Winter Grind Coffee Stout - Mother's Brewing Company

TheCondor

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I have been looking at Mother's Brewing products for a while, wondering if they are legit. I have seen them in a lot of stores, just have not really ever tried them on for size. This is my first Mother's experiment, kind of excited. Had no idea they were in Springfield, MO, which is n't too far from here. May be a day trip one day to go check out the goods. Anyway, side poured from the bottle into a Boulevard snifter.

Appearance - Black as coffee, true to name, with a small head that quickly evaporates, but this is usually the case with stouts. A small amount of lacing present. Love the packaging on all Mother's products.

Smell - Coffee dominates the nose from front to back. In fact, I have a hard time picking anything else out of the nose but the overwhelming coffee smell. Not that it is a bad thing, because although I hate the taste of coffee, I love the smell. I just wish it could be more balanced, so I knocked it a little here.

Taste - Again, coffee! Again, not that it is entirely a bad thing either! Coming from a guy who doesn't like coffee, this brew is done good enough where I actually really enjoy the taste. A small sidenote of chocolate and roasted malts can be vaguely detected, but mostly it is coffee.

Mouthfeel - I would like to see them make this stout a little less carbonated and watery. Bulk up the consistency some, make it creamier and thicker. Man this would be a formidable stout then. Medium carbonation, kind of light bodied for the style.

Overall - I would certainly recommend this beer, and will absolutely try it again. I could see this beer being a hit at parties, as it would be an excellent accompaniment to chocolate, tiramisu, or other dishes. They also suggested on the bottle to try it with vanilla bean ice cream for a Mother's float. Nice. I may have to give that a shot. Try this beer, especially if you like coffee, I think you will enjoy it!

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2012 04:13:39 | More by TheCondor

Vonerichs

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Dark brown, bordering black color with a finger of tan head.

Heavy coffee aroma and an off scent of hot wax.

Coffee flavor with not much depth. The finish is wet cardboard.

It's a small stout. Mouthfeel is thin for the style and some more body could have supported the big coffee flavor better.

Overall, it was a ok beer. It had good coffee flavor but no complexity to it and it drank light.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 02:00:47 | More by Vonerichs

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +4.2%

05-23-2013 13:57:35 | More by BigBry

jklecko2

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

05-22-2013 15:43:01 | More by jklecko2

drgonzo2k2

California

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%

05-19-2013 14:19:00 | More by drgonzo2k2

elvish

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

05-10-2013 21:54:51 | More by elvish

J_Dub

Texas

5/5  rDev +30.2%

04-23-2013 14:49:02 | More by J_Dub

duff247

Texas

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

02-25-2013 00:31:14 | More by duff247

Punisher

Missouri

3/5  rDev -21.9%

02-23-2013 21:36:16 | More by Punisher

irongator

Kansas

3.25/5  rDev -15.4%

02-22-2013 14:30:50 | More by irongator

Stevedore

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

(Note: personal scoring system is in whole numbers only)

12oz bottle given as extra by powz87, no bottling date, poured into Bells tulip and quaffed today, 2/21/2013

Aroma: Full of brewed black coffee. As a coffee drinker who likes my drip coffee as black as my soul, this is a welcome nose. However for the style, the coffee completely overwhelms any roast barley flavour you'd find in any stout. You do get hints of burnt sugar and barley malt but the coffee arises above all. It may just be me, but I've come to expect a little more stouty malt presence in coffee stouts. (3)

Colour: Looks jet black, becomes dark cola-coloured when illuminated. An appealing looking stout. Pours with a fluffy 3cm light brown head that dissipates within a minute. Lacing is decent. I call it above-average. (4)

Flavour: This brew's best suit. Coffee blast before, during and after. But unlike the nose, its somewhat balanced by a nice roast barley presence of burnt sugar, coffee and cocoa, which wins out in the end. And this is what makes it enjoyable. Its not particularly complex as its still dominated by the coffee but for the coffee stout style, it's quite good. (4)

Mouthfeel: Thinner medium body as expected for a stout, very good carbonation that leaves it fizzing on the tip of the tongue. It's on the dry side with the aftertaste being full of coffee and the roast barley flavours, which lingers for some time after each swallow. Pretty straightforward coffee stout. (3)

Overall: This is what it is- a nice coffee stout that's strong on the coffee. For a coffee drinker like me, I really like it. I am consciously forcing myself not to compare it to FBS or BCBCS or other imperial stouts with coffee in order to make this review a fair one. For the style, it beats out quite a few of the other coffee stouts I've had including New Glarus' coffee stout offering, but it doesn't make it to a 5 overall. (4)

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 03:14:14 | More by Stevedore

WhiskeeTango

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

02-15-2013 18:54:58 | More by WhiskeeTango

kenmyers70

Texas

3/5  rDev -21.9%

02-12-2013 04:19:10 | More by kenmyers70

pooogy

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

02-09-2013 21:16:12 | More by pooogy

JuniperJesus

Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.2%

01-26-2013 05:07:42 | More by JuniperJesus

Zoogaloo

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

01-07-2013 03:42:16 | More by Zoogaloo

BedetheVenerable

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12oz brown pop top; simple, but nice label. Brewed w/cold-pressed espresso from a local coffee vendor. Into my Pumking globe.

Appearance: Very dark brown, almost black, with deep ruby highlights if held up to a bright light. Nice, light-tan cap with decent retention.

Smell: I think I remember seeing on their website something like 'more coffee than stout' or something like that in describing this beer, and from the aromas, that's certainly true. RICH, vibrant, freshly-brewed coffee with notes of chocolate as well. That's all that's here, folks, but it's quite pleasant.

Taste: Rich, medium-roasted coffee and chocolate notes, with the slightest astringency and a whisp of dry grain on the finish. Just like in the aromas, coffee is front and center here. No real hop notes, very little malt presence; this is a coffee-lover's dream in beer form.

Mouthfeel: Begins very creamy (notes suggest that this might be brewed with oats) but ends just a bit lighter than I'd like. Still, not bad for a 6% brew.

Overall: My score here might be a bit harsh, because there's not a lot of DEPTH here (though this is true of many coffee beers). However, for coffee lovers and coffee-beer lovers, this is an excellent brew: hands-down, one of the best I've had (alongside fresh Redband and Schlafly Coffee Stout). Heck, this gives FBS a decent run for its money, and at around $8.99 a sixer, it's cheaper too. If you like coffee beers, this is well worth the search!

Overall: 88 = B+

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 04:43:39 | More by BedetheVenerable

Ed_Johnson

4.83/5  rDev +25.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a dark brown with an off-white head that filled up the rest of the glass to the brim. The airy head took forever to fade into a thick film leaving chunks of lace down the glass.

S: Tons of coffee on the nose mixed in with a few notes of malt; but almost all coffee. It smells like a french press of freshly ground coffee.

T: Coffee and more coffee. Not much else here, except that it is coffee with no acid and coffee with no astringency. Tastes like great coffee smells.

M: Medium to light body, for a stout, drying mouth feel with a touch of sweetness, and soft, even, carbonation.

O: A coffee lover's dream. Cannot wait to pair it with a sweet dessert.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 22:54:30 | More by Ed_Johnson

Blind

Missouri

4/5  rDev +4.2%

12-31-2012 01:01:44 | More by Blind

Flyman

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

12-18-2012 00:25:38 | More by Flyman

pixieskid

France

4.35/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Have had several mothers beers, by far the best offering I have had. This one deserves a bit higher of an overall score in my opinion. If you like coffee in your stouts, this one is definitely worth picking up if you have the chance.

Delicious stout full of delightful coffee notes. From the roastiness to the espresso bitterness; just amazing in terms of coffee flavors. Additionally, solid milk chocolate notes with a rounded roastiness and med body; nice creamy mouthfeel as well.

Overall; for a mid-level abv stout with coffee added, this thing is killer. Highly recommend if you like coffee notes in your beer...

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 23:45:35 | More by pixieskid

rudy0908

Missouri

2.75/5  rDev -28.4%

12-15-2012 04:05:40 | More by rudy0908

Whiskeydeez

Kansas

3/5  rDev -21.9%

12-06-2012 20:57:53 | More by Whiskeydeez

e911mann

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

12-04-2012 00:22:42 | More by e911mann

Kahlerbock

Kansas

4/5  rDev +4.2%

12-02-2012 21:49:59 | More by Kahlerbock