Mokah - Southern Tier Brewing Company

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

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Charred black walnut with surprisingly generous highlights of scarlet and orange. In fact, the beer rides the razor's edge between opacity and lucency, which is almost a crime for an American double stout. The khaki colored crown looks pretty good, as does a decent amount of sea foam lace. The fact that this beer isn't a stunner in the looks department is... a stunner.

Mokah is a mixture of Choklat and Jahva. They both smell outstanding, and this big stout does too. It smells more like bittersweet Belgian chocolate than Jamaican roasted coffee, which is fine by me. Here's hoping it's at least as delicious and drinkable as the beers that created it.

Mokah is not as amazing as expected, but it's still damn good beer. It would hard to equal the excellence of Choklat and Jahva since I gave each of them the ultimate flavor score. Part of the problem is that there isn't a huge amount of malt. Almost one year in the bottle shouldn't have taken that much of a toll on an 11.0% ale.

The other problem is that the flavors work incredibly well on their own, but don't seem to jibe completely when combined. That doesn't make total sense because I've had several stouts that used both chocolate and coffee and were incredible. Those two flavors are present in roughly equal measure and creme caramel makes a cameo as well. American hops (Chinook, Willamette, Cascade and Columbus) add balancing bitterness and little flavor.

Body/mouthfeel is the biggest puzzler. It was obvious when sunlight was *almost* visible behind the glass that this wouldn't be a thick and chewy brew. It's too light for the style, although it does gain enough creaminess by the bottom of the bottle to barely grab the 4.0 rung of the ladder.

It's hard to figure out why the combination of two out-of-this-universe American double stouts wouldn't lead to something better than this. Don't get me wrong, Mokah is good stuff and is worth a purchase. That said, Southern Tier could eliminate it from the lineup and I would not shed a tear.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2010 15:38:40 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

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

This is my kind of drink right here. Coffee and chocolate, what more could I asked for. Served in a 10 oz pour on tap, this was a nice way to start an evening.



The pour was as dark as night with a rich head of dark brown on the top. Smooth settle here left nice amounts of lace on the sides and a really fine little layer across the top. Very well done here indeed. Tons of aroma here, coffee and chocolate that were blended together perfectly. Rich, smooth, seductive, this was dessert in a glass. A rich velvet like feel to it and smooth, almost like sorbet as it coats the tongue. Light hint of the ABV but the chocolate just washed it straight away. One of the biggest feels I have seen in a while as this one had to be sipped, it was just too huge not to be. It would creep on you fast, I could see a bomber between two, but any more would be rough.



Overall very good and just what I expected it would be like. I love the tow originals so this was a natural progression. I would buy this again.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2009 23:56:34 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

4.15/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The pour is a viscous dark brown with a finger's worth of mocha colored foam.

S: The nose was pretty on par for what I expected. A nice blend of chocolate and coffee, but certainly on the sweet side. That's usual for these Soutern Tier beers, though.

T: The coffee really dominated the flavor which I wasn't expecting from the nose. The chocolate adds a sweetness to balance out the bitterness from the coffee which worked very well.

M: This has a real creamy feel on the tongue which is quite appropriate, given the name of the beer.

D: I was surprised by how easy to drink this was given some of the other Southern Tier beers. While it's certainly high in alcohol, the flavor is not cloying.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2010 18:50:23 | More by womencantsail

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

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

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

22 ounce bottle - $8.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours out an onyx black body with a tan head surging forth but sputtering to a halt and disappearing with a couple minutes' time.

Smell: Well, with the strong scents of chocolate and coffee, it lives up to it's poorly spelled namesake. As the sweet embellishments to the nose kick in, it takes on the scent of a chocolate frosted Dunkin' Donut.

Taste: Bittersweet combination of chocolate and coffee roastiness, though the malt pendulum is certainly swinging hard towards the sweet side of things. Some caramel, too. Bucked gently by some bitterness, roast astringency, and alcohol, but it remains fairly sweet. Smooth, warming finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium-light carbonation. Smooth, malty mouthfeel.

Overall: Good stuff, this. It's big and sweet, so have a friend handy. Proudly follows in the footsteps of Southern Tier's previous jacked up stouts in their Blackwater series.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 19:19:24 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Pours a dark coffee color with an abundant amount of tawny highlights; the rocky mocha cap fades away but leaves a drape of lacing

Smell: Strong aroma of mocha, with both chocolate and coffee elements

Taste; Both chocolate and mocha flavors jump out, accompanied by charred grains, up front; the sweetness builds, after the swallow, but there is a surprisingly hoppy undertone that adds balance

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: While this is one of the characteristic sweeter dessert beers in the Southern Tier lineup, it has a nice balance and a great chocolate/coffee character

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 00:36:18 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Thanks to mjtiernan for sending me this one!

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a 1 inch khaki head that fades to a thin cap. Good rings of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smells of Cocoa Puffs cereal, Hershey's milk chocolate, and coffee hard candy. There is also some dark roasted malt smells. Taste is like an alcoholic milkshake made with Cocoa Puffs, Hershey's syrup, and coffee flavoring. Very rich and very sweet. Low carbonation level makes for a very smooth and very creamy mouthfeel. Overall, this is a very good stout with a very tasty chocolate and coffee mix. The best of the Southern Tier stouts I have had thus far. With that being said, this is extremely sweet almost to the point of being cloying. Definitely a beer that is made for sharing.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 06:03:09 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle: Poured a pitch-black color stout with a large dirty brown foamy head with good retention and some great lacing. Aroma of nice black chocolate malt with nice creamy espresso notes. Taste is a nice mix between some very well balanced black chocolate and some creamy espresso with a nice dose of lactic sugar. Body is full with nice carbonation and a great creamy texture. Very well done with all the ingredient well balanced out and doesn't taste too artificial.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2009 03:37:07 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.7/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

After trying the Chokolat, I had no qualms about picking this one. Just as succulant, irresistable, and delecident as the ultimate chocolate beer that preceeds this version. Blended with the coffee-ee goodness of Jav-ha, and the richness, depth, and boldness is taken up a knotch. Light espresso notes are the perfect companion to the chocolate character. Where the Chokolat is more chocolatey, this beer gives more complexity and depth. An absolutely outstanding taste. Heavy textured with very little carbonation makes the beer heavy on the palate and becomes a bit lifeless in the end. Some would call this a good desert beer; I say it is the desert all into itself.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2009 01:53:07 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a imperial pint glass a deep as an oil slick with no light showing thru when held up to the light,a thinner almond colored head atop.Heavy roast in the nose along with notes of vanilla and bitter chocolate,some sweet alcohol came out as it warrmed a little as well.Much sweeter on the palate than the nose,caramel/vanilla flavors mixed with some dark fruit and chocolate stand out most,the roast keeps it from becoming to sweet.Another impressive beer from ST,the sweetness is pretty big though.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2009 12:19:21 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

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

As impressed as I was with the creme brulee, I think this one tops it! It immediately reminded me of tiramisu and coffee after a good meal. What a dessert beer!

The body is a dark black-brown with deep mahogany highlights at the base of the glass and just under the creamy head along the rim of the glass. The creamy tan head holds well, and it leaves nice splatters and spots of lacing behind.

Caramel, chocolate, cocoa, nuts, and coffee greet you in the nose. It's a bit sweetish to be sure, and that carries over into the flavor...

..where coffee appears first, followed by some alcohol (it's reminiscent of Kahlua) and then notes of chocolate, vanilla, cream, caramel, nuts and coffee. A solid bitterness backs it, and in conjunction with the dark malt acidity and a hint of grassy hops, they lead it to a focused, less-sweet finish. The depth of flavor is stunning, and only the note of alcohol holds it back from being exceptional. As you progress through the glass your palate will single out certain flavors at certain times, but I find it always seems to end with a kind of roasted, almost smokey, coffee note.

Really nice! A stunning dessert beer!

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2009 01:05:53 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

During the pour, this brew appears a bit thinner than it ought. In the bowl, though, it sits starkly opaque, a cool obsidian in color, with a finger of foamy, light khaki head. Like ST's Creme Brulee, this pool of darkness gives off a scent most desserts would kill for. Luscious chocolate syrup tops a blonde vanilla cake, while an aromatic cup o' joe sitz steaming nearby, waiting to provide a pleasant bit o' liquid accompaniment to the baked goods at hand. Digging in, the coffee takes more of a lead, and it is evidently a darker roast than initially figured. The chocolate syrup has hardened into a brick of bitter dark chocolate, and it is clear that the cake is composed primarily of darker grains, malted and roasted. A small vein of vanilla still slices through, but quite thinly. Though not as alluring as the nose, I would order this tasty dessert every time I found myself at this particular eatery. Just as suspected, the body is thinner than usual, but only slightly so. This, coupled with a low-lying carbonation and a sweetly moderate coating of the mouth, makes for a rather drinkable sweet stout.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2010 20:08:09 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Mokah, A Stout Brewed with Chocolate and Coffee. "Imperial" Mokah.

Jamaican coffee, Belgian chocolate, caramel, chocolate & black malts...11%? We're in for some fun.

Aroma is all chocolate, coffee below, hops muted....appearance, utter darkness, rich, roasted brown head....that aroma is to kill for though...so, rich, bittersweet, ...is it my birthday already?

Taste:Insane! Everything I try from these guys goes further and further. Jahva, and Oat, and Choklat...these can be pushed further and made deeper, richer, fuller and more expressive in flavor? Damn right.
Bittersweet, coffee mingled with rich cocoa flavor...liquefied chocolate frosting.

Holy macaroni, this is great stuff. Full-bodied, long, luxurious finish. Damnably delicious. Pretty amazing, never quite tasted quite this much genuine chocolate flavor in a stout. Intense, decadent, almost indecent.
Yum, mmm!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2009 05:55:33 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.47/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a dark black color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is awesome. It has a sweet, chocolate scent that's right in line with the style. The taste is great! It has a smooth chocolate flavor with a nice complimentary coffee taste. This is a damn nice dessert beer. The mouthfeel is good. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a tremendous beer. It's a bit on the sweeter side, but I'm a huge fan.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2009 23:50:52 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a goblet. Beer is black with a thin and brown, falls away quick. Almost no lacing. Rate of carbonation is difficult to determine in stouts and porters. Cannot see any but I assume it is there. Whoa aroma. Alcohol, solvent, chocolate, the aroma is a little harsh, in your face. Any roasted malt aroma is completely eclipsed by the chocolate.

Beer is warm in the taste. Probably due to the high alcohol. There is some roastiness on the back end of the flavor. The midpalate flavor is full of chocolate again. The coffee flavors definitely come at the end. Mouthfeel is fine. Neither thin nor thin. Imperial stouts should have some body to them, this hits the low end of that. Drinkability is surprisingly high considering style and ABV. Overall a very good, albeit, flavored beer. Imperial stouts are not my favorite, have to admit, but this one is good.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2009 04:06:47 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

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

Thanks to Exiled for sharing this beer.

The beer pours a dark brown to black color with a tan head. The aroma is milk chocolate with some coffee as well as some cream. The flavor is heavy on the milk chocolate with some creamy coffee notes. Thick mouthfeel and low carbonation. A excellent, full bodied stout that is very heavy on the chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2010 02:31:31 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.3/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a dark, dark brown color color with ruby highlights. It had a one-finger, light brown head of bubbly foam that left sticky sheets of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of coffee - big roasty coffee aromas with a strong cocoa nose.

T - It tasted of cocoa nibs, coffee and roasted malts. Really delicious blend of coffee and chocolate.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry, clean finish.

O - This is really fantastic. I don't know why I passed on it in previous years.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2011 01:14:39 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

4.03/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer poured very dark brown (near black) in color with a thin mocha head that quickly died down. There is a light amount of visible carbonation and a thin ring of bubbles consistently covered the surface around the edge of the glass.
S: There is a moderately strong aroma of sweet chocolate in the nose.
T: Like the smell, flavors of bittersweet chocolate dominate the taste; there are some hints of roasted coffee in the finish.
M: It feels medium- to full-bodied and somewhat viscous on the palate. There is some dryness and alcohol heat in the finish.
D: This beer is a good sipper and the alcohol doesn't stand out too much in the taste, but it's very difficult to drink an entire bottle in one sitting. It would definitely pair well with a chocolate dessert.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2010 02:45:31 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.15/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color, with a thin brown head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains milk chocolate, coffee, roasted malts and a very faint touch of hops.

T: The taste starts out with a very hearty roasted malt character that is quickly followed by sweet and creamy flavors of milk chocolate and black coffee. There is a touch of an alcohol sting that tries to poke its way through the malts and the hops presence is very mild but where it should be for the style. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Very tasty, goes down quite easily, slightly filling, strong kick, very good representation of style, this is a very nice big creamy stout worth drinking for a while if you're in the mood for the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 04:52:41 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mokah pours out as a very deep brown color with a creamy looking tan head on it. The lacing has some decent retention along the glass. The smell of this beer is a really good mix of Chocolate and Coffee. It's very sweet smelling and just by the aroma should be considered as a dessert beer or a night cap. The taste had a big amount of coffee upfront that fades into the dark chocolate. The mouthfeel is a thick and rich silky smooth brew that leaves you wanting more. Overall this brew is better than the Jav-ah in my opinion. Although both brew are pretty good all around.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2011 16:19:51 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.65/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to koopa for this one, cheers Dennis!

Pours an effervescent mahogany with 2 fingers of, well mocha colored head. Above average lacing & a trace of head retention

S: Cream, cocoa & coffee, plus grinds, fades a bit a the end, pus a touch of booze

T: Roasty malt, cocoa, chicory, along with dryness & dark chcolate up front. As this warms, I get juicy, singed grain, coffee grinds & dark chocolate, plus a touch of iron & booze. Finishes warming, choclately, with juicy grain, charred grain & vanilla & toffee

MF: Smooth, semi-chewy, skews sweet, but is working for me

Drinks a touch slow between the ABV & heft. I am loving this for what it is, not for everyone I'm sure, but in my wheelhouse! Maybe my ultimate dessert/breakfast beer??? Nah, but close

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 03:16:45 | More by russpowell

Gavage

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: pours a black color with a one finger head that falls to a spotty surface foam. Some spotty lacing develops.

Smell: loads of chocolate rise from the glass. Some hints of coffee are there too.

Taste: big chocolate tones, nice coffee flavors, some prunes sweetness, mild roasted malt flavors, and a decent bitterness make up a superb double stout. Alcohol is warming but not noticable flavorwise.

Mouthfeel: heavy in body. Smooth and creamy throughout with some light dryness late. Aftertaste is long as the flavor linger in the moth for a while.

Drinkability: this is one of the most drinkable beers I have had at this alcohol level. Easy to quaff and numerous glasses could be had over a session but it will hit you eventually. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2009 00:13:52 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

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

22 oz. bottle - poured into snifter:

Pours shiny black (dark brown when looking down into it) with a brown head that descends to thin wisps and a ring. Some dots and "legs" stick.

The smell is of very rich, delicious chocolate backed by roasted coffee.

The taste is of rich chocolate with very nice roasted coffee. They work hand-in-hand with each other and tied together by caramel. The ST house character is there. Sweetness, with a touch of warming, well-incorporated alcohol turns to a bitterish, dry finish.

Full-bodied and very smooth.

A rich chocolate/coffee dessert that has an easy drinkability for its richness and abv.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 01:22:02 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A 650 mL bomber.

A: The stout a dark black color, a hue that swallows up all other colors. An off-white head is nothing more than a thin band around the glass.

S: Decadent chocolate drives the nose. It isn't as sweet or intense as Choklat but I'm not complaining. Lactose and sweet java follow, giving this one a really nice aroma. Southern Tier's track record on stouts and smell is impressive (except for Creme Brulee).

T: Bam, this one hits hard. Mocha is dominant up front, sweet and oily and, frankly, a little heavy. Boozy strength can't hide anywhere in this beast. As the taste evolves, coffee comes through but in a small way. Lactic sweetness, a milky smoothness, follows and interacts nicely with the coffee. Coffee stands out in the finish.

M: Coffee and chocolate are dominant with a lactic sweetness backing them up. What's not to like about that? My only request would be a little more coffee.

D: At 11%, this one is a challenge to get through, especially on a July afternoon (I'm not holding ST accountable for the weather in my score). A bold stout no matter how you slice it.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2009 21:04:51 | More by akorsak