Avery Mephistopheles Stout

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

Pours a jet black with a thick, dense tan head with loads of lacing. Fantastic aroma - mincemeat, oatmeal cookie, soy, and butter/pastry. Tastes of thick, milky dark malt with notes of soy, black bean, cookie, dates, mincemeat pie, and figs. Strong alcohol notes, as well. Creamy body with a delightful warm finish, perhaps a tad under-carbonated. This is one hell of a beer - many thanks to Hog Town Harry for this one!

Dark black in color......opaque. Very thick, creamy head. Nice strong, floral aroma. Extremely sweet front, with strong cherry notes and subtle hints of chocolate. Somewhat smooth mouthfeel, with only a slight alcohol tingle......nice considering the ABV. Long heavy malt back, with a somewhat spicy finish.

Bottle, batch #4: I don’t usually go for stouts but the label made me buy it. I get a good amount of chocolate and coffee in the aroma, along with something almost fruity or floral. The appearance lives up to its name.. I doubt the devil’s heart is any blacker. I find the flavor to be sweet actually.. common of stouts? I wouldn’t know. I definitely experienced alot of hops, which is good because I love hops. Overall, the sweetness and richness of the flavor balance the high alcohol content, but I would have liked more aroma.. something to cut through the dark richness besides just alcohol fumes. But then that would be too perfect and I would kill myself drinking too much of it! Dark.. coffee.. stroooong. I feel raped.. I love it!

12 oz. bottle- I thought I would pick something special for my 200th rating, so I picked this. Pours black with a good tan head and good lacing, a beautiful beer, aroma is malt, caramel chocolate, but suprisingly not alcohol. The flavor is different, the alcohol is abundant, excellent, it has a smoky flavor with chocolate almost as an afterthought, but nothing is an afterthought in this perfect brew. This should be enjoyed while watching a good horror movie, in the dark if you dare.

My first review. Had the 07 batch in a bottle. Very strong alcohol burn, covered well by coffee and chocolate flavors. Worth the price.

Pours like black hole with an initial 2 finger head, settles down quickly and flavors are extremely complex and do change around when you swirl the glass: aromas of black, unsweetened coffee infused with dark Belgian cocoa powder, some hints of anise and zinfandel, alcohol is present for sure and it packs a punch. This is an extraordinary sipping brew, and to enjoy with dark or white chocolate, cigar perhaps. The alcohol kicks up as the beer warms, and the flavors do change and the roasted malts appear…coats the tongue with creaminess, like a cross between chocolate milk and some of the best Bordeaux. It really is a crafty shape shifter. Coming from a wine world, this is class altering beer!!! Hints of port, zinfandel, single barrel bourbon. Amazing!! If I want to get drunk within a single tulip glass, I have found my elixir.

Pours a thick, pitch black. Strong rising head that is a dark reddish brown. Head lasted through the whole time drinking it. Smell was sweet with chocolate, caramel, and roasted malts. Taste was rich and full. Chocolate, malts, and alcohol. Flavor lingered in the mouth, wanting more. Great beer, my new favorite!

Batch 2 - Thick, dark, releasing aromas of chocolate, alcohol, and coffee. Very smooth, alcohol is well hidden. Improved as it warmed. Complex.