Avery Mephistopheles Stout

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

Bottle, Batch 3. Pours like viscous, black motor oil. The dark tan head is abundant and easy to stir up with a swirl. The lacing is just gorgeous. The aroma is very dry and smoky with hints of molasses and coffee. There are subtle plums and cherries. Alcohol is pretty noticeable in the after-nose and creates a warming sensation in the sinuses. Wow, the flavour has a lot going on here. It starts off with a nice, well-rounded mixture of sweet molasses and light-citrus sweet plums and cherries. As it proceeds to the esophagus, the alcohol becomes very apparent. It almost tastes of rum. Towards the finish, very bitter cocoa almost instantly massacres the taste buds as lots of smoke accompanies. The finish is very smoky with lots of coffee and cocoa. Sweet molasses and dark fruit become overpowered, but still noticeable. Alcohol creates a warming sensation. Mmm, this is such a big beer.

2006 vintage 12 oz. bottle into sniffer. Pitch black pour (not as thick as abv. would have one believe, but still thick and delicious) with perfect mocha/latte colored head. Aroma is great - rich and fresh dominated mostly by milk chocolate with an alcoholic background. Flavor is so strange. Very different from most impys; no chocolate, no coffee, no smoke, no bourbon, no vanilla, no currants, nothing. Really sweet and almost soy saucy. Bottle might be rotten for this reason. Alcohol is hidden kind of well but taste is really not good - reminiscent of Sam Adams Tripple Bock, but not nearly as bad. Palate: nice, rich and thick on it as expected. Overall: I will try this again and will be dumbfounded if this isn’t an infected bottle. (RERATE) nov. 2007 vintage. MUCH MUCH better, with only a hint of soy. Very very bitter and potent brew. Thick, rich, roasty, hoppy, alcoholic, etc. Pretty awesome, probably would give it something like a 4.1 this time around. And I forgot to mention in my original post that this label is one of my favorites.

This is an extremely strong, better than average stout. The high gravity and strong coffee aroma and tastes will be the high points of this beer. There will be some sweet malts in there as well. I enjoyed this beer more for the strength rather than the stout tastes and complexities.

An average stout you probably shouldn’t drinky casually. Black pour and full of coffee and chocolate flavor like many stouts. A good beer but doesn’t stand out.

This strong imperial stout is great on a cold winter day to warm you up. Similar in taste to an oak aged scotch with dark fruits and caramel/chocolate finish. Great strong beer but one suggestion....dont drink a six pack to quickly!!

Batch 2 Inky black pour with an extremely small tan head. Sweet malts on the nose. Full velvety mouth feel with chocolate and alcohol. Very hot finish. I should of let i sit a little longer.

Interesting, but I was expecting an Imperial Stout....this doesn’t seem like much of one to me. Pours a dark black with a thin tan head. Aroma of sugar, syrup, dark fruit. Thick body. 16% is very noticeable. I don’t see myself trying this one again.

Batch 2 bottle from 2006. Just a little over-done in my opinion. Pours oil black with a small tan head. Huge aroma of blackberries, warming alcohol and some chocolate in the back. My biggest problem was the leading taste, just overloaded with candied fruit and alcohol. It really drowned out any possible other flavours. Okay but not really my style. I agree with other people that suggest this might be a barley wine.