Mole Stout - Ska Brewing Co.

kylehay2004

Florida

3.6/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: no head on a near completely black body with little light getting through forming a red tinge.

S: chiles, chocolate, roasted malt and hint of vanilla.

T: the one is very complex. cola, cinnamon, grass, vanilla, chile, chocolate, smokey, roasted malts. This one is all over the place.

M: medium body, thin for what I was wanting/expecting and moderate to high carbonation.

Overall: this is a very disorganized beer. the parts are good however the sum of the parts are off.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 05:02:10 | More by kylehay2004

nickfl

Florida

3.73/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with a small head of tan foam on top of an opaque, black body. The head disappears rapidly and leaves no lace.

S - Chocolate, smoke, chilies, and cinnamon with a touch of roasted grain.

T - Dark bread with a touch of cola up front. Some chocolate and sweet toffee in the middle. Finishes with lots of vanilla, cinnamon, clove, and smoky chilies and a lingering heat.

M - Medium body, moderately low carbonation, and a dry finish.

D - It sounds good, smells good, and the individual notes of the flavor profile are nice but it just doesn't come come together. It is kind of disjointed and the base beer just isn't big enough to deal with the spices. I would love to try an imperial version of this beer, but I don't really like it as it is.

Serving type: can

11-01-2012 05:01:03 | More by nickfl

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.15/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours mahogany with 2 fingers of mocha colored head. Average head retention & some lacing

S: Chocolate, vanilla, white pepper & slight smokeyness

T: Mocha, cayenne pepper, carob, vanilla, & faint woody hops up front, Firey pepper & cocoa as this warms. Finishes with vanilla/mocha sweetness, some white & serano pepper,plus just a bit of herbal bitterness mixing with some cola& coffee grounds flavor

MF: Light/medium bodied, slight carbonation,

A very good chile beer, wish I bought more than a sixer...

Serving type: can

10-30-2012 06:08:59 | More by russpowell

zeff80

Missouri

4.43/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out a jet-black color with a one-finger, light brown head of bubbly foam. It left sticky rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of chocolate, chillies and a touch of cinnamon. So good.

T - Just a good as the aroma. Roasted malt, chocolate, spicy chillies and some cinnamon. Great balance of heat and sweet.

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

O - This is a really good beer. It's not a sixer I'd want to session all night but one or two really hits the spot.

Serving type: can

10-30-2012 01:55:41 | More by zeff80

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

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz can pours a deep black color with a small tan head. Not much for lacing or retention.

Nose is laden with chipotle and ground ancho. But wait, there is more spice action to speak of...almost like a pumpkin pie type of spice aspect. It definitely fits with the mole...I really want to cook a chicken in this.

Taste shows some really nice pepper and spice blending. Masterful job Ska! The pie spices are just enough to be noticed and are right on par with the spicy, but not hot peppers. The stout aspects are not overlooked with a chocolaty twist and provide some much needed sweetness to keep things from getting too spice/pepper leaning. Despite the bold flavors this beer is quite drinkable. I am not usually a huge fan of chipotle beers, but I find this one to be a very well done (smoky) chile beer.

Serving type: can

10-28-2012 22:04:56 | More by twiggamortis420

hammondc

Texas

4.2/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Looks jet black, but is actually very dark ruby. Thin head that disappears quick.
S - Stong smoke to this one. For my South Tex friends, it is like roasted hatch chilis. Ground coffee in there too
T - Great. Good change from the run of the mill stouts. A bit of chocolate sweetness. Definite toastiness to it. The spice of the chills comes off the back.
M - A bit thin, actually. Very little carbonation.
O - Overall I like it a lot. I'd love to try it on draft. I'll keep it on hand for a change of pace in the cool weather.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 03:13:33 | More by hammondc

rfbenavi80

Missouri

3.68/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Saw this one on a blog, thought it sounded interesting. Picked up a six pack when it came out. Can poured into a snifter.

A-Pours a very dark brown that appears black in the glass. It has only brown highlights on the edges of the glass and 1 finger of dark tan colored head that lingers for only a while then recedes to a very thin cap on top.

S- Light amount of chocolate, mixed with various spices. You can really smell the peppers in this one. They smell like ripe roasted red chile peppers, but it does not burn your nose. This one really opens up and turns spicier on the nose as it warms.

T- Follows nose well. Chile flavor is there with maybe a mild amount of heat. Rich chocolate and spices mixed with ripe roasted red chilies. Like I said, there seems to be a small amount of heat from the chile peppers, but the flames seem to be put out with the various rich spices and chocolate they used.

M- Medium body with a pleasant creaminess. Low amount of carbonation, almost seems non-existant.

O- Not a bad beer at all. Very unique. I think I enjoyed the Lips of Faith Cocoa Mole better. This one seems to have more of a stout character than the Lips of Faith. That being said....This one is still worth trying.

Serving type: can

10-25-2012 00:20:10 | More by rfbenavi80

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

bens0n

Texas

4.23/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a really dark brown, almost opaque. Theres a a very miniscule amount of head that dissipates very quickly, eventually completely flattens out.

On the nose its a very well blended spicy Guac smell that reminds you of Mexican food, not really hot spicy peppers at all though. Its not a nostril singing pepper smell like most other peppered/chile beers I've tried.

Flavor wise its actually really smooth with a nice Mexican food flavor that I can't really seem to describe any other way. It's a pretty weak stout, its like a thicker dry stout, not much roasty/toasty going on, but the mexican food/guac flavor is amazingly well blended, most chile beers have a real spicy bite to them that layers inbetween sips. I feel like I'm eating chips with guacamole when I'm taking sips of this...

I snagged this beer wanting to try something new not knowing what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised, this is a very well balanced beer that goes down nice and smooth, couldn't really session these though, more of a novelty beer.

Serving type: can

10-20-2012 02:03:27 | More by bens0n

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

genitempo

Texas

3.73/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Terrible can art. ( Not trying to start on a bitter note, but Ska Brewing is not known for their crafty illustrations.) I let the beer sit in the can to warm up a bit and poured slowly into a pint glass. Decent poor with a dark creamy head that fizzled out quickly. The body was a dark chocolate with unrestrained carbonation rising. No lace with sipping.

S- Cocoa was the key player with undertones of some spice. Didn't smell "beery" in the least.

T- Definitely impressed with the flavor. Based on the smell, I assumed it would hit me up from with chocolate, but the spiciness was pivotal. Cleans away nicely with a hint of spiciness from the peppers on the back of the tongue.

MF - Unimpressed. Very thinned out and overly-carbonated.

O- Despite naming your brewery after a musical genre that everybody prays will never return, Ska Brewing shows its strength in this beer. With a solid ale like this, its always good to remember to never underestimate the potential of a Colorado microbrewery.

Serving type: can

10-11-2012 02:45:09 | More by genitempo

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

McShane

3.83/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a very unique stout and not what you'd expect when you pick up a can. I can say that I've had two now and overall I'm impressed. This is Ska Brewing's first offering to their Seasonal line and like Ska does it hits you with something original. If you are thinking it'll be a Steel Toe Stout with peppers you have it all wrong. The best I can say is don't go in with expectations. Just let your self be ready for something new.

Smell is heavy on Ancho peppers. The taste is a combination of Hatch chillies and coffee. Stout is in the background of this beer but it's not a front line focus.

Taste was good. Not exceptional since I wasn't ready for the Hatch portion. it throws me a little still. That all being said, it's pleasant and I enjoyed it a great deal.

This is a much lighter beer than a stout would normally be. I think that's where some of the other reviews are getting their "cola" take. It's carbonated for sure but not so much that it takes away from the chillies focus and the ABV at 5.5% doesn't get in the way at all. In fact this is a perfect beer for their can series as you can take a 6 pack with you and enjoy the whole thing with out being knocked on your rear.

Overall it's a good chilli beer. If I had to compare it to anything I would compare it to Theobroma and Rogues Chipotle. It's definitely a unique beer that has Ska's signature all over it.

Thanks,

Steve McShane
The Drunkards Call Podcast
Growler Radio Podcast.
www.inkandaudio.net
Check them both out on Stitcher and iTunes.

Serving type: can

10-09-2012 03:07:58 | More by McShane

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

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

sombrasenelsol

Oklahoma

3.85/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A-Looks just like a glass of coke after pouring it, no foam, bubbles rise up and can't help but laugh about how much this looks like coke/coca-cola.

Smell- Lots of spicy/peppers smell, cocoa powder, if I was blind folded and didn't know what this was and I was asked to described the smell, I would not hesitate to say is 'Cocoa-Pebbles' cereal!

Taste- Feels like some wizard took a dark chocolate chip cookie and made it a drink, no fizz whatsoever, some spiciness to it, after awhile you forget you're actually drinking beer instead of a glass of chocolate milk that has a slight past due oak flavor to it. Almost no carbonation, very drinkable.

This beer had me going at first like OMG, then after several sips I quickly lost interest because it gets really flat, very light mouth feel, Don't get me wrong I do like it but only because I still can't believe the flavor and is really a beer that taste good but with almost no beer qualities as far as looks and mouth feel goes, very good stout to start a for those who are new to the darks.

Serving type: can

10-06-2012 19:58:51 | More by sombrasenelsol

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

This can is an Austin Powers joke waiting to happen...(but, then again, I never liked those movies...) It pours a deep, murky black-brown topped by a half-finger of off-tan foam. The nose comprises cinnamon, earthy peppers (complete with mild heat), roasted malts, light molasses, and brown sugar. The taste brings in more of the same, with the peppers and cinnamon combining for a unique flavor combination, all whilst the roast dances fancily behind it all. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a sorta/kinda dry finish. Overall, a very nice peppered stout, one that could probably stand to be year-round... Good times.

Serving type: can

10-06-2012 04:47:00 | More by TMoney2591

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.93/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

liked this way better than the new belgium one. poured blackish brown, super dark, with almost no head. looks almost flat, but there is some depth to the color. smell is bitter bakers chocolate and cocoa powder, with just a hint of pepper. the flavor is that dusty cocoa up front, with a lot of smokey malt to balance it out. i feel no chili heat in this at all, which i like. the peppers provide just a subtle bit of flavor, nothing too drastic. the chocolate in the finish is also very nice, a little sweeter than on the front end. feel isnt as good as it could be. it needs some more carbonation to pep up its big body. that said though, this is a cool new beer from ska. i would like to make a pot of chili with it at some point. those flavors would be outstanding in there.

Serving type: can

10-06-2012 01:11:03 | More by StonedTrippin

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

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

Domingo

Colorado

3.78/5  rDev +5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Seems cinnamon/pepper/chocolate beers are popping up everywhere these days.
Pours a standard dark brown color that's nearly black. Carbonation is heavy coming out of the can, but goes dead flat in seconds. The mouthfeel stays thick, but visually there's nothing going on after the first pour.
Cinnamon and roasted malts are big on the nose. Semi-sweet chocolate as well.
The flavor takes a slightly different turn. Roasted malts and a pretty potent smoky chili pepper notes come up big up front. Not as sweet as I would've expected. Darker chocolate comes in the middle, followed by a kiss of cinnamon. There's not really a "burn" but the finish fades out with pepper and cinnamon. Drier and more peppery than I would've figured.
I believe that Copper Kettle's Mexican Chocolate Stout is still the flag bearer for this "style" and this is one of the takes that's probably most like it. It's less spicy and much lighter on the cinnamon character, but it keeps that beer's drier and balanced philosophy.
Pretty solid and well crafted. A good beer for fans of chili beers as well as someone looking for something off the wall.
Kind of an oddball because it goes dead flat so quickly. The mouthfeel holds up, but the visual doesn't reflect that at all.

EDIT: Having had more of these, the peppers really are a little heavy in this one. They aren't adding heat, but they're compounding the roasted notes from the stout. It's really tasty at first, but after about 1/2 can (once it warms up), they grind on the palate a bit. I haven't had that with other beers like this.

Serving type: can

10-04-2012 14:15:53 | More by Domingo

KansasBeerLover

Kansas

3.78/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a can into a Boulevard tulip.

Beer pours a dark brown, very opaque. Head was about 1/2", which quickly disappeared, not even leaving a wisp. Zero lacing.

Aroma is mostly cinnamon, with some roasted malt and chocolate.

Taste starts as cinnamon, chocolate, roasted malt and peppers. During the drink, the cinnamon is less dominant and the heat of the peppers takes over. Nice touch.

Mouthfeel is unusual. I'm known for being the taste test dummy at mexican restaurants, and would call the heat mild, most would say medium. The flavor and heat remains on the tongue and roof.

Overall, this beer is in my unusual but good category. I will buy it again and share with my friends. My only complaint is the lack of head, which also leaves the aroma weak. Give it a head that lasts and this beer would go from good to excellent.

Serving type: can

10-04-2012 02:12:27 | More by KansasBeerLover

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.2/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pint glass.

The beer is a dark chocolate black, with cola brown around the edges in the light. The head in an espresso brown that quickly fades to a wisp, then nothing. No lacing whatsoever.

The beer smells of peppers, rich chocolate, roasted malts.

The taste is exceptional. A bit of heat from pepper coats the throat as I ponder the deeper flavors of rich chocolate, roasted malts, and cinnamon.

The mouthfeel is medium to light, with slight carbonation.

Overall, I love this. It's not spectacular to look at, looks like a Coke in a pint glass, but it has great pepper heat, chocolate, and spices as advertised. Great beer for Dia De Los Muertos. I'll be drinking it then for sure.

Serving type: can

09-30-2012 18:54:51 | More by JuicesFlowing

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