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

rangerred

Tennessee

4.36/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter out of a 22oz bomber.

Pours pitch black with a fairly thick one finger dark tan head. While head retention isn't especially outstanding, the lacing is. This is really a nice looking beer.

Gingerbread is huge in the aroma along with a healthy dose of clove. Really no subtleties here. Some cinnamon and allspice but I really have to try hard to pick out any stout characteristics. Almost no roast, coffee, or chocolate. A little too spice heavy.

On the taste, there is a little more going on. Still extremely heavy on the spices with ginger, nutmeg and allspice dominating. Peel that back, however, and you have some vanilla and cinnamon notes along with some hints of baked bread, molasses, and brown sugar. I honestly tastes like taking a bite of a gingerbread man. You really need to let the beer warm up a little for the flavors to make a big impact. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy but the sweetness remains dialed back enough to make this fairly drinkable.

I have to say I had my doubts at first but Samuel Adams has really pulled off a good one. This beer is so gingerbread like it is scary. Like someone put a pulverized gingerbread man into a stout. I really wish I would've tried this earlier so I could have picked up another bottle to age.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2013 01:28:52 | More by rangerred

martinproulx15

Maryland

4.75/5  rDev +29.1%

06-15-2013 02:55:01 | More by martinproulx15

LuisCaraballo

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -11.7%

06-08-2013 00:02:30 | More by LuisCaraballo

TriageStat

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%

06-02-2013 22:16:16 | More by TriageStat

TheDoak

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +15.5%

05-27-2013 23:53:13 | More by TheDoak

tzieser

Arizona

4.25/5  rDev +15.5%

05-27-2013 07:36:21 | More by tzieser

shockrocker65

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +22.3%

05-26-2013 23:55:12 | More by shockrocker65

Spaz7

California

4.25/5  rDev +15.5%

05-24-2013 21:46:11 | More by Spaz7

Falcon91Wolvrn03

California

4.08/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance – Pours a pitch black color with a chocolate colored thick head and good lacing.

Smell – A powerful sweet gingerbread scent. The gingerbread smell is so strong, I can’t smell anything else. I really like it!

Taste – A so-so semisweet chocolate, malt, a hint of coffee, and gingerbread cookie. The gingerbread isn’t nearly as pronounced in the taste as it is in the smell, but it’s there.

Mouthfeel – Good carbonation, medium body, slightly creamy, and if you burp you’ll feel the ginger. ;-)

Drinkability – I found this beer very drinkable, especially for a 9%abv. I wished the sweet gingerbread was slightly more pronounced in the taste, but a good beer nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 04:12:08 | More by Falcon91Wolvrn03

drgonzo2k2

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.9%

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

LeahM

New York

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%

05-19-2013 03:25:16 | More by LeahM

Matt73

New York

3.25/5  rDev -11.7%

05-15-2013 18:03:53 | More by Matt73

Zimm

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +8.7%

05-15-2013 17:31:06 | More by Zimm

erialbill

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%

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

russwilliam

New York

2.75/5  rDev -25.3%

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

Nolen12

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +15.5%

05-14-2013 19:13:12 | More by Nolen12

amcaleh

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -4.9%

05-12-2013 16:31:41 | More by amcaleh

marshmeli

New York

2.5/5  rDev -32.1%

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

rph97

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -4.9%

05-09-2013 23:11:07 | More by rph97

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -25.3%

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

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
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 -25.3%

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

FullObs

Illinois

1.5/5  rDev -59.2%

04-30-2013 15:22:48 | More by FullObs

FliryVorru

Alabama

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%

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

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +8.7%

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