Avery Mephistopheles Stout

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

The beer emerges from the 12-ounce brown bottle a soot black, the head Bunyanesque, the color a nice deep tan, the consistency thick and creamy, after its slow demise, the lace forms a glutinous blanket to obfuscate the glass. Ah that smell, toasted and roasted grain, sweet molasses, rich malt, a real foretoken of things to come, start is cotton candy sweet, the malt profile thick, the top full. Finish is merciful in its acidity; the hops mingle nicely with the 15.10 percent ABV, but a good thing to cut the sweetness, a belly warmer, and another hit for Avery.

Batch 2 bottle: This one pours an inky, thick, dark brown color. There is a finger of a light brown head on it. A bit of alcohol is the first thing that hits the nose. After that I get molasses, chocolate, rum, and some dark fruits also. Taste has a bit of alcohol to it. Somewhat sweet taste. Notes of chocolate, coffee, molasses, dark fruits. Silky feel on the tongue. Very Nice!

12oz. bottle Nov 2007 Batch 3 (from Ledger’s Liquors, Berkeley, CA). This pours one seriously thick head, especially considering the amount of alcohol in this!! Very thick body. Wonderful "dark" malty aroma that pours up from the glass. Flavor is one for the ages too. Obviously packed with lots of alcohol, but not an unpleasant alcohol. Warms the tongue just by rolling some of it over the tongue. Flavors like dark brown sugar and raisins. Reminds me of a burnt Meyer’s Rum even, though not as sugary. Says its an imperial stout, but has lots in common, flavor-wise, to a Belgian Quad. Lots of hops on the palate in the aftertaste, which is perhaps the only achiles Heel for me. I wish it was a little software in the aftertaste.It if weren’t so blasted expensive ($10/btl!!!) I’d buy several to put away and age as I think this one is going to mellow over a few years.

Pours a deep black hue with a minimal tan/brown head of fine micro-bubbles with decent lacing. Aromas of bourbon, chocolate+ coffee(the usual impy aromas) a light vanilla and good old alcohol sweetness. Mouthfeel is surprisingly medium bodied for the flavor and how Avery beers are a little too sweet and over-cloying. Flavors of raisins/prunes, honey, vanilla, a little toasted nuts and a finish not unlike fresh espresso. Very intriguing. I let this guy warm up in the bottle for about 20 minutes before cracking open, and I am glad I did as the flavors are on par. While it is sweet, it isn’t bad, but tronraner is right when he says that it could use some cellaring. wow...... This is definitely Avery’s best brew, as I normally feel their beer is over-rated.

Like Avery’s other extreme "devil demon" beers, this is sweeter ’n shit. DFHWWS is probably mild in comparison to this. Like many a stout, this has that cocoa-chalk taste/feel on the finish. Aqueehol becomes evident barely halfway through the bottle.

Jan ’06; batch 1. Fruity nose settling into caramel, chocolate, coffee, toffee, brown sugar, and butterscotch; ABV completely incognito. Black. The mostly lasting stiff brown creamy head leaves a thin curtain of lace. The start is overwhealmingly sweet. The middle is very fruity. Very complex; almost overpowering, with a lingering roasted finish. The full body is chewy and soft. This brew is no joke folks.

Poured a very dark brown (close to opaque) with a ruby edge and small tan head. A swirl of the glass leaves tan legs up the wall. Big sweet roasty aroma. Dark chocolate, licorice, grape (more like candy grape than the fruit) and a touch of smoke (smokehouse almond smoke). Some alcohol in the nose. Flavor is sweet and roasty. Caramel, roasted malt and candy. All are well balanced. Sweet finish mixed a moderate bitterness. Very warming in a medium to full body. Seems like it is going to be very sweet from the beers start but doesn’t get that way. Doesn’t finish dry either. Just a good balance. While this is full of flavor and very warming it drinks well. A full bottle equals a good night.

Bottle. A dark black color with a smooth creamy brown head. It pours thick and oily. An intense dark fruit (cherry and grape) aroma with chocolate and an earthy wood character. The molasses, light smoke and earthy elements come through in the second wave. A true tour de force in flavor with a strong grape or cherry flavor, well hidden alcohol but quickly warming, rum, malty but with a cofee like finish. There is an underlying vinous candy or carmaelized fruit base that lasts throughout. Thanks to Phillymonksman for sending this back from Philadelphia! I owe you one!