Merry Mischief Gingerbread Stout - Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours proper stouty black, with a nice big tan head on it. The bubbles are tight and creamy, but the body is pitch black and opaque, but looked relatively clear as it went into the glass. The lacing on my glass is really quite droopy and thin, leaving little dots across the glass. On the nose, the beer smells sweet and spicy with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and a touch of ginger, which really isn’t surprising seeing as how those are the spices that were used in the beer. The cinnamon is the strongest in smell as far as the spices go, but below the spices sits a strong helping of roasted malts and a touch of black coffee, which is really quite inviting. Hot alcohol is also present and accentuated with the spices, though that isn’t really a bad thing. The slurry of all of these smells helps to suggest slight dark fruit notes in the beer, as well. The beer tastes terrifically bizarre and spicy. The beer begins with roast mingling with dark raisin notes, these flavors continue (especially the roast) but the rest of the beer opens into ginger bread hints that quickly build and climax in the middle of the taste, before petering out into a stale cinnamon flavor. The aftertaste is of watered down spices, and comes far too quickly, making me wish the gingerbread flavors would stay for awhile. On the mouthfeel, the beer is creamy and smooth. The body is medium, with hints of being both lighter and thicker, and after the beer passes, the mouth is left slightly dry with pooling spittle just barely ebbing over the tongue. Overall this is a great holiday beer with a nice gimmicky flavor. I do wish the gingerbread flavor would stick around longer, but I get the feeling that would be very difficult to brew in a balanced way. A solid holiday brew from Sam Adams, and definitely worthy of a taste, or a Christmas tasting.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 01:32:46 | More by Maxwell

drgonzo2k2

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

05-19-2013 14:21:23 | More by drgonzo2k2

LeahM

New York

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

05-19-2013 03:25:16 | More by LeahM

Matt73

New York

3.25/5  rDev -11.4%

05-15-2013 18:03:53 | More by Matt73

Zimm

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +9%

05-15-2013 17:31:06 | More by Zimm

erialbill

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

05-15-2013 12:54:08 | More by erialbill

russwilliam

New York

2.75/5  rDev -25.1%

05-15-2013 03:16:20 | More by russwilliam

Nolen12

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +15.8%

05-14-2013 19:13:12 | More by Nolen12

amcaleh

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

05-12-2013 16:31:41 | More by amcaleh

marshmeli

New York

2.5/5  rDev -31.9%

05-10-2013 20:57:26 | More by marshmeli

rph97

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

05-09-2013 23:11:07 | More by rph97

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -25.1%

05-09-2013 02:23:44 | More by tommyguz

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

22 ounce bottle, part of the Sam Adams Christmas Pack, thanks for sharing M and B.

Pours very dark brown body, almost black, with a thick, tan head. Foam lasted nicely, leaving some lace ribbons down the side of the glass.
Smell has a nice opening shot of gingerbread, and other spices. Roasted, dark malts with some sweetness, nice Christmas spiciness.
Taste is one of a classic sweet stout to start. Solid, toasted malt base, the come the extra flavors of gingerbread, dark chocolate or cocoa, molasses.
Medium bodied mouthfeel, low to medium carbonation, smooth and creamy.
A unique spice blend, gingerbread definatley comes through. Might be a bit too much if one were to consume the entire bottle - but works great to share.
A nice suprise, glad to have found this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 18:30:31 | More by BigBry

McBraniel

Virginia

2.75/5  rDev -25.1%

05-02-2013 03:42:46 | More by McBraniel

FullObs

Illinois

1.5/5  rDev -59.1%

04-30-2013 15:22:48 | More by FullObs

FliryVorru

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

04-29-2013 17:48:49 | More by FliryVorru

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +9%

04-28-2013 23:53:15 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

videofrog

Texas

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

04-26-2013 02:27:23 | More by videofrog

ronbo5421

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

04-23-2013 02:23:42 | More by ronbo5421

irish01980

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +9%

04-18-2013 17:11:19 | More by irish01980

pagardner

Virginia

4/5  rDev +9%

03-31-2013 01:04:45 | More by pagardner

MadScientist

New York

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

03-27-2013 03:27:23 | More by MadScientist

EricReynolds

West Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

03-26-2013 04:54:17 | More by EricReynolds

HeyJim

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -18.3%

03-24-2013 01:35:58 | More by HeyJim

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.61/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Tar black pour is thick and viscose from the bottle, the head is thick like whip cream, with a bronze-walnut coloring that sticks around for what seems like forever stubbonly refusing to budge. Moderate visible carbonation rises lazily while the lacing is strong.

S: Nose of cinnamon, nutmeg, and of course strong indications of ginger, Spicy, sweet buttered caramel toast.

T: Flavor was sweet upfront, spicy of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg turning to a rich, dark, and sweetly roasted nature with some flashes of burnt toffee. Bready, vanilla, with some lightly dry milk chocolate and cookie dough. Finishes with a light dry flaked chocolate flair. The spicy hops of EKG & fuggels compliment the spices.

M: Mouthful is silky smooth, medium bodied, lighty dry on the tongue, spicy with a good vibe of carbonation.

O: Overall this is a spicy, holiday, chocolate dessert style beer. The ginger comes on strong at times, though is managebale perhaps in servings smaller then original packaging (bomber). The malting was nice here, deep and rich, Reserved for small sampling size and perhaps as a after dinner dessert beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 13:02:26 | More by beerthulhu