El Mariachi - Rye ex Maple Barrel Aged
Aardwolf Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Aardwolf Brewing Company
 
Florida, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
12.5%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.87 | pDev: 2.84%
Reviews:
3
Ratings:
3
Status:
Active
Rated:
May 23, 2021
Added:
Dec 20, 2020
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
Imperial stout with cacao nibs, cinnamon, vanilla beans, and blend of ancho and chipotle peppers aged in rye ex maple barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of MacMalt
Reviewed by MacMalt from New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
I received a bottle from @roguer in the NBS BIF # 13. Poured into an Aardwolf stemless glass. It pours a very dark walnut - nearly black. The creamy, light mocha-colored head dissipated quickly leaving minimal lacing. The smell is maple sugar forward with roasted malt, freshly-brewed coffee, a whiff of cocoa, and noticeable rye whiskey. The taste follows but it's predominately maple and whiskey - the chocolate and coffee are subdued. There is subtle vanilla and a just a hint of pepper and spice at the finish. The flavors are mellow -perhaps because of the age. The mouth feel is a bit thin for such a big stout with low/moderate carbonation, and you can feel the heat of the 12.5% carbonation. Overall, this is a very good Stout. It's mellow and easy drinking and I'm grateful to have had the chance to enjoy it.
May 23, 2021
Photo of Roy_Hobbs
Reviewed by Roy_Hobbs from Connecticut

3.91/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours with a slight reddish tinge then pretty close to jet black once in the glass. No head and just a tiny wafer thin ring around the edge. Aroma is sweet, with plenty of maple complemented by bourbon notes and a tiny bit of prune.

First impression on the tongue was all barrels and smokey flavors, both of which I'm partial to. That said, it's not the most complex beer I've ever tasted. The more I sip, the more I'm picking up of the peppers, but I'm not getting any vanilla. Almost expected a hair more depth to it. Not a big knock on it, as it's still very tasty. The alcohol is fairly well hidden, with the overall feel a bit thin. Good beer that I'll have to be careful not to drink too quickly.
Apr 03, 2021
Photo of Roguer
Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Good head production and retention for the style and ABV.

Nose is fairly tough to pin down, featuring some bourbon and maple, but also a strong estery yeast expression of banana, mostly washing away all of the wonderful additives that make the base beer so good.

The profile is similarly dominated by yeast expression along with the base beer: banana, cola, and chocolate, along with maple from the barrel. The rye adds some boozy heat and just a touch of mash, but it completely lacks in any spicy peppery rye notes that would set it apart. The pepper blend is noticeable only if you know to look for it; they stick out even less than in the base beer, although there is a slightly spicy kick on the back end. Of all the additives, only chocolate stands out on the palate; even the cinnamon takes a back seat, although it is noticeable on the back half. Vanilla is nothing more than complementary.

The sky high ABV isn't particularly noticeable, which is really impressive. Despite the barrel aging, the boozy heat is very restrained overall. An easy sipper.

While this is a tasty beer and a good experience overall, it's perhaps the least impressive El Mariachi blend I've ever had. It lacks the punch of the base beer, which at its best approaches Prairie Bomb! territory, yet also lacks any real punch from the rye whiskey or significant influence from the maple. Perhaps the maple smooths things out too much; perhaps the yeast simply went wild in this batch. Regardless of the reason, it lacks in depth and complexity, for a beer that should have both in spades. It's very good, but it should, by all rights, be excellent - and it's simply not quite there.
Dec 20, 2020
El Mariachi - Rye ex Maple Barrel Aged from Aardwolf Brewing Company
Beer rating: 3.87 out of 5 with 3 ratings