Mephistopheles' Stout - Avery Brewing Company

UCLABrewN84

California

3.65/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Retsinis for sharing this one at mrbubbler's "end of the world" tasting.

Bottled 11/2012. Batch 8.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a foamy 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 roasted malt, cocoa, dark fruits, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with quite an alcohol kick on the finish. There is a mild roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but it's very boozy and needs time to settle down.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 03:17:36 | More by UCLABrewN84

Kevin73

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I think this beer gets high marks because of its high ABV. But in truth there are better stouts out there. Pours a typical opaque dark rustic brown with tan head that disappears quickly with very little lacing. Dark chocolate, grape and curry... seriously that's what I smell... permeate the nose and do not entirely play well together. The rest is okay but not world class. Taste begins with a satisfying rush of intensity from the alcohol. Fortunately I didn't taste the awkward spices that I could very clearly smell. The flavor blended quickly into mocha, grilled fruit, and very light but noticeable hops bitterness on the end. The mouthfeel was good. Nice, thick. This is a beer you can really chew on. In the end most of my complaining is wiped away by the fact that this in in fact a fairly well balanced stout. Not going to deny it, the taste is actually pretty good, but just not as good as some others, granted with far lower ABVs. You can tell on I'm kind of on the fence about this. I apologize for the wavering review. Bottom line, it's worth try, if the pocketbook can afford it ($9 a 12oz bottle at my store, eee-ouch).

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 03:58:43 | More by Kevin73

Dope

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've had this before but I wanted to review a fresh batch. This bottle fits the bill, batch 8 - November 2012.

A: Pours midnight black with a big and dense very dark brown head. Almost matches the beer for a few moments. Fades very very slowly but oddly enough seems to lack any real lacing to stick to the glass. Just little tendrils here and there. Awesome head retention, however. One of the darkest heads I've seen on any beer.

S: Big, big, big, HUGE roasted malt notes. Loads of milk chocolate primarily with a bit of char. Quite sweet and creamy but oddly enough not super boozy. Not unlike sniffing alcoholic brownie batter. Wonderful aroma.

T: Again, huge roasted malt. Wonderfully sweet and creamy chocolate up front with a bit of char, carries into the middle nicely with some caramel sweetness too. Sweetness starts to fade in the middle leaving a bitter baker's chocolate and a more acrid (but subdued) char along with a strong earthiness. Long lingering baker's chocolate in the aftertaste with that earthiness carrying along with it. Fairly sharp and boozy but no where near what I would expect for a fresh 16.2% beer. It tastes about as strong as a Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (10%)

M: Heavy, thick, viscous.

O: Wonderful huge IS. I really thought this would be a booze bomb being so fresh but man it surprised me. Huge chocolate and roasted malt aspect is really at the forefront of this one. Well-hidden alcohol despite the huge ABV. Can't wait to break out an aged version, I bet it's divine (or demonic, perhaps)

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 06:32:05 | More by Dope

acelin

Kansas

4.08/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2008,2010, and 2012 Vintages, poured from bottles during a vertical beer tasting. Epic!

Appearance: Tar black, with a brown head that dissipates minimally but leaves huge lacing. Giant lacing. Lack of bubbles present in older vintages.

Smell: Soy sauce, alcohol, dark chocolate, faint smell of burnt coffee. The hops disappear entirely within a few years.

Taste:

2008: Flat, with soy, dark chocolate, burnt barley, dark rye bread, burnt sugar, very sweet.

2010: Less flat, less soy sauce, more chocolate and dark roasted barley. Faint hops.

2012: Good carbonation, less boozy, minimal soy sauce, roasted barley, burnt sugar, fugel hops.

Mouthfeel changed from very flat and syrupy and medicinal to far more carbonated, with more spicy booze flavor in newer years.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 00:29:28 | More by acelin

Brandywine

Washington

3.95/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 Vintage

Appearance: 2 and a half fingers of a mocha head with tight bubbles. Pitch black. No light around the rim. Tons and tons of lacing.

Smell: Chocolate, coffee and cane sugar. Some roasted notes as well.

Taste: Bakers chocolate, rich coffee with cream. There's a little oakiness and some roasted quality but the rich cocoa and coffee really come through. The alcohol is noticeable but not unpleasant. Starts sweet and finishes with some bitterness. There's a subtle but non-descript dark fruit quality.

Mouthfeel: On the light side of full. Not as a thick as I would have thought. Good amount of carbonation.

Overall: This was a pleasant surprise. It's well balanced between the rich and sweet and the high ABV. Going to grab a few bottles to age.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 04:28:46 | More by Brandywine

BlackBelt5112203

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass at cellar temperature.

L – Jet black color with a 2-finger tan head. Not much retention or lacing, but that doesn’t surprise me with a beer of this magnitude.

S – Chocolate, coffee, plenty of dark fruits like plums and figs, molasses, and definitely some alcohol.

T – Follows the nose nearly exactly. Starts off sweet with chocolate, vanilla, lots of dark fruits, and molasses. Roasted coffee bitterness shows up at the finish and pairs well with the slight astringency of the alcohol.

F – Full-bodied with good carbonation for the style, a creamy and velvety mouthfeel, and a slightly bitter roasty finish. Sweet dark fruit flavors linger nicely and mesh well with the heat from the alcohol. Really nice mouthfeel and the perfect amount of heat for a very high-ABV beer.

O – This is a really nice sipper of a stout. I was pleasantly surprised at how drinkable this was given the ABV. It seems like Avery has made a career doing this kind of thing. As long as they keep making them, I’ll keep getting them.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 01:03:49 | More by BlackBelt5112203

purdueflyguy

Colorado

3.83/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Batch 5 2009 picked up last week at a liquor store couldn't believe they had it.

Appearance pours near motor oil black very little head dissipated quickly just a few bubbles around the edges of the glass.

Smell booze a little sweet vanilla slight coffee and dark chocolate.

Taste sweet dark chocolate and coffee. Finishing to a dry coffee. A little oxidation I'm guessing because it sat on a shelf at a liquor store for 3 years and got a lot of light I dunno. But still very good.

Mouthfeel silky smooth yet warming pleasure.

A very good beer but probably could have benefitted from proper cellaring.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 02:13:38 | More by purdueflyguy

davey101

Connecticut

3.28/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Batch 3, November 2007, 16.00% abv. Foil topped 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

A - Pours a black that allows some light to shine through the edges exposing a dark brown/red body. Thin edging of light mocha foam. Swirling creates insane alcohol legs that stick around forever and stain the glass dark yellow. Lacing is minimal and retention nonexistent.

S - Starts off with super bitter and over roasted coffee beans. Its like getting pelted with a cup of a gas stations attempt at an espresso. After that nasal assault there is some sweet vanilla, charcoal, soy sauce, and red wine notes. Seemingly all over the place and just confusing. I feel like there is so much happening in here, but I don't have the will power to find it all. Alcohol finally burns the nose on the finish. Not great.

T - An improvement. Coffee and milk chocolate lead into acridic red wine and vanilla. A touch of savory soy and cigarette ash rounds it out. Alcohol is warming but not super noticeable. Mouth feel is thin to medium with plent of carbonation still kicking around.

O - The aroma was pretty offensive but the taste was actually pretty nice for a 5 year old 16% monster of a stout. Worth the try for sure.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 04:36:27 | More by davey101

kilik693

4.93/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I bought a bottle of the November 2008 batch 5 in fall 2011. I aged it for a year and tried it in November 2012. I drank it out of a standard pint glass (unfortunately).

It poured a beautiful coffee color on the side of the glass, collecting into an absolutely black liquid in the glass. The head was remarkably small, a few shades lighter than a caramel color. It dissipated quickly and didn't leave much lacing.

It smelled of roasted hops and a hint of molasses.

It tasted fairly heavily of chocolate, roasted coffee and a light hint of hops. It was absolutely delicious.

It ages extremely well, and the aging mellows out the flavors quite nicely.

If you ever get a chance to pick up one of these I would recommend it whole heartedly. This is the type of beer that you only get to try a few times. I picked up one of two bottles they got into my local liquor store, and I will guarantee that if I get the chance I will be picking another one up.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 21:17:35 | More by kilik693

Danny1217

Florida

4.58/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2010 batch, been sitting in the store for two years. Poured into a CCB snifter glass
A completely opaque black color. A small tan head that dissipates and leaves a small layer on top of the beer. Some nice lacing.
Dark chocolate, some dark dried fruits, coffee. A nice roasty scent, almost burnt. A bit of sweet molasses.
Some incredibly powerful flavors. Dark chocolate, espresso, licorice, dark fruit, molasses, and a hint of alcohol on the finish, but surprisingly not overpowering. Extremely thick and heavy in the mouth and light carbonation. The texture is almost syrupy, but manages to be quite smooth still.

I haven't had this fresh, but I would be interested in seeing what it's like, because what I got here is surprisingly smooth and mellow for such a monster of a beer. This is delicious.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 04:04:00 | More by Danny1217

AgentMunky

California

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a St. Bernardus goblet. Bottled November 2008. Batch 4. O.G. 1.133. ABV 15.92%.

A: Opaque red-dark with a touch of mocha head.

S: Boozy as hell. The nose alone is intoxicating, and goes straight to your head. Astringent enough that nothing else survives.

T: Fantastic! The strength doesn't show on the maintaste. There is a touch of dryish and bitter malt, roasted, I'm sure. "Bittersweet rapture," indeed. Big fruit, sweet sugars, and a swirl of other flavors. The aftertaste is dauntingly strong (I considered adding a splash of water, a la whisk{e}y) and lingering (chocolate, berry, and booze).

M: Uninspiring, though competent.

O: Overall, excellent. The past four years have done it proud. Recommended and superlative. Would have again and again...and again...which is a dangerous recommendation, I suppose. Delectable.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 08:11:02 | More by AgentMunky

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle from batch no# 5 2009

A/ pours a nice black with Hal a finger if dark chocolaty head, nice retention, slowly dissapates To a film, small amounts of spotty lacing.

S: right of the bat I get loads I chocolate with a hint of dark fruits, rasins and prunes.... More chocolaty then anything though... Then as the brew warms I start getting a charred smokiness and some wood like character. You can deffinatly smell a bi of heat coming of it from the alcohol, but from what i remember from when it was originaly released, it seems to have mellowed of considerably.

T: much like the nose, lists of chocolate with a him if dark fruit, I feel like the charred character from the Jose deffinatly steps it up a notch from the aroma, giving a charcole note, which I'm not all to found of, not as sweet as I expected for the abv.

M: heavy mouthfeel with low carbonation, Deffintky a sipper, booze kicks in on the end particuarly as this beer warms....

O: not a bad beer, bit far from my favorite. It pushes the abv limit for sure, but it just isn't all that great flavor wise IMO. It has calmed down nicley from three years ago when I First tried it, but I'm still not a huge fan.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2012 04:19:22 | More by PeterIngemi

chanokokoro

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Fairly aggressively poured from a 12 oz. bottle dated November 2011, Batch #7 into an Avery Brewing Company branded snifter

Pours a abyss-like deep black with a three finger dark beige to brown head. Good retention that leaves a fair amount of lacing as it recedes. Deep dark chocolate, black cherry, some roasted malt, and alcohol on the nose. Opens with deep mixed dark fruit, joined by roasted grain, charred chocolate biscuits, booziness and phenol alcohol. Finishes with rich notes of bakers chocolate and a touch of hop bitterness and notes of roasted chocolate malt. Full bodied, low to moderate carbonation smooth, with a hint of syrup. One of the ultimate high abv American Imperial/Double Stout sippers that cellars incredibly well.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2012 04:40:47 | More by chanokokoro

AdamHart22

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the fridge into a tulip glass. The first 1/2 was cold, but the second had been out for about 30 minutes at room temperature before poured.

A - Black hole. You don't get a head unless you hard pour it, which results in a thin, brown cap. negative on the lacing.

S - Lots of chocolate and molasses.

T - Huge. All kinds of flavors at once. Honestly its over the top. Lots of chocolate, coffee, and molasses at the end. So much going on that it gets muddled.

M - Coats your mouth in that syrupy imperial stout goodness. Begs to be sipped.. it took me slightly over an hour to drink the 12oz single.

O - Glad that I tried it, but I won't be rushing back for it again. There are other imperial stouts, notably DF World Wide Stout, that are at a similar price point and taste better.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2012 15:04:14 | More by AdamHart22

haazer

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottled Dec 2010, batch # 6.

A- Hard pour produces a big gray, brown head. But it bubbles and fizzes down rather quickly. No lacing, and no cap. The brew is motor oil black.

S- Heavy smells of sweet chocolate, dark fruits, a bit of booze too. Some heavy roast, coffee, and a little smoke. There's an underlying vanilla, and some phenolic character from the booze.

T- Initial tastes of dark fruits. Plum, black cherry, and then heavy chocolate. Chocolate covered fruits. A bit of coffee. Insane warming from the alcohol. Borders on overbearing but makes it out. almost like a liquor.

M- Medium bodied stout. Low carbed. A definite sipper by the alc content.

O- Feels more like a cordial then a beer really. It's not as extreme as black magic, but one is drinkable. Nothing to seek out but worth having.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 02:40:50 | More by haazer

Kopfschuss

Oregon

2.98/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle dated December 2009 (Batch 5) 16.83% from Whole Foods served in Westmalle chalice.

Appearance (4.5): Pours a thick black body with garnet highlights around the rim of the glass. Tan head minimal (expected) and dissipates quickly.

Smell (4.5): My Favorite quality of the beer. Dark chocolate, molasses, soy sauce, licorice, grain, and booze. Incredible!

Taste (2.0): Not as pronounced as it hits the tongue. Light flavors of chocolate, coffee and other flavors I cannot pin-point. After a half a second, huge flavors push through, intensified by the large warming presence of alcohol. Primarily soy sauce and black licorice, mellowing into more undertones of chocolate, coffee, grain, and subtle dark fruits.

Mouthfeel (3.5): Great chewiness here. Not as thick as I would have imagined. The hero here is the alcohol, a sipper for sure.

Overall (3.0): Not sure I would seek this out again. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for something this big.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 02:10:52 | More by Kopfschuss

Durge

Connecticut

4.58/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An opaque black brew with a solid ring of tan bubbles on top but plenty of lacing to follow. The aroma offers deep licorice and intriguing vegetable with lush chocolate overtones and cigar-like complements. Just an awesome and intense symphony of scents! The palate brings more of the same with a licorice liqueur, minty molasses, citrus hop mixed in with thick juniper...delicious. This is big league stuff with a heavy body and viscous feel with light carbonation to add a "tingly" touch. I never even thought about the alcohol level here, it just wasn't an issue when you're busy enjoying the complex beauty of the flavor, but clearly this is a brew to be savored fairly slowly, and a "no doubt about it" WOW!

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 00:30:38 | More by Durge

RickS95

Indiana

3.8/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch #4, bottled in November 2008. So it's been aging.

It's completely black. There are no hints of anything else, unless there is some darker color than black. Light has no chance. The head is thin and fleeting and that's the only thing holding in back from being a 5. It's light brown, but has no retention, and honestly, didn't start with much.

Lots of darkness happening in the nose. Smoke and roasty things, coffee, chocolate, licorice. I like them all, but a bit much on the licorice. Oh, did I mention alcohol. Yeah, it's very present.

Simply too manly for me. I like the dark and stouts and chocolate and coffee and the like, I even like licorice. But the alcohol taste is just too much for me. I don't drink wine or spirits because I don't like such a strong flavor of alcohol. Granted, with 15.92% ABV, it's going to be strong, but this was just too much for me.

Very thick feel. It just coats the tongue with charcoal and syrup. Full bodied, as you can imagine. Syrupy sweet, bitter, and lots of heat from the alcohol. Not sure there were any hops, I can't feel most of my mouth right now.

It's something everyone should try. It's hard to drink and I consider it more of a niche drink than anything. I've had Wide World Stout and had an easier time drinking it than this. All that said, it's not a bad beer, it's actually quite good. Just over the top for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 04:15:15 | More by RickS95

Fitwitchik

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 7

Poured into a half pint glass as this beauty was to be shared.

Thick black motor oil with tan head with a beautiful ivory lace.

Smell of cocoa with sweet maple.

Taste smooth sweetness then distinct bitterness of burnt dark cocoa. Alcohol burn on the back of the throat reminds me happily that I LOVE high gravity brews especially stouts. Paired this with a Smoked NY Sharp Cheddar

Looking forward to laying down my second bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 20:02:01 | More by Fitwitchik

superspak

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12 ounce bottle into snifter, Batch 1 bottled January 2006. Pours a dense pitch black color with a small fairly dens tan head with decent retention, that reduces to a ring of lace as expected. Slight foamy lace on the glass with a ton of alcohol legs. Aromas of intense dark chocolate, burnt malt, roast, toast, raisin, molasses, prune, caramel, toffee, earth, and slight herbal. Very nice and incredibly complex aromas with good intensity; no booziness at all. Taste of huge dark chocolate, raisin, prune, toast, roasted malt, biscuit, molasses, burnt malt, caramel, toffee, earth, light herbal spiciness, and a touch of soy sauce. Minimal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of chocolate, caramel, toffee, molasses, raisin, prune, roast, burnt malt, earth, and light herbal on the finish for a while. Incredible array of flavor complexities shift across the palate during sipping. Very nice balance as well, with absolutely zero cloying sweetness. Low carbonation and very full bodied; with a nice creamy, slick, thick, and lightly oily mouthfeel. Alcohol is incredibly well hidden with pretty much zero warming noticed after the finish surprisingly for 15%. Overall this is an absolutely outstanding and very big Imperial Stout. Huge flavor complexity and balance; and very smooth to sip on for such a high gravity beer. Fantastic stuff, highly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 03:57:06 | More by superspak

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.08/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz, Batch 5 12/09
Hunahpu snifter

A: Pours pitch black. Liquid oil like black. Light to dark tan head that initially was about a finger. Then dissapates into a tan ring around the edges. Really surprised by the head at this ABV, impressive. The alcohol feet are definitely there, as it sheets the glass on the swirl.

S: Smells big. Dark chocolate. Deep dark cocoa. Some espresso notes. Dark fruit: rum soaked raisin, prune, fig, etc. You do pull some booze as well, but I think the age has helped this one.

T: Big beer. Tip of the tongue, dark chocolate bitterness. 85plus % cocoa chocolate. That sticks with for the whole sip. In the middle of the mouth, you get a meshing of the chocolate and espresso with those deep dark fruits that you smelled. I get that prune and fig character, but it's not too much as the chocolate and coffee are the dominate players. On the finish, it's bitter dark chocolate that lingers with you for a LONG time. This one is a sipper. Took a while to finish off the 12oz bottle for sure.

M: Full bodied. Mouth coater

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2012 13:17:16 | More by inlimbo77

cfrances33

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Varga Bar on 8/3/12, served in a snifter. 2011 vintage keg.

Pour: Completely pitch black. I mean midnight. Dang. Finger and a half of khaki head that sticks around.

Smell: Rum soaked raisons, figs, and plums. Some chocolate roastiness. Booze.

Taste: Really deep roasted chocolate malts, with lots of dark fruits. Some chocolate cherry too.

Mouthfeel: So heavy, and quite boozy. Not as boozy and the 2010 bottle I had. Velvety.

Overall: Really, really enjoyed this my second time having. I look forward to seeking this out again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-03-2012 21:50:55 | More by cfrances33

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Batch #5. Bottled December 2009. Poured in to brandy snifter.

A - Poured pitch black with almost no head.

S - A big alcohol presence up front accompanies rich milk chocolate, molasses and roasted malt aromas. Very sweet overall nose.

T - Massive sweetness up front with milk chocolate, molasses and roasted malts and dark caramel. A big alcohol presence helps cut through the massive sweetness. Lighter notes of char and licorice in the background.

M - Medium to full body. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 17:31:24 | More by TheSevenDuffs

snaotheus

Washington

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle split into a pair of snifters

Pours very black with a slight reddish hue, very little head. Smell is very alcoholic, smokey, rich. Coffee.

Taste is sweet and astringent, cherry and plum, coffee and chocolate, smoke and alcohol. Interesting and good.

Mouthfeel is thick, sticky, and heavy. Overall, I like this beer, but I'm glad I split it with someone.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2012 01:17:16 | More by snaotheus

beergod1

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was brewed in 2010, Batch 6. Pours an oily opaque black color with a thick dense dark tan head that reduces to a small continuous cap. Aromas of strong chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, molasses, caramel, and some dark fruits with some light alcohol. Taste of strong chocolate, coffee, and roasted malts with some caramel. An excellent balance of flavors in this. Some alcohol noticed on the finish, but overall very well hidden for 16%. Medium carbonation and full body. Hmmm, and I got this as an extra in a trade...sweet.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 20:14:32 | More by beergod1