Mackeson XXX Stout

Brewed by Boston Beer Company
Style: Sweet Stout
Boston, Massachusetts USA

Serve in English pint

Mildly sweet and malty throughout. Not bad, drinkable but not exceptional.

THE CARIBBEAN VERSION BREWED BY CARIB. ’Triple Stout’, no less. Bottles and cans walking to Berts, along Accra beach Xmas night, at Oistins fish fry in physical pain from the level of bass, at The Fisherman’s Pub, Speightstown, happy hour at The Reggae Lounge, St Lawrence, on the balcony, at The Jenners New Year’s Even, even. My tipple of choice in Barbados, when I saw it. Glossy, onyx beer with a cratered yellow-tan head. A beer that utterly eclipses the pale shadow of those (Guinness, Mackeson) it was presumably brewed to imitate. Aroma of fudge smeared on rusty girders; smoked kippers, almonds. Slippery, full and utterly convincing with a tropical-suited, sugared slickness brilliantly counterpoised by bitter, espresso roast and a distinctly irony tang completely absent from most British/US stouts...stouts full stop come to think of it except some of those amped up to 11 with ABV and sugar. Thick, soupy, meal-like, almost bloody..and shockingly bitter/sweet in the finish like black coffee with 3 brown sugars..or Guinness Original when I first tried it as a 15 year old. Fantastic, evocative, surprising beer thick with sugar, coffee-accented roast and history.

Apparently this stuff was brewed in Trinidad; I found it in Hong Kong. And now I read it’s supposed to be a Boston brew. Whatever - pours very black with good head, and a soft red aura to it. Aroma of sugar and coffee-barley, but in a smooth fake way. Flavour is heavy on the coffee with sugar and a slightly watery finish. About what I expected of a macro stout.

Poured from a 275 mL bottle. Appearance is dark brown with a moderate khaki colored head. Aroma is filled with sweet milk chocolate, mixed nuts, peanut butter, and cream. Taste is much like a cappuccino with whipped cream on top. Mouthfeel is smooth and a little thick. No carbonation to speak of, which is how I prefer a stout to be anyway. This beer was a good bit better than I expected it to be. Well done.

Bottle from Trader Joe’s circa 2005. Nice sweet creamy flavor. Smooth palate.

Bottle. Very dark brown, nearing on black with a fluffy tan head. Lacto-sweetness and light roast in the aroma. Bit of coffee, nice sweetness that’s not overpowering, bit of cream. Medium to lighter body. Decent.

275ml bottle from a Grand Cayman liquor store. Very dark with lots of lacing. Sweet and malty with a little chocolate and roasted coffee.

Pours a dark brown with a light tan head. Metallic aroma with light cocoa and milk notes. Taste is thin chocolate milk. Sweet at first. Very metallic. Light roast.