Avery Mephistopheles Stout

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

Aroma of alcohol and chocolate. Somehow the combination resembles lite citrus. Opaque brown color with a vigorous coffee colored head. Strong mouthfeel which thins. Starts with dark fruit, moving to chocolate and coffe, finishing with caramel toasted malt. The finish is like a hint of cherry, chocolate and coffee. The toasted malt is always there. Light carbonation. Smooth. Unique. Amazing.

Bottled. Damn. This is badass. Pitch black with a huge mocha head, which I had to sip before my tulip overflowed. Noted grass, dark chocolate and lots of wood even then. The body is very thick and oily, quite sweet and clean with heavy malts and tons of licorice. Definitely has a "young" taste to it which could use some maturity. If you’ve ever had an unflavoured energy gel, it has some of those grapey fructose notes. It’s still a great treat, and unbelievably drinkable for something so strong.

Bottled poured in a tulip. AMS pours as black as Satan’s heart with a huge, creamy tan head. The aroma is Hellishly good and pervasive. Chocolate, vanilla, rum, cherries, caramel and raisins insinuate their way from an arm’s length away. This heavy stout has a strong raisin and rum flavor that’s supported by a base of chocolate. The body is oily and chewy, rich and alcoholic. Even though this isn’t the best imperial stout I’ve had it is a grand enjoyment.

Bottled @ Sk8vikings blind porter/stout tasting. Beer no.8: Pitch black coloured. Light brown dense head. Sweetness, alcohol, light roast, dark fruits and cocoa in the aroma. Some spicy notes. Flavour is herbal, sweet, roasted and has soem spices as well. Is quite full bodied. Ends on a dense bitter and roasted note. Very sharp and wild beer, that is a tad too sweet for me, but I’ll definately come back to it, when it hits Jeppes shelfes some day.

Never expected this to arrive in my area, but I’m sure glad it did because it certainly saved me a trade! Batch number 1 bottled in Jan. 2006. Opaque blackness with a small foamy brown head. Nose instantly smacks me with molasses, touch of red wine, black cherries, dark chocolate, roasted malts and a hint of tobacco. Wow! Taste on this is exquisite and rather rich. Lots of chocolate, berries, alcohol, roasted malts, chocolate mousse, dark fruit notes, and devil’s food cake. The body on this is so creamy I can’t believe it! Dense but fine carbonation bubbles. Oily, slick mouthfeel at times. Some hotness that doesn’t "hit" well as it is warm but this would be nice had I been drinking this in January when it was bottled. Finishes with more alcohol notes, dark fruits, lots of chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, roasted malt, and rum cake. Very nice stuff! I’m eager to find out what a couple of years will do to the bottles I still have.

8/23/08: Bottle.
Espresso colored body with a chocolate colored, rich thick head. Nose of chocolate, espresso, malt and alcohol. Holy batman, tons of flavor. Black cherry cordial, espresso, raisin, brown sugar, and alcohol. Finish is sweet, sticky and lingering. Batch #2.

Bottle: Pours a dark black color, thick tan head. The nose is bright with lots of charcoal, soy sauce and alcohol. The flavor is nice and sweet, plenty of alcohol, smoke and charcoal, lots of plum, roasted chicory. The finish is a bit brash, smoke, leather, char. Nice. A bit strong, but still respectably balanced and complex.

[-05 Bottle. Thanks Kramer] Black colour. Brown head. Rum aroma with hints of tar. Huge, fiery mouthfeel with a big sweetness. Tarry with alcohol notes. BIG flavour. Peppery and and pretty big on the alcohol. Good long finish.