Mokah - Southern Tier Brewing Company

Darkmagus82

Montana

4.4/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into a snifter glass

Appearance – The beer pours a very deep black color with small tan head. The head faded relatively fast to leave a medium level of lacing.

Smell – The smell is big and bold of chocolate and malt. Heaviest is the aroma of a milk chocolate nature; a sweet and very soothing smell. The malt is of a bitter dark roast, balancing out the milk chocolate sweet. Along with the coffee and chocolate are notes of vanilla, caramel, coffee, and cream. Overall it creates an aroma with tons of roasty and cocoa aromas. It smells delicious.

Taste – A heavy roasted malt body with a strong semi-sweet chocolate flavor are the first to meet the tongue. These flavors are big and bold and are soon meet with a lighter coffee flavor as well as flavors of lactose and some burnt caramel. While initially the chocolate was more sweet in nature, it bitters as time goes on, taking on a more bitter dark chocolate taste. As the chocolate transitions the dark roast coffee flavor also intensifies. In the end these favors mix with a very light alcohol flavor, leaving a pleasant sweet yet somewhat roasty taste on the tongue.

Mouthfeel- The body of the beer was on the creamier side with the carbonation level being on the very average side. The body coasted the tongue in all the delicious roast and malt flavors and once the carbonation bubbles are done popping on your tongue it makes for one smooth and silky tasting beer.

Overall – This is a strong and delicious beer. Huge sweet and darker chocolate flavors mixed with a wonderful body and aroma. Fantastic!!

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 00:38:45 | More by Darkmagus82

MaximalC

Illinois

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

Pours deep, dark brown with a modest mocha head. Smells of chocolate and coffee with a strong alcohol component. This beer is big on flavor, with rich dark chocolate and gourmet coffee. The body is smooth and substantive, an excellent complement to the rich taste. The high ABV is respectably mellowed while the beer is still at its coldest (though still hardly invisible). As it warms, the alcohol becomes more strident--the only real flaw I can point out. Normally, I tend to enjoy dark beers more as they warm, but that's not the case here, as the alcohol becomes something of a distraction. The luxurious flavor profile, along with an eagerness to "beat the heat", make this imperial stout way too easy to imbibe without conscience. Another winning stout from Southern Tier.

Serving type: on-tap

07-27-2012 01:19:09 | More by MaximalC

Gobzilla

California

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

A: poured a dark brown in color with brown highlights and a half finger of head that left a little lacing sticking to the glass.

S: lots of chocolatey goodness was popping out of the aroma with good roasty grainy character, coffee, lactic notes, and a little nuttiness as well.

T: the coffee chocolate flavor really blended quite well alongside some roasty grainy notes, hints of hoppy biterness, caramel, and lactic creamy accents.

M: the brew was medium in body with fair amount of carbonation which had a roasty, lactic, sweet, chocolatey, coffee and silky finish.

O: southern tier always comes correct with these theme beers and this one is no exception. Glad I got to try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 09:09:13 | More by Gobzilla

LiquidAmber

Washington

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

Review from 10/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours a deep, black red amber with a light head and lacing. Aroma of dark malts and chocolate. Flavor is similar, sweet and dark malts, chocolate, light caramel and coffee. A nice blend.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 03:12:47 | More by LiquidAmber

One2Remeber

Florida

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

Tulip

A: Dark chocolate colored body. Thick cloudy, film textured head starts to bubble away looking like swiss cheese.

S: Nestle chocolate milk with undertones of licorice. Really have to work to find an alcoholic touch. As it warms up I get a fluffy mellowness I get in marshmallows, but then the alcohol starts to show.

T/M: Big estery yeast taste up front. A creamy, smooth chocolate note. A thick body as hershey syrup/milk shake. Licorice tastes comes out to cover up a boozy finish. Lots of adjuncts and yeast taste, I do not pick up any hops. A more complex malt profile would make the fantastic chocolate taste seem more dynamic.

O: For an Imperial Chocolate Stout this is spot on, but I prefer a more dynamic bill. This is straight forward and ridiculously smooth. This would be great in a bowl of cereal for extra flavor.

Serving type: growler

07-13-2012 01:30:30 | More by One2Remeber

Aaron_R_Bradley

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

After having the creme brûlée stout a few months back and discovering a rekindled interest in "dark" beers, I came across the only bottle of Mokah at the grocery store and snatched it up with high expectations. For the most part, I'd say it delivers and then some.

The pour is nice and thick, but lacks the creamy head and smoothness I'd hoped for.

Smell is fantastic; the chocolate is present, but not overpowering or fake - just the right amount. I would have liked to smell the coffee a bit more though.

Tast is noteworthy and impressive; the chocolate is certainly well balanced and natural tasting, but again I would have liked the coffee notes and taste to be a bit more pronounced. It may sound like a contradiction, but taste is simple and complex at the same time. It's pretty consistent from start to finish and matches the smell.

Mouthfeel is pleasant and mostly smooth, but with a little bit of sharpness in the middle and towards the end that makes it feel more carbonated than it actually is.

Overall, Mokah is impressive and enjoyable. Though I've had similar styles recently that I'd rate higher, its still worth enjoying again. Southernteir has never let me down.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 03:24:34 | More by Aaron_R_Bradley

jpro

South Carolina

4.83/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle from CBX. Poured into a Maudite snifter...

A: Pours a thick black, with a... ahem... mocha head; a few strands of lace cling to the glass; opaque - looks like a imperial stout, for sure.

S: Fudge; Hershey’s syrup; cocoa... WOW! Some graham cracker, too; not much coffee - maybe a little - but the chocolate on this is amazing. Superb aroma.

T: Milk chocolate and cocoa followed by dark chocolate and some semi-sweet bitterness; coffee bean bitterness on the end - not roasty - just a bitter bean flavor. DELICIOUS.

M: Full mouthfeel and creamy / velvety; low-moderate carbonation; a real big beer; not much alcohol or heat, which is crazy considering this is an 11.2% beer.

O: The best Souther Tier beer I’ve had, hands down. Rivals Rogue Double Chocolate Stout for best chocolate stout - this one is unbelievably chocolatey with a smidge of coffee. Great blend of tastes - although not super drinkable due to the abv, sure makes for a good, easy sipper. A great dessert beer. Wonderful.

*from notes (6-22-12)

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 04:07:16 | More by jpro

wethorseblanket

California

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

A: Pours black with dark brown highlights. Somewhat thin (1/8th inch) mocha head which fades to the rim leaving clingy lace.

N: Sweet dark chocolate, earthy, roasted coffee, slight vanilla notes.

T: Oaky roast blast followed immediately with semi-sweet chocolate nibs. Close behind is roasted coffee with a slight acidity. Faint char and nuttiness. With warming the vanilla and toasted oak increases along with the alcohol.

M: Rich, creamy and sweet. Slick and oily. Cloying. Full bodied and mild carbonation.

O: Simply dessert in a glass. Wonderful.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 02:15:59 | More by wethorseblanket

ksimons

New York

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

A-almost black with no highlights seen, a fingers worth of dark tan head leaves some lacing around the top

S-lots of sweet chocolate with a nice roasted coffee smell mixed in

T-rich milk and dark chocolate with a good mix of dark roasted coffee. Well hidden alcohol for such a high ABV beer.

M-full body, milkshake quality, light to medium carbonation

Overall an excellent chocolate coffee beer, great smell and taste with an amazingly thick body

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 22:37:33 | More by ksimons

martyl1000

Wisconsin

4.88/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Damn. I'm speechless. If I could have brewed the beer of my dreams, this would be it. The only drawback I could perceive was a weak head.

I think a true beer geek might scoff at my praise, here, that this is the Disney Land of big beers, the stuff of childhood fantasy. True, the chocolate and sweetness might please a seven-year-old. But I would say the hop bitterness in the finish is serious enough to establish this beer as a serious adult pleasure.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 04:39:03 | More by martyl1000

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.7/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewery. Served in a goblet. 

Pours jet black with half finger of light tan head that laces nicely on the way down. 

Nice nose of rich chocolate, roast coffee, burnt sugars & caramel. Very nice. 

Wow! Even the outstanding smell didn't prepare me for this superb blend. The coffee comes through fresh from the tap in a way it never has in bottles for me. It's followed by that rich chocolate flavor that Southern Tier does better than anyone else. Aside from that there is molasses, subtle fig/date, vanilla and a hint if bitter hopping. So many outstanding layers that almost completely mask the 10+% abv. 

Creamy smooth medium thick feel with appropriately subtle carbonation. 

Outstanding! Mokah rivals Creme Brulee as my favorite of the Blackwater series. Fresh on tap I can really catch the near perfect mixture of Jahva and Choklat. Delicious and worth a try. It also ages well so don't shy away from any old bottles you may run across. 

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2012 23:57:53 | More by ThickNStout

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

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

Dark as black but just the darkest of browns. Modest head forms a ring in no time. Looks thick like chocolate milk.

Smells like chocolate milk, too. Mocha powder, lactose, milk chocolate, light coffee, and mild roastiness.

Tastes like a hot cocoa/coffee mix with cream and two sugars. Mild bitterness amplifies in the finish and reminds you that it's beer. A lot of mid-palate coffee drowned in lactose and flavored with cocoa nibs. Some earthiness through hops and char-roast. Hints of licorice and blackberries. Exceptional.

Creamy and thick. Huge body with a medium carb at work. Very sticky and gluggy.

Unreal beer. Literally, hard to believe they nailed this down. Decadent and desserty. Loads of flavor. Nothing off about it. Ballsy and spot on. Among the killers of the Southern Tier lineup.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2012 04:02:47 | More by thecheapies

Kaiser_Biermann

5/5  rDev +19%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I love Imperial Stouts, mix that with chocolate and coffee and you have a winner.

To the untrained palate this one will be a little over the top. A conditioned craft beer drinker will enjoy this one. There are so many hidden flavor profiles in this beer.

This is now one of my favorite beers. Great job Southern Tier!

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 20:44:58 | More by Kaiser_Biermann

quirkzoo

Colorado

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

Pours straight black with a very thin brown head.

Boom! Hersheys chocolate syrup all over the place. I get a touch of coffee behind the syrup but not much else. Really intense aroma.

Very sweet, lots of different chocolatey flavors, chocolate syrup, chocolate milk, bittersweet baking chocolate. Again some coffee hiding behind the chocolate. Actually a surprisingly strong bitterness which is necessary to balance the sweetness of the chocolate. A bit of an alcoholic burn in the aftertaste which is not unpleasant.

The mouthfeel was odd. It was very sweet but also somewhat thin considering how potent the aroma and flavor are.

Overall, this is an interesting sipping beer. Had a little for dessert and then some with some ice cream, my dad couldn't finish his glass. Very intense, worth trying if you like beer on the sweeter side.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 22:50:56 | More by quirkzoo

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- Pitch black with a half finger of a brownish head, little retention. Decent alcohol legs.

S- LOTs of coffee and chocolate. Smells like tootsie rolls and coffee. Abitter dark fruitiness as well.

T- Big bitterness up front. A good bit of coffee flavors as well as a bunch of dark chocolate. A strange dark fruitiness that im not sure compliments the flavors well but all the flavors are here in full force.

M- Very full beer, quite smooth as well. its bitter but not overly so and has good carbonation. Sticky mouth and a fruity aftertaste.

O- This is another good stout from Southern Tier. I wasnt fond of the strange fruitiness that blended in with the other flavors. Other then that, great stout.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 02:46:16 | More by TwelveOunces

Greywulfken

New York

3.95/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: well black with a deep tan head

S: no mistaking the coffee aroma and chocolatey notes

T: sweet blend of coffee and chocolate flavors

M: thinner in body that I expected, some sticky sweetness

O: a bit much on the sweet side for what I was expecting, and I also thought that maybe the flavors were too bold - meaning, other than sweet coffee and chocolate, I didn't much pick up on anything else. I loved Southern Tier's Pumking because it has such a rich pumpkin and holiday spice flavor, but I was rooting for more complexity here. I think I liked their Jahva better; have yet to try their Choklat

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 00:14:08 | More by Greywulfken

dorianmarley

Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is very dark brown/black with a bubbly, fluffy head and lacing that fades slowly.

Nose jumps out of the glass with chocolate and hints of coffee.

Taste is very sweet, with chocolate and banana, and a nuttiness from the malt that gives it some balance. Coffee essence is in the finish.

Mouthfeel has a lot of drinkability despite its potent alcohol and flavors. Carbonation is medium-mild.

Overall, it makes a nice dessert beer, but can be cloying on its own.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2012 03:08:44 | More by dorianmarley

BostonHops

Massachusetts

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

pours a dark brown/black with a finger of tan head.

its aroma is probably its best attribute: sure smells tasty. chocolate leads the way, along with coffee, vanilla and booze, with some roasted malt also strongly evident.

taste follows the smell; obviously chocolate, with big notes of coffee, roasted malt. sweet. hefty ABV not as well hidden as in others within the style. full-bodied mouthfeel, a bit syrupy.

one to sit back and slowly enjoy. very tasty imperial stout rendition from southern tier. that said, one glass of the stuff will suffice.

originally reviewed on: 06-25-2010

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 15:09:28 | More by BostonHops

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

Split a bomber with a couple friends. Can't say I'm surprised that like ST's other big, dark beers, this is on the sweet and syrupy side. It's not as a over-the-edge as the Creme Brulee, but I might enjoy this more on a scoop of vanilla ice cream than solo. Why? Well the beer is dominated by an almost cloying cocoa, with very minimal mocha notes. I wouldn't have guessed it's a coffee beer really (OK, it's a blend of Jahva and Choklat), many stout get more java flavor from their roasted malts. That said, it's makes for a tasty dessert beer with more balanced malts (against the chocolate, not the hops) than the Choklat. For my money, I'd just get the Jahva.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 04:15:59 | More by tempest

drpimento

Wisconsin

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

High speed, heavy weight train delivering mocha to my mouth. Served at a good temperature with a nice foamy, tan head that settled after a bit and lots of lace. Color is an opaque black brown. Aroma is cocoa foremost, then malt, roast, hint coffee. Flavor's the same but with sweetness playing heavy role along side the rich cocoa flavor and roasty, caramel, slight acid qualities. Body is good but with slight oddities. Finish is good for a solo serving; kind of rich for more than that.

Serving type: on-tap

04-24-2012 05:01:17 | More by drpimento

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

From 22oz bomber to Bruges hybrid glass on 4/4/12
*From notes

Vintage 2010

A: Like Southern Tier's Jah-va, the presentation is disappointing. Ugly, drab brown in hue. A firm, hard pour yields a meager head that falls so fast that I can't even measure it.

S: Damn this smells good. Chocolate covered malted milk balls envelop my schnoz and won't let go.

T: Candied chocolate and sugar hit first. The coffee that once was prevalent is no longer, instead we've got this extremely sweet and chocolaty brew. As it warms though, a bit of coffee does comes to pass, and it really begins drinking like one of those bottled, milk based Starbucks coffees.

M: Not what I'd hoped for. It needs more viscosity. Too sharp. It feels unfinished.

O: Not as good as their Choklat, nor as bad as their Jah-va. This is right in the middle, and something that has aged pretty well. I wouldn't go out of my way to store this for long periods of time, but if you like more of a candied quality to your sweet stouts, this is a prime candidate.

A decent beer overall (fresh or cellared), though not one I feel the urge to return to often. Or ever, actually. Just a bit too sweet.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 22:05:33 | More by Rhettroactive

mdaschaf

Washington

4.08/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours black with a small khaki head on top, about a finger in height when poured. Not much retention, reducing to a thin ring. Minimal lacing.

S: Lots of chocolate and mocha, but not really much in the way of coffee, which for me is fine.

T: Similar to the aroma with lots of chocolate and some mocha, with very little coffee. Slightly sweet, but not over the top like other beers in this series.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth.

O: Really like this beer, more than the others I have had in the series, except choklat, because it is not over the top sweet.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2012 01:22:46 | More by mdaschaf

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.23/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

this beer pours a dark black with almost no head. Strong notes of chocolate and coffee in the nose. The taste follows with an additional astringency from the alcohol. There is a tasty chocolate aftertaste with a residual cocoa pebbles... It's a tasty beer that reminds me of chokolat, but is distinct at the same time. The price point and availability are excellent and it's definitely worth the money.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2012 20:56:12 | More by ThePorterSorter

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Mokah pours flat black with ruby highlights around the edges. On top a small fizzy tan head forms. The foam disappears quickly leaving only a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is sweet with notes of chocolate, dark fruit and alcohol. The chocolate reminds me of Hershey syrup.

Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is syrupy, with a moderate carbonated fizz. The flavor is sweet and full of chocolate. Other flavors of nuts, dark fruit, grass and alcohol are also present. It finishes mildly bitter with lingering chocolate and alcohol when gone.

A very sweet and chocolaty beer with a warming alcohol kick.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 02:03:11 | More by WanderingFool

hardy008

Minnesota

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

Dark black with a small tan head which fades quickly to a small round disc of foam. Smells like dark chocolate and coffee. The chocolate aroma is much stronger than the coffee aroma, which surprises me a little bit, but I won't complain. The chocolate aroma is amazing.

Nice flavor to this beer. Chocolate, coffee, and dark roasted malt. A sweet beer which has some bitterness, but not enough to provide much balance. Then again, this beer doesn't need much balance, it is very good as it is.

Medium bodied with average carbonation. Has a sweet chocolate aftertaste, and the alcohol is barely detectable. A very nice beer, which I will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 03:21:05 | More by hardy008