Mokah - Southern Tier Brewing Company

monitorpop

Michigan

2.73/5  rDev -35%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Solid black with a half finger creamy head

S: Sweet Hershey's syrup.

T: Sweet milk chocolate upfront, followed by faint mild coffee, finishes bitter. Flavor seems a bit artificial.

M: Silky smooth, low carbonation with a slight alcohol burn.

O: The chocolate seems a bit artificial and I'm not a big fan of the bitter finish.

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2011 21:20:26 | More by monitorpop

jonziefle

North Carolina

2.78/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Appearance: Poured an opaque black, with a half-finger light brown head. Decent retention, reducing to a thin layer. Not much is the way of lacing.

Smell: Smells of chocolate, caramel, and dark fruit, with a smoky malt backing. Kind of like a tootsie roll, actually. Very boozy nose at first, with a whiskey like bite; 11% is noticeable in the smell.

Taste: Sweet and boozy, front and center. Alcohol bites hard to start, with a sweet dark fruit taste dominating. The alcohol bites the back of the throat as well, finishing with coffee flavors. The alcohol dominates the taste though; not well hidden at all.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Big alcohol bite. No carbonation.

Drinkability: Way too boozy of a stout for me. 11% is high, but it is not hidden at all. The beer almost stings. The chocolate and coffee flavors are nice, but not smooth like I like. Very difficult to drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2009 02:24:18 | More by jonziefle

Arbitrator

California

2.8/5  rDev -33.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Chilled bottle into a glass. *Pretty* sure this came from onix1agr. Thanks Barry.

A: Pours a brown-black blend, impenetrable in my tulip but definitely shows some light through the edges if I hold it close to a lamp. Has a strong mocha (ha!) colored head that retains well and leaves splotches of lacing down the sides.

S: Chocolate / cocoa, coffee, caramel, and some nutty character. I'm scared by how sweet this smells, as I've had less-than-positive experiences with ST's other oversweetened beers.

T: It tastes pretty damn sweet too... Like liquid sugar at first. But, it shapes up pretty nicely as it warms, and gets less sweet in the finish (though I wouldn't call this dry exactly). The coffee does a good job of providing a balancing bitterness against the chocolate and caramel flavors, and the nutty components give it some depth. Some vanilla to be found as well. Make no mistake, it's heavily on the sweet side, but not as cloying as I was expecting.

M: Full-bodied, moderate carbonation. Sweet finish with some definite booze burn.

D: I would not specifically trade for this, but I might take a sip of a future bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 17:18:01 | More by Arbitrator

spointon

Illinois

2.83/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

I poured this one from a 22 oz. brown bomber bottle into a shaker pint glass.

A= This beer poured a very dark black-brown color with a 1" dark tan head. The head settled slowly and left some nice sticky lace down my glass. Unfortunately the appearance was this highlight of this beer.

S= Extremely chocolate-y in the nose. Smelled like chocolate pudding as its being cooked. Only a very slight bit of coffee in there.

T= Started off sweet and somehow got sweeter as each sip progressed. Nearly all of the flavor was sweet, rich milk chocolate. Near the finish, things dried out just a bit and a small roasted note emerged and then disappeared again under the chocolate onslaught. Cloying to say the least.

MF= Heavy side of medium bodied with a creamy, slippery mouthfeel and a moderate carbonation level.

D= This was a big disappointment for me. I usually like Southern Tier a lot and have enjoyed many of their more adventurous brews. This one really fell flat for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 16:34:47 | More by spointon

zeledonia

Minnesota

2.85/5  rDev -32.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle from summer 2011.

Pours very dark brown, black in the glass, and rather sludgy. Minimal medium-tan head (despite a vigorous pour), gone in 60 seconds, but does leave some decent lacing. Looks flattish.

Smell is a wallop of syrupy sweet chocolate, with a bit of dry cocoa powder in there as well. Some hops lift it up late. But I get no coffee smell, and only a hint of the stout behind that big chocolate bomb.

Taste is more varied, but also a bit more offending. Starts out chocolatey, then comes on powerfully sweet, before finishing with an odd chemically combination of bitter and sweet. I've encountered this same odd character in other Southern Tier stouts, and I don't like it. Again, I get very little coffee at all. Taste drifts into a shiver-inducing bitterness as the alcohol kicks up. Overall, it's exceedingly sweet, with some strange flavors bouncing around on top of that artificial-sweetener background.

Mouthfeel: heavy body, pretty chewy, and very syrupy. Low carbonation, just enough to keep it from being flat. Works okay with the beer, but doesn't do it for me.

Dear Southern Tier: sometimes less is more. I've had a number of these big stouts, and I don't dig any of them. The ones I've had are all way overdone, with the same weird sweetness that tastes artificial. I wish they would let the characteristics of the other ingredients shine through more.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 04:16:03 | More by zeledonia

sweemzander

Illinois

2.9/5  rDev -31%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

22oz. bottle poured into a snifter. A date of 17-01-09 on the bottle.

(A)- Pours a pitch dark black color that produced no head, just some tan bubbles/froth on the surface.

(S)- Mountains of brown sugar & vanilla. Very sugary sweet smelling. Tiny tidbits of coffee beans & chocolate in the far background.

(T)- Pretty similar to the smell. Lots of vanilla & brown sugar with an espresso-like chocolate creaminess on the finish. The smell foretold a giant sugary beer, but this is a little better balanced that that, but its still extremely sweet. Once this warms up, it becomes a rich milk chocolate bomb!

(M)- A good carbonation level for the style. Very sweet; very much a dessert beer. I wish I could taste more of the coffee that is lost behind the massively sweet milk chocolate. Am I being picky? Maybe. It gets very hot & boozy as it goes down.

(D)- Dont get me wrong, this tastes good; I just wish there was something more to it than an alcoholic milk chocolate shake. Very one-dimensional to me. If I had this again, it would definitely be as a replacement for dessert. Way too filling & sweet to me to enjoy fully on my own. Share a bottle with at least 2 people.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2010 01:11:08 | More by sweemzander

Kudashov

Massachusetts

2.9/5  rDev -31%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter Mokah is nice black stout with a fat furry head . Aroma is sweet " moon pie " esque smell . Nice lacing on glass but after that, is where I have an issue with the brew. Tasting this over and over during MNF .The sweetness is too much .It is OK but not thick or chewy enough for my liking . It is not nasty but , this has been aged over a year and the flavors have not evened out. This is not Creme Brulee sweet but it is not my thing . Choklat is still my fav . If this had more of a coffee flavor then it would get a better grade . Good but not great .

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2010 00:57:52 | More by Kudashov

NODAK

Tennessee

2.9/5  rDev -31%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On the nose, it's very sweet and chocolatey with a hint of coffee. It's not really all that different from Choklat to be honest. I think I'm in for another diabetes beer.

Unsurprisingly, it pours pitch black with a nice, dark brown head. Doesn't last too long, however.

Taste starts off with semi-sweet chocolate but turns pretty quickly to a strong, pretty bitter dark chocolate and coffee taste. The power of the bitter dark chocolate and coffee make me grimace a little bit. It actually seems more bitter dark chocolate than coffee, though. The aftertaste is pure roasted malt/coffee. Wowza.

Not my favorite, honestly. I just did not enjoy this as much as other offerings by ST. Thus far, in the Blackwater series, this is my least favorite.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 00:52:15 | More by NODAK

JerseyKirk

New Jersey

2.95/5  rDev -29.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Pitch black with a 1 finger creamy slight tan head. Good head retention.

S: Dark chocolate, slight coffee, black strap.

T: Molasses, slight chocolate, bitterness, snappy finish. Alcohol is present and noticeably boozy.

M: Thick and well suited for the style. Although highly alcoholic this beer doesn't have any warming properties.

O: Eh...take it or leave it. I say leave it. There are a lot better Southern Tier beers out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 00:40:21 | More by JerseyKirk

scottyshades

Florida

3.03/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a rich, thick, syrupy black color that slowly builds a nice big mocha color head...how fitting. Pretty awesome lacing along the glass. Nice lookin brew.

S: Chocolate, lactose, milk, cocoa, molasses, raisins (chocolate covered), caramel, and coffee that gives it a bittering aroma.

T: Very chocolaty, very sweet and definitely lactose infused. Perhaps a little too sweet for me, almost tastes like a cold chocolate malt milkshake.

MF/D: Low carbonation, full body, long chocolaty finish.

A little overdone for me, beware of its richness. Something just didn't sit right and it made me (and my Dad) feel sick from the sweetness, but we will see next time I can grab one.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2009 00:10:07 | More by scottyshades

roadhouse

Florida

3.05/5  rDev -27.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

22 oz. bomber split with spointon into pint glasses

Poured a deep black color with a one inch tan head that gradually faded, left some decent lacing behind.

Aroma was overly of chocolate, if the label didn't say coffee I wouldn't have guessed it actually had any. Maybe there was a slight hint. It was extremely sweet with something of a "creamy" smell to it.

Taste was extremely sweet again with only chocolate coming through. It was like chocolate milk with dark chocolate and a ton of sugar added. In the finish a slight roasted coffee edge tried to come out and overcome the sweetness but it ultimately failed.

Mouthfeel was pretty good, it was medium bodied, on the thick side, and quite creamy.

We both agreed that this beer kinda blew. It was very hard to drink and we struggled to finish the bomber between the two of us. It ended in a chug just so we wouldn't waste it. Very disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2009 19:57:02 | More by roadhouse

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -26.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked up a bottle of this at Julio's after remembering the hype surrounding this stout from Southern Tier. Actually kind of shocked at this one, really wasnt a fan. Poured into a Duvel Tulip

A - A nice typical black pour with a healthy 2 finger tan head. As it sat, the head receeded leaving a light tan halo around the glass. No side lacing.

S - Not picking up those big aromas that others have mentioned. The stout is definately not too cold (right around 50). There is some nice roasty malt aromas as well as some chocolate, but no coffee to speak of. There is a definate alcohol smell though.

T - Kinda like the nose. Theres some chocolate, some malt, but very, very little in the way of coffee flavour. The strongest flavor is the alcohol which while I understand this is an Imperial Stout I've had stronger stouts with the alcohol hidden better.

M - Low carbonation, but not syrupy or sticky. Typical mouthfeel for this style, nothing out of the ordinary.

D - I've had much better Imperial stouts. A shame really, as I wanted to really love this offering from Southern Tier but sadly it just didnt do it for me. Theres much better ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2010 05:43:20 | More by rudzud

bierguru

Florida

3.1/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A - completely black nonsee through pours with a thick head that disappears very quick i didnt like that at all i like a beer that keeps a head

S - smell was wonderful smelt almost like a chocolate soda added with a strong coffee

T - has a strong alcohol taste to it which to me ruined the beer i feel if they were tone down that the flavors of the beer would pop out a lot more and continously throughout the whole time you have the beer the further i got into the bottle the less and less i actually tasted the chocolate, coffee, and carmel

D - not sure if this beer is really drinkable do to what i said about how it tastes it maybe better off pouring over a scoop of ice cream

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2010 16:58:01 | More by bierguru

kylehay2004

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: half finger head. Black. Not too much lace.

S: sweet mocha and cocoa.

T: very sweet. The taste is nearly identical to dymatap. Grape and mocha with a sharp sweet finish.

M: very thick. Moderate to high carbonation.

Overall: well, I love southern tier but this one is too sweet and medicinal for me.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2011 01:25:44 | More by kylehay2004

MetalHopHead6

Virginia

3.2/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Southern Tier Mokah poured dark dark brown, with the slightest hint of a tan head that immediately dissipated to a narrow ring.

The smell and taste are...yep...chocolate and coffee. The feel is creamy and smooth up front, but with a sticky and pasty finish. This is a slow sipper that kinda leaves the tongue feeling like it does after sucking on hard candy.

A little of Southern Tier Mokah goes a long way as the chocolate and coffee flavors dominate, rather than compliment, the "beer," which gets completely lost. A bomber of this wouldn't be bad split among four people with dessert, but it's too much for one person. After a while, it smells and tastes like cheap chocolate candy.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2009 00:47:41 | More by MetalHopHead6

chrisgn

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

This beer has a pitch black appearance and thick head upon first pour that dissipates to nothing. The mouthfeel is think and creamy. There are some really nice chocolate and coffee notes in the taste, but to me, the flavor of the alcohol is not masked well. I can smell it in the glass and it over powers the other flavors of the beer. It is 11% so it is certainly a strong beer, but I do not like the boozy quality that only gets worse as the beer warms up. I want to work through the ST Imperial Series. I enjoyed Pumking and Big Red, but I do not think I will get this one again. I hope Chokolat, Javah, and Creme Brule are better.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2010 01:58:46 | More by chrisgn

TheSarge

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours pitch black, with a finger thick dark tan cranium that dissipates quickly.

Has aromas of chocolate, and coffee.

Chocolate dominates the flavor with a mild coffee backbone.

Mildly carbonated, full in body, and warming in the end.

Too much chocolate in this one... Needs to be balanced a bit better.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2010 23:03:00 | More by TheSarge

DIM

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

a: Black body with a thick foamy tan colored head.

s: This smells like mildly diluted Choklat. I couldn't find any coffee behind the boozy brownie batter.

t: I wonder what the ratio of this mixture is. This seems to be heavy on the Choklat, it was through the power of suggestion that I might have tasted a little coffee. This was almost entirely bozzy cake batter. Looking back, I should have tried to tweak this with some Breakfast Stout or Joe.

m: Gentle carbonation and a fairly viscous body.

d: Jahva is a pretty good coffee stout. Choklat is a great desert beer in small doses. I was hoping hoping an artful blend would elevate both beers. Instead all I found was another syrupy sweet desert beer from ST. Creme Brulee, Oat, Choklat, and now this. Pretty good in small doses, but that signature ST sweetness wears thin after 6 ounces.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2010 00:14:07 | More by DIM

harrymel

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled: unk

A: pours a black ale with less than a single finger of transient light tan foam. This resides as a sheet of the same over a beer with limited clarity due to color. spotty lace. Looks thin.

S: Smells of chocolate, molasses and faintly of coffee. Smells sweet, as do all the black water series.

T: There's the coffee, and more chocolate, and some nice cherry flavors. Some marshmallow flavors as well. Kinda effervescent in approach. Sharp alcoholic flavor.

M: Oily and thin with slow carbonation. Sheet of slick around the mouth. Makes me phlegmee.

O: Better than some of the other Black Waters IIRC, but still just a sweet, savage, decadent treat to be savored only rarely. Very intense. I can say this for the beer: as usual, the name matches the profile quite precisely.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2011 14:51:59 | More by harrymel

homebrewhawk

Kansas

3.33/5  rDev -20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz. bomber served in a snifter. Poured a dark brown/black with a sparse tan head. Lots of coffee and chocolate in the aroma, also some caramel. Full bodied and rich. Flavor is more of the same. I found the coffee to be very bitter, and the chocolate to have a bittersweet quality as well. Long dry finish of chocolate and coffee. Some alcohol also present. There is a bit of hop bitterness. I find Southern Tier to be very hit of miss. I either really like it or not. This one is a miss for me.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2009 18:01:23 | More by homebrewhawk

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

3.34/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Dark walnut coloured beer under a moderate head that leaves a lot of fine spidery lace. Head settles to a heavy film.

Big chocolate nose, very sweet bordering on syrupy. Malt in the background. Very soft on the palate to drink, but also heavy sweet. Too much syrup happening. Past the sweetness is some charcoal and a hint of bitterness. Lots of chocolate and coffee. However, overall just too sweet and syrupy to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 22:10:30 | More by TerryW

ricke

Sweden

3.43/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Very dark brown with a medium-sized tanned head that leaves some lacings.

S: Basically just aromas of sweet chocolate and lightly roasted coffee. A gentle, powdery smell. Notes of roasted malts, vanilla and alcohol.

T: Very sweet with lots of sweet chocolate and sweetish coffee flavors completely dominating the taste. Notes of nougat and vanilla. Roasted malts. Not very complex or interesting, but in general the flavors are well integrated. The taste is less powdery than the smell. The finish is somewhat bitter with notes of roasted malts, wood, chocolate and sweet alcohol.

M: Full-bodied, slightly too low on carbonation. It comes out as a bit heavy.

D: I've had both beers that make up this blend (Choklat and Jah-va). I thought Choklat was decent and Jah-va compete mess, and this one falls somewhere in between. It very sweet, almost cloying, and this gets too much after a while. It's reminiscent of a dessert without high quality dessert flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2009 23:01:51 | More by ricke

bucklemyshoe

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bomber at 48 degrees into a Stone IRS tulip.

A: It pours pitch black with a finger of light tan head that dies quickly and leaves small traces of lacing.

S: Artificial chocolate and coffee, licorice, lactic cream, and caramel.

T: More artificial chocolate and coffee notes, nuttiness, sweet dark fruits, and booze. It is similar to Godiva liquer.

M: It has a thick and syrupy body with lots of sweet stickiness.

O: This is probably good with vanilla ice cream or with tiramisu. Drinking the entire 22 oz bottle by itself, however, is a chore.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2011 18:50:33 | More by bucklemyshoe

aficionado

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Glassware: Orval Chalice

Dark brown on top, black on the bottom. Off white head that forms an iceberg in the center.

The smell is better than the taste. Choklat is the better beer all around. It's more balanced and less sweet than Mokah.

Mokah is quite sweet. It's definitely a dessert beer. Otherwise it has the same qualities of Choklat with double the sweetness, bitter dark chocolate, a lot of added coffee notes, and super sweet cola.

I feel full body on the tongue. It's definitely not thin, but the higher than usual carbonation for an imperial stout isn't helping this beer shine.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 02:36:11 | More by aficionado

Minkybut

Virginia

3.48/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this beer into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer was really black and poured a really this disappointing head. The beer smelled and tasted like oatmeal and was of course chocolaty. I liked the beer and will buy it again. It was expensive. The little bitty head was tan colored.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2010 19:12:44 | More by Minkybut