Avery Mephistopheles Stout

Brewed by Avery Brewing Company
Style: Imperial Stout
Boulder, Colorado USA

Thanks Jason! The beer pours to a dark brown/black body with a light brown head. The aroma is very strong. Chocolate, star anise, molasses, light alcohol but mostly just "vapor", espresso. The flavor is dry roasted malts, deep sweet molasses, chocolate, espresso, rum, dark fruits. The palate is full bodied, rich, coating, delicious. This is really damn good. I’ll be buying a bunch of this.

Pours oily black with a hint of purple at the edges and a thick, mocha head keeps as a fat, creamy souffle, leaving a wet sheet of lace on the way down. Aroma finds big salty soy sauce & anchovy opening to bitter & oily Java bean with asphalt and ham. Alcohol is apparent even when chilled. Huge and thick with a sweet affront in the flavor... esters creeping around all over the place amidst hard fruit candy. Fruity malts lead to a meaty, salty finish and coffee bitterness shows in the aftertaste in a lingering conglomeration of sweet, salt & bitter.

Hot, as mentioned, but... wait! Look! There’s a freakin’ demon on the label!! ("Hisssss... it burrrrnnsss!!") What did you expect? This is a 15.1% Imperial Stout for chrissakes. Let it sleep if you’re timid, but quit whining and let the more able-bodied open their bottles now to find the decadent portion of Hell dedicated to the Lustful and the Gluttonous.

<font size=-4>Bottle from <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Liquors, Chicago, IL 60638<font size=-1>

Thanks Phil (Philip)! This beer’s aroma is somewhat disappointing as it only offers malt, vanilla, and slight coffee fragrances. It is black with a thick brown head that fades fast. This thick beer is rich and smooth. It is creamy at first then the flavors of caramel and vanilla appear. It fades with a nice vanilla taste but a tad hot. With a little more age this beer will be a lot better.

Bouteille 2006 - batch 2, courtoisie de Hogtownharry. De couleur noire et opaque. Nez de malt assez rôti (notes brûlées), de chocolat noir, de caramel toffee, de café, moyen de mélasse et d’alcool liquoreux, légèrement fruité aux petites notes boisées (raisins, notes de figues et de prunes) ainsi que léger de houblon herbeux avec des notes de réglisse noire. Ronde en bouche avec un pétillement bas et une texture riche, liquoreuse et sirupeuse. Goût fruité sucré (raisins aux notes vineuses, figues, notes de cerises, traces d’agrumes), aux notes boisées (fût de chêne) et de vanille accompagné d’un goût de mélasse sucrée et d’un léger goût de réglisse noire dès l’entrée en bouche auquel se rajoute rapidement un goût amer de malt très rôti et brûlé, de chocolat noir et de caramel toffee (léger de sucre brun) assez sucré parallèlement à un goût d’alcool liquoreux assez réchauffant (rhum) ainsi qu’un goût de café espresso progressant tout au long de la gorgée puis en finale l’on retrouve également un léger goût de houblon herbeux. Post-goût très long et aux notes sèches, amer de rôti, d’alcool liquoreux, de chocolat noir, de café ainsi qu’un léger goût de houblon herbeux et de fruits (moût de raisins) et des petites notes boisées.

Picked up at Grapes N Grain, Mequon, WI. Had it with a big fat steak from the first grilling of the year. Pours a deep black, viscous too used motor-oil style. Thick, fat brown head which keeps growing (and nearly runs over my glass). The smell is sweet for a beer this dark (as is the taste), aroma has chocolate malt, caramel and espresso. Taste is malty and delicious. Sweeter than I expected from the appearance.

Bottle, thanks to Kramer. Restrained (!) aroma of molasses, chocolate, sweet porridge, resinous malts, raspberry, vanilla. Mega-black pour with a thick, very nice khaki head. Flavor is overwhelming, very sweet, rich chocolate and vanilla, molasses and honey; just huge in every way. Sugary thick palate coats the mouth and really lets you know the 15% is there, though not through taste. The beer is so sweet and intense that alcohol couldnt possibly find its way through, though you certainly feel it with every sip. Quite a beer.

Bottle purchased from state line liquors. pours dark with a 2 finger thick brown head, aroma of dark fruit, slight roasted aroma, and alcohol. Flavor is roasted malts, carbonation, fruit, slight coffee, and smooth i can’t believe this is 15.1%, slight bitterness, this is my idea of a perfect stout.

Bottle - My 500th Rating!!!: Jet black with a brown head. Tangy sweet aroma of dried plums, cough syrup and coffee. The taste is entirely sweet, like cherry infused prune juice. Chocolate is also noticeable, but not the double espresso finish. I am amazed at how fruity this tastes. You can’t taste the high alcohol %, but you can definitely feel it. This stout makes a great winter evening dessert drink along side some fine cognac. This wonderful beverage is not meant to be slammed like some cheap macro, it is best enjoyed taking your time. I wish I had a Cuban cigar to go along with it. Thanks Secret Santa.