Avery Mephistopheles Stout

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

1 inch thick dense head of dark brown bubbles. Head settles slowly. Turns a little bubbly as it sits. Little disappointed in the look of the head. Rich aromatic nose with vanilla, dark chocolate, a hint of bourbon, sweet malts, malted milk balls and plums. Color is black with hints of redish brown around the edges. Rich, sweet and oh so smooth. This is fantastic! Loads of sweet malts, molasses, raisins, brown sugar and chocolate covered cherries. Velvety smooth on the palate. Little alcohol presence but the 15% is hidden extreamly well amongst all of the malts. Oily finish with a lingering sweetness. If you like sweet imperial stouts, then there is none better than this one. Bravo Avery!

Ok, just opened a 2006 one (Batch 1) and this is still SUPER sweet. I guess my tastes have changed a bit because this is just over the top sweet. Ratiing adjusted down from a 4.5.

Very dark reddish-brown with a small light brown head. Aroma is licorice/anise and molasses. Wow. Explosion of intense flavors: hops, roasty malt, molasses, alcohol. Very full-bodied with a thick mouthfeel. All dials set to 11.

Sampler at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/frankf Liquors, Frankfort. Deep black color with a coating of oragne foam. Taste and smell are big, with prune and slightly sour cherries. Nice alcoholic brandy character. Yet it goes down insinuatingly smoothly. After a big stout howdy at the front, it mellows out toward the end.

Bottle and bottled in Jan. 2006, Batch 1. Small tan smooth head that mostly diminished, virtually no lacing, opaque, no visible carbonation, and a black hue. Nose was alcohol, chocolate, dark fruits, malt, some hops, cherries. somewhat sugary, roasty, and some burnt notes. Flavor was malty, chocolate, cherries, dark fruits, very vinuous, roasty, lightly burnt, dry, and thin. Mouthfeel was smooth, dry and somewhat thin. Medium body. A sipping brew for sure, definitely worthy of a try, one to seek out again and let it age.

Nice packaging! Although very similar, I think better than the Beast and Samael’s Ale: more eye-catching!
Obviously, Batch #1
Pours a rich black oily body and a tall dark khaki head. The aroma explodes with proposals of weighty molasses, bittersweet chocolate, a plethora of date sugars, a front loader full of black, chocolate, and other highly roasted barley. The flavor is IMMENSE! - It’s full of sweet dark fruits and barrel flavors, gallons of molasses, very roasty and heavy on the sweet spiced rum flavors. Mentions of fruit range from, a touch of tangyness from green apple and chardonnay grapes, into plums, over to figs, dates, and raisins, then into sweet Michigan cherries and Bordo grapes. I’m also pulling out mentions of Blackcurrant, blackberry, vanilla bean, mint, and rosemary. There is a dry and bittering submission coffee solidly tied into the finish. Honestly, there is a depth and complexity to this beer that is rarely found. Though, it may be too big and boastful for my palate.
The palate is as described, velvety, and Uber creamy. This is probably the most viscous beer I’ve ever set before me! It’s sticky like a flytrap and sweet like a Southern Belle… This is not a beer… This is a liquid labyrinth, and I’m at a loss!

100th rater, enjoyed with Dickinsonbeer and JoeMcPhee at Spuyten Duyvil. After the pour the smell hits you like a rocket. So I let it sit for a bit. It poured black (of course) with a brown head that left soon. After letting it sit for a bit, the aroma was surprisingly light. It was a light alcoholic, floral fragrance, unlike a regular imperial stout. Here comes the taste. The body is much lighter than expected. Bitter taste but a smooth finish, probably becasue of the lighter body. Again, the smoothness going down is surprising. As I sit and drink the finish becomes a floral bitterness. Imagine a sweet bitter floral beer. Definitly worth a top 50 spot. Also, probably not worth aging. Now check my two commrades ratings and see the difference.

November 2007. Bottle, aged approximately 1.5 years. Black body, with a small creamy brown head. Aroma is surprisingly fruity, with alcoholic undertones and malt. Sweet flavour has underlying fruit and light malt, very light acidity and bitterness in the finish. Dilute cherry notes. Full bodied, smooth palate. Less roasty than anticipated, and more fruity. Quite nice. 8/4/8/4+/17-18 - 4.2 <P>July 2006. Pours with a deep black body, and a moderate oily khaki head. Big alcoholic and fruity aroma of booze soaked raisins or grapes, milk notes of dark sugars. Perplexing first sip reveals a medium oily palate that almost *tastes* oily. Rich dark fruit with vague allusions to indulgent chocolate leads to fruit and slightly skewed roast that lingers long into the finish. The palate is intriguingly slick but not overtly thick. A contemplative sipper that takes a more refined approach to its plentiful helping of alcohol than some of its Avery kin. One of the most interesting beers I have sampled recently for sure. 9/4/8/4/17 - 4.2

Bought at the Blue Max. Well,it really is really dark. This is like a glass of oil with a thin layer of tan foam on top. I can’t believe how many different aromas are coming from this.Years ago I never would have been able to appreciate this.I think the most prevalent is the dark fruit port aroma,there are plenty more though. A little harsh on the throat and some what overbearing but loaded with wonderful treats for the tongue. After I let this warmup it,of course,changed and man was it complex.It is still a little harsh.