocolate and chili intermixing in a similar way to the other two chili stouts, though here perhaps there is heavier chili. To me that flavor just doesn't tend to sit well with chocolate, though at least with Huna the quality is more evident. In the mouth the roast intermixed with chocolate and chili, with the chili making for a long finish. The body is medium full.

Overall, like the others, I just didn't care for this beer that much. It's closer to Huna in quality than Chocolate Sombrero. If you like chocolate chili stouts, check this out. I won't be again.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 18:28:10 | More by EricCioe

UCLABrewN84

California

3.5/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Growler pour sampled at mrbubbler's tasting.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a dark khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark malt, cocoa, and some subtle chile aromas. Taste is the same but the chile presence is very subtle flavor-wise. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good stout but nothing all that special in my opinion.

Serving type: growler

04-09-2012 04:42:02 | More by UCLABrewN84

MasterSki

Illinois

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

Bottle thanks to Mike (Thorpe429). Served in a tulip.

A - Medium brown foam settles to a wispy partial cap, thick collar, and spotty lace. Very dark brown body that displays some transparency at the fringes.

S - A mixture of chocolate cake, chiles, cinnamon, and a bit of tar and smoke. Alcohol is quite well-hidden - didn't realize this was in the doube digits.

T - Taste as more cocoa nib and vanilla bean presence, with some light roastiness as well. Less overt cinnamon, and surprisingly little chile heat for a beer made with habanero. Again, minimal booze presence.

M - Smooth medium-full body, pleasant moderate carbonation, lightly sticky finish, and a hint of warmth that could either be from the peppers or the alcohol.

D - Solid brew - reminds me a little bit of Abraxas but isn't quite as intense, although they have similarly well-disguised booze. Worth checking out if you like chile pepper stouts.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 23:40:36 | More by MasterSki

drabmuh

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks Dan! Poor man's Hunahpu's a pretty nice beer.

Beer is black with a tan head of small and medium bubbles, some lacing, nice retention, high carbonation, a little too carbonated perhaps.

Aroma is nice with cinnamon and allspice.

Beer is light in body and sweet with this nice brown sugar and spice flavor that carries through to the end, the body is nice but perhaps a little thin, overall an interesting beer and I enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 19:00:45 | More by drabmuh

mdfb79

New York

4.28/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From 03/30/12 notes. Bottle sent to me by Mikesgroove and shared with some friends at our mini-Westbrook tasting. Thanks Mike! Poured into a tulip.

a - Pours a very dark brown, almost black color, with one inch of dark tan head and low to moderate carbonation. Looks good.

s - Smells of peppers, sweet chocolate, roasted notes, dark chocolate, spice, and toasted malts. Very nice, some nice hot pepper up front though it doesn't dominate.

t - Tastes of sweet chocolate, vanilla, cocoa, roasted malts, light bitter dark chocolate, cream, toasted malts, peppers, spices. Less spice and pepper then the nose and more sweet chocolate, which I like a lot. A step up from the nose for me.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Smooth and creamy, and easy to drink. No alcohol heat at all; was surprised this one was 10.5% ABV.

o - Overall I thought this was a really good stout. Some nice pepper in the nose, and sweet chocolate in the taste which I loved. Great body and easy to drink as well. Would definitely pick this one up if I saw it on the shelf, and by far the best of the four Westbrook beers we tasted. A good non-BA stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 16:02:59 | More by mdfb79

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of mdfb79. Served in a SAVOR wine glass.

Pours near black with a tan head. Pretty good retention and some spotty lacing on the way down.

The nose carries a nice mix of chocolate, light spice, roasted malt, sweetness, and a touch of vanilla. Nice blend, for sure. The nose doesn't quite carry all the way over to the flavor and everything isn't quite as integrated as I'd like, though the components are still quite nice.

Body is medium-full with low-medium carbonation and a good chewiness. No real noticeable alcohol.

This was a really nice beer I was glad to finally try. Thanks, Dan.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 10:51:45 | More by Thorpe429

prototypic

Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Many thanks to kkipple for the growler.

Mexican Cake pours a very dark chocolate fudge color. It’s onyx. No light cuts through at all. Very impressive. A dark mocha head tops it off. It only rises to about a finger in height before falling quickly. Lacing was a little sticky, but definitely lighter. The color is impressive nonetheless.

The nose is very impressive. It’s chock full of roasted and chocolate malts. It doesn’t smell all that sweet. Definitely leans more toward bittersweet dark chocolate. Roasted coffee or espresso is relatively strong. It definitely has a bit of a burnt scent, perhaps charred barley. Works nicely with the malt base. Secondary scents include molasses, cocoa, and light anise. I’m not getting much in terms of spiciness. Alcohol is there, but doesn’t seem too strong.

The flavor simply rocks! It’s full of bittersweet dark chocolate malt flavor. Roasted malts are also noted, but aren’t quite as strong the chocolate variety. It does have a sweeter flavor than I anticipated. It has a bit of a brown sugar flavor. Roasted coffee is strong in flavor and tastes delicious. I’m a big coffee fan, so that works for me. It does taste a little burnt. Maybe it’s the coffee. Maybe charred barley. Molasses, anise, and a little vanilla are all secondary. There’s a light spicy quality to it, but it’s very subtle. It’s quite deep and complex. Very flavorful. Alcohol is there, but really doesn’t come through that strong. It’s not warm or hot. Finishes chocolaty, sweet, and roasty.

Mexican Cake has a body that leans toward full. It’s very svelte and smooth. Carbonation is light and very soft. This stuff goes down super easy in spite of its double digit abv. I’m sharing this small growler, but probably could’ve tackled it alone. It’d be tempting. It’s that good.

Westbrook Brewing Co. has a really nice beer in Mexican Cake. It’s very flavorful and impressive. The only qualm I really have is that there isn’t much of a spicy presence. I’m not getting anything that strongly suggests cinnamon or habanero pepper. Perhaps that’s a good thing. It sure is a fine tasting beer. Find some if you can. Thanks a ton, Dan!

Serving type: growler

04-01-2012 03:03:05 | More by prototypic

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.95/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

very happy to try this beer. It's got a very intense nose with tremendous spice and a lot of stout goodness. The alcohol is hidden very will in this beer from nose to finish. Lots of spice carries through to the taste, more than expected with such a strong base. This is a very drinkable stout and pushes the style to it's limits with the habenero and cinnamon.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 01:46:19 | More by ThePorterSorter

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Shared by mdfb79. Thanks Dan.

The beer is dark brown, nearing black, with a quarter inch of oily, beige head. The aroma offers roast, cinnamon, chocolate, vanilla. The flavor brings notes of Kahlua, booze, chocolate, burned roasted malt. Nice flavor, but I like the aroma even better. Even without the title, I definitely get notes of flan. Sweet, but not too. Overall, very enjoyable. I would definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 23:44:36 | More by Huhzubendah

Scruggers

4.9/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

My first review. I'll stick with the format mdaschaf used before me on this post:

A: Black with a thick, tan head

S: Sweet, thick aroma with chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, with a note of tart fruit. The tartness is just a bit overdone in my opinion and keeps it from a perfect score

T: Rich, chocolate start leveling to vanilla and cinnamon, finishing with a lingering spice

M: Full-bodied feel. It's the spice at the end that sets this beer apart for me. A perfect heat that holds until the next sip, but doesn't overwhelm

O: One of the top 2-3 beers I've tasted. Feels like an imperial stout should - rich and full-bodied, but very complex in it's taste. The spice finish is perfectly executed. It's dessert all by itself. Made me want to start writing about beer. I hope all of you get to try this beer

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2012 23:23:15 | More by Scruggers

mdaschaf

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to Ryan for splitting this one with me.

A: Pours pitch black with a one finger tan/brown head on top. Good retention, reducing slowly to a nice cap that stayed around for a while. Thin lacing forms all around the glass.

S: Chocolate, a little bit of roast malt, some vanilla, a little but if cinnamon, and a slight hint of peppers. There is a little bit of cream too.

T: Nice and chocolaty upfront with some nice vanilla in the middle. There is some roasty malt, a hint of dark fruit, and a little bit of molasses. The chilis come out after swallowing, I feel a little heat (not burn) on the roof of my mouth and in my cheeks.

M: Medium to full bodied with medium carbonation. Drinks very smooth, no sign of 10.5%.

O: A very solid imperial stout, great mouthful and flavors for a non-barrel aged beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 02:32:13 | More by mdaschaf

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served from tap into a sampler shaker. Poured pitch black with a one finger brown head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained phenomenal lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, roasted malt, habanero, dark chocolate, and spices. The flavor was of sweet malt, dark chocolate, dark fruit, spices, wood, and subtle habanero. It had a heavy feel on the palate with mild carbonation, almost creamy. Overall this was a very good brew. Somehow this monster was quite easy to drink. All of the flavors and aromas were quite complex and hit on all cylinders with the proper intensities. The pepper heat was very nice on this one on the followthrough and definitely built the heat similar to the pepper. One of my favorites to come out of Westbrook so far!

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2012 03:50:54 | More by thagr81us

brentk56

North Carolina

4.73/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Arrives pitch black with a cap of espresso foam that curtains lace

Smell: Smoky chocolate, vanilla and cinnamon with a roasted chile undertone

Taste: Smoky chocolate and vanilla, up front, with the cinnamon flavors arriving just ahead of the habanero pepper; gets rather hot, after the swallow, when the brown sugar flavors arrive to moderate the heat

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: This is a really unique beer and another extraordinary ale from Westbrook

Serving type: on-tap

03-05-2012 01:26:49 | More by brentk56

raveskdr

District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From notes. Brought by me to tasting, got in a trade from NinjaRammus (Reddit). Thanks, homie. We put this next to Hunahpu (2011).

A - Nice opaque black with a slightly darker than tan head. Head lingers and lingers.

S - It's...fine. I was really hoping of a blast of vanilla cinnamon chili goodness. Mostly chocolate with some spice. I was expecting more.

T - Very, very nice. The majority of the flavor comes from the chocolate and chili. Great chili flavor, in fact. A bit of vanilla to compliment those flavors. They all mix very well. Would have been better if the vanilla could have stood out more.

M - This drinks great. It has the perfect amount of heat, and is right in the ballpark of how an imperial stout should feel on the tongue. The flavors linger.

O - A really solid beer. Really glad I got to have this once. It may not have been fair to put it up against rHunahpu, which I absolutely love. But it did stand out in a few areas.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 18:05:44 | More by raveskdr

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.28/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to Chris for sharing this one.

Pours a dark black with a nice tan head and pretty solid lacing. Smell is pretty interesting, an interesting combo of chocolate, roast and chilis. Taste is really impressive, the chilis and the roast of the stout come together quite nicely, very chocolatey and tasty. Mouthfeel is full bodied with nice carbonatiom. Overall this is a great beer, but drinking it next to Hunahpu's it just isn't quite on the same level. A well done beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 03:21:40 | More by starrdogg

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Black pour with a creamy thick mocha head. Fucking stellar appearance.

Sweet decadent malt aroma. Chile peppers and dark chocolate. Some type of mustyness like an english yeast.

Decadent flavor profile. Licorice comes up first then the peppers. Sweet rich milk chocolate and sweet malt. This is like a sweet non ashy/tar version of hunahpu's. The chile heat comes out more as it warms. Thick-ish mouthfeel. Really nice beer. I would like to see some -bals in this.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 20:06:33 | More by BearsOnAcid

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.7/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle from The Greenville Beer Exchange (Greenville, SC). $11.99. Bottled 1/25/12. Served in my trusty $2 snifter.

Pours midnight black with about 1 finger cappucino head that recedes quickly. Small spots of lacing left intermittently. A nice looking stout. 

Smells awesome. Chocolate, roasty malts, woodsy vanilla and peppers. They all come to the front. I kept going back to enjoy the ever changing array of aromas. 

Outstanding complex flavor. Dark bittersweet chocolate leads and remains throughout. Burnt malts, dark fruits, vanilla and wood follow- all playing major roles with that ever present chocolate. Very slight chilli burn towards the finish. Like most imperial stouts, things get so much better as it warms. All those intense flavors completely cover the 10.5% abv. 

Nice creamy thick feel. The light carbonation works very well for the style. The tiny bubbles really help the tastes tingle on the tongue. 

Wow! I should have bought alot more of this. A very well crafted and complex stout that goes down easily. This is my first experience with Westbrook Brewing- I'll have to keep an eye on them to see what their future brings. If you like big stouts, this one is worth a try. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this developes over the next 12-18 months. 

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 05:25:55 | More by ThickNStout

shivtim

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Very happy to see this on tap at "Closed for Business" in Charleston.

This is a thick black beer. Very opaque. Small deep tan head. Looks malevolent.

Nose is cinnamon and roasty malts and chocolate. Very slight booze.

Taste is complex and fantastic. Strong cocoa nibs and vanilla beans. Deep toasted malts. The jalepeno comes in slightly on the end - not too much, just a nice subtle hint of lingering spice. Masterfully done and a welcome change from some chili beers that whap you in the face with astringent spice.

Very good mouthfeel, this is a stout and shows it.

Overall a great beer. Strong but well-woven flavors. I had not previously heard of this brewery, but would love to try more stuff from them.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2012 21:28:15 | More by shivtim

kkipple

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Having had a few Mexican Cakes on draft (At World of Beer in Columbia) I figured I'd check in and update my score a bit.

Fresh draft put into a smallish goblet.

The draft version of Mexican Cake seems to differ in the following ways from my previous review:

A. Longer head retention, and more of it. Some active carbonation. A fine deep red / tan head atop a nearly jet black beer.

S / T. The carbonation level in the beer is vastly improved over the bottle I had, which makes the aroma a little more lively and the taste a great deal less cloyingly sweet. The beer does seem less sweet on draft, and several people at my table who have tried both bottle and draft agreed. The heat and spice balance seems exactly the same.

M. Improved, and is fuller, more lively and less deadening with the benefits that the C02 brings.

Score adjusted accordingly. Quite enjoyable this go around. Go find you some.

Serving type: on-tap

02-08-2012 16:37:58 | More by kkipple

avalon07

South Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a black color and a thick, impenetrable consistency. There was a big, tan-colored, long-lasting head. Excellent lacing. A great-looking stout.

S: A sharp aroma, with spices, chocolate and peppers coming through.

T: Tasted of malt, chocolate, some cinnamon, a little coffee, a burnt quality, and chili peppers in the finish. This final ingredient will probably polarize a lot of people who drink this beer, but I think it somehow works. A complex and interesting flavor.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a slick finish. Full-bodied.

O: Not your typical stout, that's for sure, but bold, unusual and certainly worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 13:47:55 | More by avalon07

Bung

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a 32oz growler filled at Charlston Beer Exchange.
Thick black pour with brown around the edges. Just a small ring and a few bubbles of Darker tan.

Aroma, I get a lot of camelly malt, vanilla and molasses. There is some spice like cinnamon, light pepper. A small amount of alcohol presence as well. In all I thought this was a tad subdued.

Taste, It's pretty sweet up front, vanilla and molasses. Chocolate, dark choc, cocoa, gets dryer as you go. The pepper just barely peeks through in the roast at the end. There are a lot of nice flavors that peek through and work well together.
This is probably a 4.25, but the potential is there so I'll give it the nudge.

Body is to the right of medium, pretty think and coating. Enough carbonation, maybe could use a tinge more, a nice fine carbonation could add some creaminess, but the dry leaning finish helps with the sweetness as well. Drinks very very easy to the point where you might question that abv.

Was ready to give 4.5s and the such, but just not quite there yet. It is very good however, as most of the Westbrook brews I've had are. At the creative end of the spectrum and I'm just not quite sure what to think of these Hunaphu type brews. Have 2 bottles as well, we'll see what happens...
This definetely isn't going to be a beer everyone thinks is world class, yet.

Serving type: growler

02-08-2012 03:41:57 | More by Bung

rjknyy

Georgia

4.68/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 32oz growler courtesy of Growlers in Hilton Head, SC.

Appearance is as you would expect from an imperial stout, very dark and thick with about an inch of tan head, a beautiful thing.

Smell is very nice as you get a little bit of the pepper, cocoa and vanilla. I am not really picking up any of the cinnamon but I am getting a good bit of alcohol.

Taste is out of this world, fantastic! I was worried when I smelled the alcohol but it really is undetectable in this upon drinking. You get tons of cocoa and vanilla with just the smallest hit of the cinnamon and pepper. Everything balances out so well, that it is very easy to drink.

The mouthfeel is velvety smooth and has the perfect amount of carbonation. It goes down too easy.

After drinking this beer I am sad that I didn't pick up any of the 22oz bottles that were for sale. What a great beer, I really hope this makes in to the regular rotation for Westbrook or at least comes out every year for their anniversary.

Serving type: growler

02-05-2012 22:20:58 | More by rjknyy