Mole Stout - Ska Brewing Co.

Auracom

Illinois

1.8/5  rDev -50%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.5

Thanks Dan! 5 oz. poured into a C&B tulip on November 9th, 2012.

A - Thin for the style. Deep brown with very little frothy, tan head. Decent amount of alcohol legs.

S - The overall aroma does smell a bit like mole, but its not a particularly complex or big recipe. Cinnamon, light chocolate, coffee grounds, and a little roast.

T - Any promise of the smell is shot down. Light on every flavor here, which includes further cinnamon, dark chocolate, chipotle pepper, and espresso. A bit of dried, caky dirt.

M - Very thin, light body. Low carbonation. Semi dry finish. Feels incredibly watery.

D - Bleh. The feel is among the worst I've experienced in the style. Aroma had a bit of hope but nothing can save this one. Honest drainpour.

Serving type: can

12-05-2012 22:20:24 | More by Auracom

coreyfmcdonald

Georgia

2.48/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz can into a snifter

A: Pours pitch black with two fingers of off white foam that quickly settled to nearly nothing. Horrendous head retention.

S: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and slight chile peppers. I get a bit of milk chocolate in the background. I get really no malt or malt aroma at all, really nothing resembling beer.

T: Slightly smoky chile peppers upfront with cocoa nibs, cinnamon, and nutmeg in the bakcground. Though the flavors are nice, there are really no typical beer flavors at all in this beer.

M: Thin with very low carbonation.

O: A decent drink, but not a very good beer. I really can't taste anything outside of the chocolate, chiles, and spices.

Serving type: can

01-05-2013 00:07:36 | More by coreyfmcdonald

mfnmbvp

Illinois

2.48/5  rDev -31.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

12 fl oz. can, with a best by date of 02/23/2013, so I am a little late to the party, but I'm not scared. Well, not too scared at least. I have already drank 4 cans out of the 6, and so far they were all gushers, so I'm expecting this one to explode also and pour ignorant amounts of foam.

Poured into a St. Bernardus Watou chalice.

A - It's official; it is impossible to pour this beer without spilling some of it and having splatter go flying all over. Impossible. Even a gentle pour generates a ridiculous three and a half fingers of fizzy bubbling mocha colored head. The short-lived head is the best looking thing about this beer while it lasts; it fizzles out immediately and leaves behind a flat looking body. Body is a dark brown / opaque black color, but still appears watery and thin. Looks more like a cola than it does a beer.

S - Smell is musty, yeasty, & carbonated. Some light coffee bean roast, chocolate, and chiles.

T - Body is over carbonated, tingly, metallic. Chile spice is hot and rough & grainy. Gives the beer a pervasive hotness which comes off too strong, drowns out the coffee and chocolate flavors, and leaves the beer feeling too spicy & feeling like it has more alcohol than it actually does.

M - Feel is crisp and carbonated. Again, this is more akin to a cola than it is a stout. Not a very heavy beer, just doesn't sit well with me. Hot, peppery aftertaste.

Overall, a failure of a beer from Ska Brewing Co. in my opinion. I can't really pick out a single thing I enjoy about this beer. Gushes foamy head everywhere, flat appearance, smells & tastes like a soda mixed with taco seasoning, with a pervasive chile presence. This isn't a stout, this is just a chile soda with some alcohol added. Avoid.

Ska Brewing Mole Stout ---2.5/5

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 19:38:53 | More by mfnmbvp

tdm168

North Carolina

2.58/5  rDev -28.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap at The Pit.

A - dark black with no head but fizzy bubbles like a soda

S - very faint nose, maybe some cinnamon

T - faint roasted malts, cola, faint chocolate, cinnamon

M - medium bodied but it's overcarbonated which thins it out a great deal

This was incredibly disappointing. It tastes like cola with cinnamon. There may be some more spice to this than just cinnamon but it gets buried under the intense cola flavor. I'll be avoiding this at all costs.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2012 08:19:33 | More by tdm168

EvanM

2.6/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This beer came essentially flat and tastes like someone pored a little stout into and old cola. It is somewhat interesting and does have some spice and heat but to me just not enough stout flavor to really qualify it as a stout. I usually love everything from SKA so I was really excited when I saw this in the store and did not hesitate to buy it. Really disappointing.

Serving type: can

10-28-2012 23:26:53 | More by EvanM

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.93/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a black color with thin beige head, around the .65" range. Decent lacing on one side of the glass. Aroma, didn't really scream chile beer, it did have a strong spice cabinet, heavy on the cinnamon and nutmeg more than anything else. Instead of cocao, it came off more like cola. The spice? Meh.

Taste followed in a similar vein to the aroma, not enough two row, too much spice rack shit. It was one of those beers that was unique for about 2 oz. Then every 2 oz. after that became more taxing, less enjoyable. Had too much carbonation too. You can tell in the mouthfeel that there are peppers there, and the flavor of them isn't too bad, they're just accompanied by too much other weird stuff that is distracting and a negative effect on the overall beer. Tastes like it has more alcohol than it does.

I would actually like this beer without the cinnamon, nutmeg and whatever. Stick with the basics in a chile beer. Chiles, chocolate, 2 row.

Serving type: can

03-01-2013 06:20:21 | More by Beerandraiderfan

sir-knifes-alot

Colorado

2.95/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

My first time reviewing a beer. Given this is a new release and has a fair amount of (local) hype around it, I feel like this is a good beer for my first review.

Poured from a can into an Avery pint glass.

A: Dark, almost black with a little burgundy hew to hit. Poured with a slight head, mocha in color, and vanishes instantly

S: Very nice. roasted malts, coffee/dark chocolate, cinnamon, chillies and vanilla. Definitely the best part of this beer.

T: Disappointing. With such a nice aroma I had high hopes for the beer. Falls very flat, with the "pumpkin pie" spice taking over. Slight hint of the coffee/chocolate coming through at the end, and if it wasn't for that I'd think I was drinking a pumpkin beer.

M: Has none. No carbonation, and no viscosity...feels like a glass of water.

O: Extremely disappointed. A lot of locals were/are really looking forward to this, and, personally, I don't think it has lived up to the excitement. It doesn't scream mole (or stout for that matter) too me. Just tastes like someone poured a mediocre pumpkin beer into a very mediocre stout.

Serving type: can

09-29-2012 07:37:05 | More by sir-knifes-alot

Ispeakforthetrees

Colorado

3.03/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Cracked 10/4.
I got these literally fresh from the distributor. Went into the store at 4, came back with a BA bud at 9 and bam! They had appeared in the mix-6. Picked up 2 because the owner said he only scored a case and there has been some buzz about them.
The beer smells like a mix of mexican spices my canadian mother uses in her tacos at home. The head on it disappears rapidly however, and with my second of the two brews I attempted to aggitate the hell out of the head to no success.
The mouthfeel is of a porter or even a Rauchbier, nothing of a stout. It is too smooth and too light.
Overall the beers taste hits its goals, cinnamon comes through as well as some sort of cayan pepper like flavoring. It is not offsetting, but it is certainly not sessionable.

Serving type: can

10-04-2012 23:27:30 | More by Ispeakforthetrees

beer2day

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Dark brown pour with 1-finger of brown cream head. No retention and zero lace.

Caramel malt, cocoa, and a milky sweetness define the nose. Not unappealing, but not overly nice either. Cocoa lends a nice flavor, but the sweetness is a little much. Getting a hint of pepper.

Flavor is more cocoa, caramel, but the pepper gives a hint of cinnamon, at least at first. Pepper comes in at the very end and lends a bit of fire to the back of tongue.

Feel is very thin. I realize the abv is fairly low, but the feel is just too thin.

Overall, worth a shot if you like pepper. I'd pass on it if I saw it again.

Serving type: can

10-05-2012 02:14:02 | More by beer2day

bark

Sweden

3.2/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

The colour is dark cold brown (50 EBC), the liquid is clear. There is no head, foam or lacing at all.

The dry smell is fruity-spicy with distinct hot notes of reserved chili fruits. Green peppers, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger.

The taste is spicy, but not as hot as I ha expected. Mostly nutmeg and cinnamon. Behind the spices, I think I can discern a clean and dry stout with some burned malts. Some clean bitterness, some malt sourness. Cocoa and toffee. Medium body. The aftertaste got growing chili notes and some alcohol. Cola beans and a light spicy sweetness. The finish is warming with some lingering bitter flavours and sweet toffee flavours.

The carbonation is medium strong, the small bubbles sharp and short-lived. The liquid is light and a little dry.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2013 18:55:50 | More by bark

tut2528

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

shout out to fatbeats for this one! thanks man

A: pours with moderate viscosity, black as night with no transparency, minimal head formation that dissipates rather quickly leaving no film.

S: wow this is interesting and massively complex. at first I feel that it resembles the cologne/smell of an elderly man. but the more I analyze it I begin to pick up coffee grounds, smoke, strong tobacco, black pepper, cinnamon, cocoa and licorice. all are very much there and make them selves present

T: wow this is definitely a spice bomb. I pick up on a big cocoa backbone, black peppers, black licorice, a mild smokiness and a mixture of vegetables. the spiciness (meaning the heat) definitely kicks in during the finish and leaves a tingling on the lips

M: medium bodied, minimal carbonation, spicy feel on the palate.

O: this is my first chile beer, and I must say that I had no idea what to expect from this kind of brew. I was surprised on just how complex the aroma was of this brew and even in the taste. The spices really dominate the body along with a huge cocoa backbone and I feel that its a war between bold spiciness and sweet cocoa thus creating a slight imbalance. To be honest, I would not think of this as being a beer because of the immense spices.

Serving type: can

10-17-2012 02:56:02 | More by tut2528

wedge

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Making an impulsive batch of chili on a brisk autumn evening. I figured this is as good a night as any to crack this.

Almost black in color with a sliver of chestnut across the bottom, capped by a nice creamy looking head that is there one second and completely gone the next. Aromas of cinnamon sweetness and semi-chocolaty malt, modest chili smoke, and fruity esters. A little more pepper character in the flavor. Cocoa sweetness, cola, spices. No real heat at all. Increased chocolate flavor as it warms up. Medium bodied and very lightly carbonated which takes some of the life out of it. If they get the carbonation fixed in future batches, this will definitely be better.

Serving type: can

10-09-2012 00:30:19 | More by wedge

Sunnanek

Sweden

3.3/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours dark brown, almost black with a small reddish brown airy head that aggresivly dissipates rapidly - the sizzeling sound is LOUD. No lacings.

S: Roasted dark malts, somewhat sweet. Milk chocolate and faint coffee, but obviously also chili peppers.

T: Vanilla and dusty dry coffee along with grinded cocoa-beans. Nutmeg and cinnamon. Hard roasted malt. Some, not too obvious chili peppers.

M: Aftertaste lingers with dark malty sweetness along with some dry bitterness. Body is smooth and medium while no carbonation is noticable.

O: Not very exciting. Well crafted but a bit too modest for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 19:35:57 | More by Sunnanek

KajII

North Carolina

3.33/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

[Suggested Glassware: Nonic Pint]

The pour was a murky dark brown with a small (less than 1 finger) fizzy light brown head that was fully diminishing and had no lacing at all.

The aroma was of a roasted malt and a leathery doughy yeast with notes of dark roasted coffee, dark chocolate, molasses and a mild hint of chilis.

The taste was much like the aroma, lightly sweet and a tad malty with a touch of chocolate and molasses early on and then becoming very lightly bitter with a shot of coffee and a hard to notice hint of the chili peppers towards the finish. The flavor lasted an average time after the swallow, with a mildly bitter mocha coffee taste and a super light peppery feel at the very end.

Mouthfeel was medium in body with a thin watery texture and an almost mild carbonation.

Overall this brew was not what I expected from a Chili Stout. I am always leary about peppery beers, but this one was very tasty with just a light peppery presence. I can see myself having this again...

http://www.facebook.com/KAJIIsBeerReviews

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 18:23:18 | More by KajII

homebrew311

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

One of the coolest style of beers I've seen in a can to date.... let's see how it holds up to my favorite Mexican sauce. Appearance is a fizzy opaque brownish black. Head is non existent, as is any form of lacing. As I take a long deep smell, the first thing that comes to mind is Red Hots candy. This candy cinnamon quality remains at the forefront and basically dominates other notes. There's some mild dry cocoa in the background. The taste is similar. Candy cinnamon a la Big Red gum or Red Hot candy, plus dry cocoa, and a touch of roasty malt profile. The finish features more cinnamon and chocolate with the chili leaving almost zero heat. The mouth feel is a bit prickly with a medium body. Overall, this beer is enjoyable, but not amazing like I was hoping. New Belgium's Cocoa Mole pulled this off in a much better way. This brew feels like a novelty "candy" beer. Interesting nonetheless.

Serving type: can

10-09-2012 23:04:26 | More by homebrew311

dbossman

Nebraska

3.38/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A: Black with a quickly dissipating fizzy head to a point where there is absolutely no head--looks like a cola in that respect; lacing is non-existent

S: Lots of spices up front--smells like a pumpkin pie and then comes the pepper--sweet and spicy; some roasted chocolate malts but mostly a ton of pepper and autumnal spices

T: The pepper is subtle but it plays well off the sweet chocolatey malts; the spices are also much more subdued than I would have thought--based off the aroma profile; this is balanced up front but unfortunately the sweetness becomes almost overpowering toward the finish--cloying actually

F: A touch thin and undercarbonated but the pepper and chocolate provide a chalky and sticky presence that more than makes up for it

O: What a strange, interesting beer; it looks like "still" cola but it sure tastes different; I like elements of a lot of this beer and I hate elements of a little bit of this beer; hmmm

Serving type: can

05-03-2013 12:59:51 | More by dbossman

atomicbeer

New Mexico

3.39/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

Pours black as coal with a very quick tan-brown head. Looks like burnt motor oil. Aroma is dark chocolate covered nuts, cinnamon, nutmeg, very dark roast barley, and bourbon. Taste follows the aroma and has a bittersweet chocolate tang finish. Not getting any of the chile. The boozy bourbon taste leads one to believe this is more than a 5.5% ABV. This reminds me of bourbon filled chocolates. Had this with a chicken mole burrito. Not very food friendly. Would be better with chocolate - Senior Murphy Chile Cream Chocolates to be exact!

Serving type: can

05-11-2013 02:08:01 | More by atomicbeer

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.43/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had to ding the appearance because while this beer started out with a huge head it was almost immediately gone. Dark black with a few bubbles at the surface. Aroma is cinnamon, cocoa, peppers, pretty good. Flavor follows suit but is really not robust enough and feels like it has a watery aftertaste. Both Cocoa Mole from New Belgium and Mexican Chocolate Stout from Copper Kettle are better beers, probably due to the body being thicker.

Serving type: can

09-29-2012 19:17:54 | More by ArrogantB

gtermi

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a very dark black body with a thin head that quickly fades to nothing.

S: A bit of spice, peppers and cocoa

T: This beer has a weird cocoa and spice flavor with a bit of bitterness from the stout.

M: Goes down with ease and has a tiny bit of crispness on the back of the tongue.

O: Solid different beer. Would try again

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 02:35:18 | More by gtermi

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.46/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Seems like the cinnamon chocolate stout craze is catching on. Fine with me

Dark pour, a bit inky with a semi flat head. Slick.

Aroma is nice, perhaps a bit discombobulated. Cinnamon and chocolate are alive yet struggle to separate from each other. Hard to pick out

Flavors of cinnamon and chocolate are more pronounced yet still a touch weak. There smoothness just needs to come through more. Chile flavor is even weaker, and the chile spice is overcome a bit by some sweetness.
Still, a darn fine beer, just needs a bit of fine tuning. Great dessert beer

Serving type: can

03-31-2013 18:48:04 | More by Mebuzzard

afluentturtle

Texas

3.48/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a can into a snifter.

Appearance: Poured a dark brown/off black with a small amount of head. No lacing.

Smell: Toasted malts, hint of vanilla, some chocolate, that's about it.

Taste: Non descript stout, chocolate hints, slightly woody. I can't taste any chile peppers at all.

Mouthfeel: Feels pretty light, smoot, not much carbonation. Very easy to drink and I would for sure drink this again of it was free.

Honestly wasn't that special, maybe it needs somthing to set it apart but for me it was just another dark beer. I couldn't find any chile peppers in this brew at all.

Serving type: can

12-28-2012 01:21:13 | More by afluentturtle

denver10

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with a nice dark brown head. Head retention is not a strength for this one. Aroma is dominated by the cinnamon, underneath there is a touch of some roastiness, chocolate, and heat from the peppers. Flavor again started strong on the cinnamon, perhaps a touch too strong, but then in the rear there is some cocoa, something offering a little sweetness, some roastiness, and a hit of some bitterness in the finish.This isn't hot in any uncomfortable way, but there is definitely heat to it. I thought the mouthfeel on this was nice, medium bodied, a little creamy. Overall, I enjoyed this beer. Not on par with Cocoa Mole (only other chile stout/porter I have tried) but I am glad to have been able grab a sixer of this.

Serving type: can

09-30-2012 04:16:46 | More by denver10

MickeyBeer

Illinois

3.56/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz can poured into a pint glass

A- Pours a deep brownish black that is almost opaque. About one finger of tan head that dissipates quickly.

S- I pick up on chocolate and coffee aromas and a little bit of a peppery smell. Also picking smell some roasted malts.

T- The dominating flavors are coffee and burnt cocoa but I can also pick up on the peppers. They are not overwhelming and do not add any real spiciness, but they do add an interesting flavor. It is sweet with the slightest bit of hop presence.

M- Pretty light mouthfeel for a stout with a moderate amount of carbonation. Pretty crisp for a stout.

O-Tasty brew in my opinion and certainly not a typical stout. I wish it was a little more full bodied but I would have it again.

Serving type: can

01-29-2013 01:59:26 | More by MickeyBeer

obrike

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Intrigued by the can, so I picked up a single at Round Rock Specs.

Poured a dark brown, not quite black into my 512 pint glass. Minimal head receeded quite quickly. Leaves absolutely no lace...almost looks like a cola.

Smells nice. Getting some fall spices...almost pumpkin beer spices...cinammon, nutmeg, cocoa. A bit of mild chili spice kicking in as well. I like it.

Taste follows suit. Getting the sweet spices upon first sip, followed by some of the peppers at the end...lingering on the throat. Interesting beer. A little thin, but again, this is actually officially labeled as a Chile Beer, not a Stout, so i won't ding it too much for mouthfeel. Roasted malt and chili bring an interesting flavor.

My first venture into Chili beer, I'd like to try a few more and compare to this one. This is certainly a unique style and I applaud Ska for brewing it.

Serving type: can

10-20-2012 22:18:20 | More by obrike

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque black in color with some crimson red highlights visible at the edges of the glass. The beer has a thin (less than quarter finger) beige head that reduces to absolutely nothing. No lacing is observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of cinnamon with some lighter notes of chocolate and chilis.

T: Moderate flavors of dark malts, coffee, cinnamon, bittersweet dark chocolate, and some chilis. There is a light amount of bitterness and chili heat in the finish.

M: Medium bodied with light amounts of carbonation.

O: Probably the easiest drinking beer I have tried in the Chile beer style and it has a nice complexity of flavors to it. Not something I would want to have multiple in a session but definitely an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: can

12-23-2012 23:31:51 | More by dbrauneis