Mokah - Southern Tier Brewing Company

ChugginOil

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Southern Tier Mokah

Served at DLD 2011 in a plastic cup.

Solid black in color with a dark dark amber edge along the bottom. An inch of dark cream colored head.

This beer smells like a melted Hershey bar. Decadent milk chocolate with a touch of vanilla.

The taste is out of control. Almost following the nose to a T, Mokah is filled with lavish milk chocolate and a touch of coffee on the end. A bit of booze warmth on the end as well follows the roasty malts.

The mouthfeel is thick and chewy with a warming feel that lingers. Full-bodied beast

Overall, super impressed with the chocolate impressions implemented here. Liquid dessert.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2011 01:03:11 | More by ChugginOil

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on tap, served in a small mug. Absolutely pitch black, with no head.
Aroma is all chocolate, with hints of roasted coffee coming through. In terms of aroma this is almost the same as Choklat.
Taste is also predominantly chocolate, however, the difference is in the finish. Nice bitterness in the finish makes the sweetness not very overwhelming. The alcohol definitely warmed me up with every sip. Definitely a sipper. Full-bodied, silky and creamy mouthfeel. This is a big beer and definitely worth a try for those who like a mix of chocolate and coffee in their stout.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2011 13:25:11 | More by CaptDavyJones

thekevlarkid

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Off tap this beer was a truly opaque black color with a meniscus the color of root beer. The two finger head left killer lacing all the way to the finish of my glass. The aroma was so chocolaty it was amazing. In addition to chocolate I also smelled vanilla and hints of toffee. The flavors were stunning. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, dark roasted malts, molasses, maple, coffee. Similar to a Tootsie Roll candy in flavor, which is wild given the %11.2 ALC. The mouthfeel was good, the body full and the carbonation average/soft. Very drinkable for a "Big" beer and for someone like me with a sweet tooth this beer was a true joy to imbibe.

Serving type: on-tap

12-26-2010 19:56:19 | More by thekevlarkid

PorterLambic

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a black hole of a beer. Very little head in the snifter, just a ring, really.
Smell is whiskey, dark chocolate ice cream, caramel. Really balanced.
Taste is whiskey, dark chocolate, malt, caramel, with alcohol noticeable but not harsh or overpowering. Good balance here, too.
Thick, a little syrupy, with a rich full body and negligible effervescence. Oh, baby this a really, really good beer. Awesome dessert beer, either with a dessert or as one. Bartender, another please.

Serving type: on-tap

12-01-2010 02:56:15 | More by PorterLambic

overcrestmedia

New York

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Snifter.

I'm not so much a fan of flavored beers, but the chocolate and coffee notes really comes through in the finish.

Smooth and delicious, with really nice mouthfeel as well.

However at 11% ABV one will do the trick!

I have looked for this on-tap elsewhere, but haven't had any luck.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2010 16:56:16 | More by overcrestmedia

frederichar

District of Columbia

2.17/5  rDev -48.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

i do not like flavored beers in general, and i do not like chocolate, though coffee is nice--iced coffee, cafe au lait, starbucks, any kind of coffee except coffee in my beer. i made a mistake ordering this beer, and left it on the table and finished my wife's widmer hefweizen

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2010 01:41:09 | More by frederichar

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours jet black with a nice light mocha head. Good retention and a bit of lacing on the way down. Great coloring. Nose brings loads and loads of chocolate as well as a strong amount of coffee. The taste is all about the chocolate and coffee, but can get a tad bit sweet, as there is some roasted malt, but not enough to balance out the sweetness. Feel is fairly heavy with a bit of alcohol. Drinks really well and I prefer it to Choklat.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2010 11:13:54 | More by Thorpe429

CascadeConan

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I hadn't had an imperial in a long while so I decided to step it up a notch and I've been discovering plenty of east coast breweries that can throw down so I had no bicoastal qualms going with Southern Tier.

Poured from the tap into a tulip the beer looked like motor oil with thick brown head that never left.

The nose is heavily dominated by chocolate and just a bit of coffee if you give the glass a swirl.

After the first sip I set the glass down and had to think if the bartender was fucking with me or not. It was definitely an imperial, no ethanol taste but unmistakably warming. Heavy, viscous chocolate flavor and very slight coffee bitter but the knee-jerk flavor that came to mind was Tootsie Roll. A break to let it warm up a bit added a little depth to the coffee flavor but it still remained dominated by chocolate. If Willy Wonka and Milton Hershey decided to collaborate and brew one beer this would probably be their labor of love. Half way through my glass my head was swimming and all I could think about was all the Halloweens I'd had too many Tootsie Rolls resulting in sugar headaches.

This beer is an amazing imperial, a supposed 50-50 blend of Southern Tier's Blackwater Imperial Series Jahva and Choklat, it delivers the distinct qualities of chocolate and coffee in the body of a big bad ass imperial.

If this beer was a person it would be Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile when he played, wait for it, John Coffey. I would recommend splitting a bottle over dessert with 3 or 4 people.

Serving type: on-tap

09-23-2010 23:34:55 | More by CascadeConan

rtepiak

Poland

3.58/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

an intense syrup of coffee and chocolate. Pours a thick black with a finger of head. Nose of nothing of quick's chocolate. Palate is like a candy RIS with a rich sugar. Lean feel with body backed in sugar and non-fermentables. Not really something with an intense body to back the alcohol but sugar to high the broad somewhat aggressive abv. Warm but no palate abrasiveness due to the dulling carob cocoa.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2010 04:18:12 | More by rtepiak

ccrida

Oregon

4.8/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On draught at the Dog & Pony, served in a ST tulip, Mokah is black with a small light tan head that leaves foamy lace.

Smell is amazing, very rich chocolate, some grassy hops.

Taste is similar, whoa - this is like a glass of carbonated hershey's syrup, but with the bitterness to keep it from being cloying! A bit of leafy hops added character. Awesome stout.

Mouthfeel is viscous and smooth, medium-heavy bodied.

Drinkability is excellent. This might be my favorite stout. Perhaps overly simplistic in it's overt chocolaty, but my is it tasty. So rich, the ABV is lost. Not a guzzler by any stretch, but so indulgent that I had to order another, even though I shouldn't!

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2010 02:51:15 | More by ccrida

sogrady

Maine

3.63/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reactions to this beer will be even more dependent on one's palate than normal, I think: it's a very, very sweet beer.

Too much so for me, I'll admit. It's not cloying, exactly, but the sweetness will be almost overpowering with those with tastes that run more towards the sour or bitter. For everyone else, this DIS will be quite the treat.

Complex, deep chocolate flavors accompanied by the promised mokah with a hint of dark cherry. Body is moderately carbonated with minimal head, and its sweetness aside, it's easy to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

09-14-2010 18:43:17 | More by sogrady

BrewDoctor

Connecticut

1.7/5  rDev -59.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 1

I haven't reviewed a beer in many years, but this one had a profound impact on my taste buds and my stomach.

I stopped by Eli Cannons for an after work beverage and ordered up one of these gnarly concoctions after reviewing a fairly weak beer list for Eli's.

This thing poured a deep, dark chocolate with hints of mahogany. Head was nonexistent.

The smell was predominantly chocolate with a mild hint of coffee.

The first sip hit me with a wave of chocolate and even more chocolately sweetness followed by a strong alcohol burn in the stomach.

I proceeded to sip this concoction with each sip becoming more difficult than the last. I love chocolate, but the cloying sweetness and lack of complexity and complimentary flavors made this thing unbearable.

I couldn't handle it anymore, I had reached that dreaded point in every dedicated beer drinkers life. That point of conflict which burdens our soul to the core, but I had no other decision. I asked the bartender to take the remaining 1/2 glass away and do the ever so feared drain pour.

Seriously, I've had over 500 different beers in my life and this one was absolutely disgusting.

OK, I will keep my door open to this beer, but only under 1 condition. I would try this again if it was paired up with a proper meal that (gag) may actually compliment this hideous creation.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2010 20:43:00 | More by BrewDoctor

brystmar

New York

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On draft at Mudville in lower Manhattan. This is a favorite of mine that I've enjoyed bottled many times, first experience with it on draft though.

A: pours a very dark and ominous jet-black coffee color with a finger of brownish head. Good lacing, poor head retention.

S: sports a rich bouquet of coffee & bittersweet chocolate flavors that grab your attention immediately. Decadent! If they made Mokah air fresheners, I'd be all over them.

T: starts malty with coffee and chocolate right behind. The bittersweet chocolate lingers and fades into a surprisingly dry, hoppy finish. This isn't a super complex beer, but it excels superbly at its goal of melding mocha into an imperial stout.

M: my pour was served too cold (typical), so it certainly improved as it warmed, but the creamy mouthfeel I was hoping for from the tap never materialized. At temperature, it's a full-bodied brew with the right amount of carbonation. I'd loooove to see this on nitro tap!

D: ridiculously smooth and easy to drink. Fantastic for a local shelf beer. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2010 22:06:20 | More by brystmar

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours deep amber to a black color, with a light tan head. In the aroma, sweet chocolate and a pronounced mocha flavor. In the taste, bitter mocha flavor, kind of like hot cocoa mix. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry, bitter, hot cocoa mix in the aftertaste. Kind of like a sweet imperial stout with some Swiss Miss mixed in it, with a small bitterness.

Serving type: on-tap

09-04-2010 15:47:44 | More by OWSLEY069

glid02

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Brick Store.

Pours black with a 1.5-finger light brown head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of rich dark chocolate, roasted malts, and iced coffee, in that order.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Equal amounts of roasted malt and robust dark chocolate flavors kick things off. Midway through the sip light amounts of grainy coffee flavors enter into things, carrying through to a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is very good. It's got a smooth thickness with soft carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I finished my glass without any problems and could have another.

Overall this is a solid beer and people who love Choklat will especially be a fan, however it lacks the complexity to be very good. Still, it's worth a shot.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2010 00:36:39 | More by glid02

ktrillionaire

Florida

3.85/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - It pours big, oily and black, with a decent cap of persistent foam.

S - It smells like Choklat plus Jahva, except maybe this whole is not as great as the sum of its parts. There is something forced about this, perhaps the flavor seems slightly artificial, whereas Mokah's aforementioned siblings are more like pure nectar. Still, this is pretty delicious.

T - The taste is much like the nose, and I am a bit disappointed over it. It is still a very nice tasting brew, but it is nowhere near as good as its inevitably compared siblings; indeed, it is difficult for me to describe the brew aptly, except as it relates to Choklat and Jahva. There is a lot of chocolate and coffee flavor here, not so much malt presence, and no discernible hops or yeast impact.

M - Big and silky.

D - Theoretically, this would be my favorite of the Blackwater series, but in reality it is a distant third at best. Still, I will drink the hell out of this.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2010 12:21:55 | More by ktrillionaire

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Ontap
Serving Temp: 48 degrees
Serving vessel: Snifter

Appearance: The darkest of amber and brown. Small khaki colored head. Spotty lacing.

Smell: Big time chocolate is the first thing I noticed. Also a subtle coffee aroma.

Taste: Decadent milk chocolate. Roasted coffee in the finish with cream and vanilla. Espresso notes, hops are there to give the beer some balance.

Mouthfeel: Chocolatey, some warming booze as it goes down. Full bodied, smooth, low carbonation but not too syrupy.

Drinkability: Tasty, but one that would be best suited as an after dinner beer or as a sipper.

Serving type: on-tap

07-06-2010 16:25:40 | More by Stinkypuss

chickenflea

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft courtesy of Underground Bluz. Aroma was primarily of light coffee but also with dark fruits, some chocolate and alcohol. Pours black with mahogany highlights. A 2-finger creamy tan head coats the top. Lacing is thin and gets thinner as the beer sits. The taste is rich and dark-chocolate sweet. The sweetness is not that cloying kind of sweetness like sugar or honey. Bitterness is of the coffee variety and stays toward the front of the mouth rather than digging into the back. It's not a hoppy kind of bitterness. Medium creamy mouthfeel. The beer stays consistent as it warms. The alcohol is more noticeable in the nose than on the palate. I am normally quite attuned to too much alcohol burn in the beer. Primarily this is why I don't enjoy some imperial styles. But I did not find the same kind of burn in this beer. Very good.

Serving type: on-tap

06-25-2010 00:00:30 | More by chickenflea

Jesstyr

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Grabbed this one at American Craft in Brookline - what an incredibly unique beer in my opinion...

Pours pitch black, with a nice firm head that lingers nicely before settling in to small patching. This beer is as dark as they come. The nose is the most robust I have ever experienced, its pure dark chocolate, and is just an incredible thing to sense. This is like sitting down with a mug of hot cocoa on a cold day - a great beer for winter in this regard.

Its hard to follow a nose like that, but this beer makes a good, if not as enjoyable effort. Far more coffee in the taste then the nose, and a little less chocolate than I would have expected. A bit of alcohol burns on the end of the drink, and there is light carbonation that lingers under the medium/heavy body. This is the sort of drink you should enjoy with cheese or dessert, but it will hit you hard at anytime - you definitely feel the 11% ABV.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2010 18:00:37 | More by Jesstyr

CraftAleRookie

Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Capone's- served in a 9 oz Brandy Snifter.

A- Black as a moonless night in the woods- very thin head, that quickly became a ring of lace around the egde.

S- Wow- just like taking a whiff of Nestle Cocoa powder drink mix! I've never had a stout with such a forward smell of dark chocolate.

T- CHOCOLATE (what a suprise)- very forward cocoa flavor with just a hint of malt on the finish.

M- Smooth, medium body- slight silkiness. Good combo of fizz and flavor.

D- A perfect five here- I really like this brew, and would have it firmly on a "beer dinner" list, paired of course with dessert!

Serving type: on-tap

05-30-2010 12:43:49 | More by CraftAleRookie

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Cole's. Pretty good coffee beer, with significant and above-average mouthfeel based on mokah. Dark brown, creamy, tasty, bitternsweetness, though leaning on sweet. Pleasant mochah aroma. Expresso coffee beans and chocolate in secondary.A must try.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2009 00:23:11 | More by northyorksammy

taigor

New York

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap into 8oz glass

A - Poured black, coffee like appearance.

S - Coffee and cocoa with hints of malt.

T - Immediate taste of coffee and chocolate with light sweetness. Then alcohol and bitterness take over and stay.

M - Very smooth and thick.

D - Awesome winter stout that has to be slowly sipped.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2009 14:58:56 | More by taigor

drtth

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter glass. A glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: As served the beer is a dark black/brown color with a finely grained tan head that leaves a nice pattern of lacing. While the head has soon receded into a ring sipping still leaves occasional spots and legs of lacing follow from the foam.

Smell: The aroma includes chocolate, cocoa, vanilla and traces of caramel.

Taste: As expected from the nose, the flavors include chocolate and cocoa , vanilla, cream, some dark caramel, traces of some coffee. The alcohol is well hidden.

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is medium bodied and has minimal carbonation. The finish begins in dark chocolate sweetness and then changes into a bittersweet dark chocolate flavor and ends in dryness.

Drinkability: This is a fine dessert beer with great potential for sipping slowly after dinner while chatting with friends or reading a good book. In other words this is a beer worth taking the time to relax and enjoy one a night. However, it is also a beer to keep on hand for after dinner or late night enjoyment.

Serving type: on-tap

10-26-2009 21:40:11 | More by drtth

DawnL

New York

4.28/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Deep black color with minimal tan/brown lacing that's sticky and clings to the glass.

Chocolate and coffee on the nose with vanilla accents. Smells like dessert.

Tastes of java and chocolate. Perfect mocha character.

Rich and thick mouthfeel. Like drinking Bosco - in a good way. It's basically like Manhattan Soda mixed with Bosco. Great flavor. Unctuous, rich - like having a chocolate milk - or even like having a milk shake.

Because of the heft of this beer in both abv and sweetness - it's not a beer that could be imbibed freely over an evening. Definitely a tasty after dinner beer - perfect for desserts - or as a dessert. Pour over vanilla icecream and enjoy!

Serving type: on-tap

10-16-2009 14:10:53 | More by DawnL

dudecandle

New York

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Well, this one's a bit different:

A: Rather dark brown-black body with a very dark mokah head which dissipated relatively quickly, but was nice while it lasted.

S/T: Up front the smell is of absolute chocolate milk! To add to this was a good dose of coffee and cinnamon, a bit of a winter warmer-type spice scheme, with a slight sharpness to provide some balance, perhaps the hops.

M/D: Full enough with the robust chocolate taste. Being the Mokah, I had anticipated a bit more of a coffee presence, but nonetheless, it was plentifully pleasant. It was a little one-dimensional, but it was well enough.
The thought going through my head with this was: This is the kind of beer that a non-beer drinker could get started on. It's sweet, it's chocolatey, it's overall easygoing, with plenty of oomph without being overly aggressive.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2009 05:16:12 | More by dudecandle