Avery Mephistopheles Stout

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

Very plummy to me, and pretty well done in that particular flavor. I wasn’t offended by the alcohol in this shared bottle. Nice aroma at cellar temp with woody elements. Slight coffee. Pretty thick, but still effervescent throughout the warming period. Some peppery flavor is nice. Good beer.

Bottle. Looks how an imperial stout should-opaque with a beige head that fades into a thin ring of bubbles. Nose-smoked meat, pepperoni, metal, raisin. Taste-sweet, raisin, alcohol, fig, grape, wood, dark sweet sticky fruits, light coco, slightly medicinal, unami, soy. Sweetness is a little high and overall the beer is a little hot, but it is very well done. After some cellar time, I could see this being closer to a 5.

Ross, Shigadeyo, and I drank this while chatting on AIM. Bottle from State Line in Elkton, Batch 1. I was saving this for rating 666, but I was hearing that this was oxidizing and going downhill. Pours a viscous oil brown-black with a thin chocolate brown head. Nice complex aroma of Molasses, soy sauce, sherry, and vanilla. RIch, oily and full bodied mouthfeel. Flavor is very sweet, with notesof dark syrup, licorice, raisens, plums, and blackstrap molasses. Grainy texture on the finish which has a pleasant alcohol bite along with some smoke and brown sugar. The lingering flavor that sticks at the back is molasses. Very little hop bitterness detected on my end. Unbalanced? Yes. Good? Yes. Nothing wrong with going outside the box to create a unique beer. The lack of bitterness and dominating sweetness cost a few points, but I still enjoyed this. I can see why the critics knock it. However, consider me a fan. A definite sipper that will give you a nice late night buzz if you are not careful.

A foreboding label portends danger ahead. Out pours a sinister black elixir impenetrable by light and topped by a small brown head. The senses are assaulted by complex, multifarious aromas: dark chocolate, tart cherries, molasses, port, anise, vanilla, citrus zest, honey, roasted coffee. But wait, there’s more if the nose is willing to spend the time trying to unravel the web of essences wafting up from the glass. Cognac, prunes, hazelnut. Enticed to drink, one finds the brew full bodied, creamy, smooth. It gives a warm alcohol feel as it cascades down the throat. The aromas manifest themselves in the flavor, which is complex, rewarding, and seducing. Much is made of "doing the Trinity" with Avery. Now is the time to do the unholy trinity of The Beast, Samael, and Mephistopheles. Avery wisely bottled them in 12 ouncers and not bombers.

WOAH!!! This is the type of Beer you have after a great accomplishment. Its pure Chocolate and Coffee. It pours like Silk and the head just goes on forever. The taste just dance around your palate. The Malts are outstanding, its got a super sweet flavor with a velvet texture. Have these only on special occasion

Bottled, batch 3, Nov 2007: Pours black with a low but dense head. Sweet aroma of liquorice, dark chocolate and kippers. Thick moutfeel. Sweet and malty with chocolate and vanilla notes. The alcohol burns a little on the tongue but in a good way.

(Blind rating at sk8viking’s.) Pours black with a nice foamy head. Very sweet with fruity aromas of honey dew melon. Also lots of coffee with notes of chocolate and prunes. Full bodied. Nice high hops profile. A bit too sweet and strong. Long alcohol finish. For me, this one would not be enjoyable to drink alone (12oz). It´s very nice, and all, but a wild mixture of heavy bodied sweetness.

Batch 1, thanks Tim. Black, big tan head. Nose is choco-alco-toffee, dark fruits & cherries, cherry cordials, alcohol. Flavor is sweet cherry, tar, alcohol, caramel, toffee, port. Wonderful. Perfect body for this beer.