Mission St. Anniversary Ale 2012 - Steinhaus Brewing Co.

1Adam12

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

05-11-2012 23:52:45 | More by 1Adam12

Zachtheporter

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

04-27-2013 20:50:35 | More by Zachtheporter

RhodyNative

California

4/5  rDev +9.3%

04-21-2013 22:41:43 | More by RhodyNative

fox227

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

04-06-2013 02:24:38 | More by fox227

Kendo

New York

3.98/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

2013 Edition, consumed on 3/26/13, exactly 5 hours before an anniversary of my own. . . .

A: Poured from the bomber into a Sam Smith's nonic-style imperial pint glass. Body is dark brown that shows some haziness and orangey-amber edges when backlit. Small khaki-colored head on top leaves some stray lacing.

S: What comes to mind is a homebrewed Brown Ale that I brewed some 15 years ago. Burnt caramel, brown sugar, molasses and a hint of char. Slight waft of booze.

T: Pretty much follows the nose, though the alcohol is pretty noticeable. Toasty malt, burnt bread, caramel malt and brown sugar all come to mind, along with a slight nuttiness toward the back of the sip. Booze warms the belly, and while it's noticed in the taste, isn't obnoxious or overwhelming. Tannic bitterness in the aftertaste provides a bit of balance.

M: A little lighter in heft than desired for a beer of this strength. Call it medium in weight, but a tad bit on the thinnish side. Carbonation is modestly prickly.

O: This is solid stuff, dollar for dollar (I think I paid $3.99 for this bomber, though I'm not 100% sure - it may have been $2.99). Not earth-shattering, but a really good beer that tastes like an Imperial Brown/Porter blend (I'm not getting any real stout characteristics). I would buy this again, which is probably the first time I've said that about any of the Trader Joe's beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 01:11:57 | More by Kendo

aranton

New York

3/5  rDev -18%

03-27-2013 00:46:49 | More by aranton

tectactoe

Michigan

3.69/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to Jeff for splitting this one with me. I believe he said he got it from Trader Joe's. Pours a burnt brown and ruby red hybrid mix with reasonable clarity, save for a bit of chill haze that takes over the middle. A small, off-white head recedes quickly into a ring and leaves no lacing behind.

This beer is listed on this site as an "American Strong Ale" but I was under the impression this was basically an "Imperial Brown Ale". Then I read that it was a blend of a strong brown, and imperial stout, and a porter. The mix must have been about 80/10/10, in favor of the brown ale, because this thing smells like almost nothing but an imperial brown. Pretty sweet and malty up front, though a bit more potent and commanding than most lower gravity browns. Light brown sugar, heavily toasted caramel, mild toffee, and a bit of nuttiness that lingers into the end. Very, very faint cocoa powder, but it's somewhat of a stretch. Virtually no hops, or at least none that come out in the aroma. It smells good, but the aroma is kind of straightforward and generic. I wasn't getting many imperial stout or porter notes.

Boozy caramel is the first thing I taste when I take a sip, and it would prove to be the most dominant flavor throughout the entire course of the bottle. The booze is certainly present, although it's controlled and tamed fairly well. Pretty sweet and sugar; candied dark fruits (plums and raisins) with heavier (darker) dates and prunes joining near the end. Lots of toffee and a heavy bready coating that lacquers the palate after only a few sips. The aftertaste has a heavy contribution of caramel malt, toasted so much that it's almost burnt. A little bit of nuttiness opens up as the beer warms, and it meshes nicely with the few dark fruit notes that survive into the finish. Silky mouth feel, thinner than expected with low carbonation.

Good to see some of the imperial stout and porter notes come out a little more in the taste, although they were still heavily sedated and this could have easily just been labeled as an Imperial Brown without any argument. Decent all around, nothing too special or lavish, but pretty good considering the price (under 4$ for a bomber). I would have it again just for that reason.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 16:25:36 | More by tectactoe

Auraan

Arizona

4.36/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review of the 2013 edition. Poured a rich dark brown with a nice half-finger of off-white head that stuck around but didn't leave a lot of lacing. Scents of chocolate, coffee and some sweet malt. Flavor is sweet malt, chocolate notes, slight coffee and some nutty notes on the finish. There is also a slight hint of alcohol and a slight bit of hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, not too thick with a medium carbonation level. An excellent blend of a brown ale, an Imperial stout and a porter, with hints of all three. Firestone brewed up a good beer, slapped a different name on it and put it on Trader Joe's shelves for $3.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 06:13:34 | More by Auraan

fx20736

New York

3.89/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

2013 edition bought from Trader Joe's on 3/23/13. Poured from a 22 oz bomber into a mug, served at room temp.

Dark Brown, almost black with a walnut shell tan head that fades quickly and leaves little lacing.

aroma: slightly underpowered but roasted malt, a touch of molasses and a light citrus hoppiness.

mouthfeel:soft but solid. good.

taste: toasted black malt, a touch of dark treacle with a slight kiss of citrus rind at the end.

notes: sort of a Dark IPA with some sweetness thrown in. not bad although it took me a while to get my head around this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 17:07:41 | More by fx20736

TonyY

New York

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

03-15-2013 00:59:02 | More by TonyY

leprakhan

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

03-10-2013 08:35:57 | More by leprakhan

JHausCaribe

3.9/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a review of the new 2013 Mission Street Anniversary Ale. After reading the reviews from the 2012 version it appears that the 2013 is a touch better. It's a sweet Imperial Brown Ale. For $3 a 22oz bomber and 8.5 ABV it's a great beer. I'm a hop head for sure but even though this beer is mellow on hops it's still there ... especially in the finish. What you get is a great blended strong Brown Ale (roasted and malty) with a bit more hops than you would normally find in this style. Not much head and not overwhelming to the nose but who cares ... this beer tastes great.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 06:03:26 | More by JHausCaribe

droomyster

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber pours a dark brown body with a small soapy head with decent retention. Aromas are good but subdued in intensity; I get mainly toasty aromas with a suggestion of autumnal woodsiness. Taste is outstanding in its complexity and balance. Toasty flavors are dominant on the front on the mid-palates, with a roasted nuttiness and light earthy bitterness emerging just before sweeter cocoa and toffee notes shine through on the finish. A truly delicious beer. Medium-full body, austere flavor profile. My favorite of the Steinhaus lineup.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 04:30:48 | More by droomyster

t0rin0

California

4.25/5  rDev +16.1%

02-20-2013 04:14:42 | More by t0rin0

mjpolzin

Wisconsin

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Better than I thought it would be but not as good as some other brown ales. This bottle was a little over a year old when I cracked it open so I don't have anything fresh to compare it to. The caramel, sweet, dark fruit flavor that starts to come through in a brown ale was there but it was slightly watery and the mouthfeel was slightly thin. For the price, this beer is good but not great.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 03:22:20 | More by mjpolzin

brandoman63

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9.3%

01-30-2013 04:52:10 | More by brandoman63

nkp765

Iowa

4/5  rDev +9.3%

12-28-2012 19:21:34 | More by nkp765

lvoutlawjlh

Nebraska

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

11-05-2012 22:14:07 | More by lvoutlawjlh

drewone

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.5%

10-24-2012 00:23:09 | More by drewone

Guden

Maryland

4.3/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A- Deep brown with one finger of cream colored head that refuses to fade. Looks like a decent American brown.

S- Luscious caramel is the first thing, deeper in the mix is burnt buttered popcorn, cherry soda and a touch of pine.

T- Again butter and caramel seem to dominate with cherry soda, raisins, pine and burnt toast also in the mix.

M- Thick and creamy with subdued carbonation. It fills the mouth and coats the tongue in a very inviting and invigorating way.

O- Have to say that I really enjoyed this one. Didn't know what to expect at all but was very nicely surprised. Seems like it would continue to age nicely, if only I had a few more.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 03:09:05 | More by Guden

Falcone

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

10-11-2012 00:13:35 | More by Falcone

HoshuaJobbs

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

10-08-2012 21:42:30 | More by HoshuaJobbs

marct

Nevada

4/5  rDev +9.3%

09-28-2012 05:35:40 | More by marct

wendylg

5/5  rDev +36.6%

09-13-2012 15:53:27 | More by wendylg

Hanzo

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -4.4%

08-22-2012 00:29:04 | More by Hanzo