Mackeson XXX Stout
Carib Brewery USA

 

Pours opaque black with a one-finger tan head.

Aromas of cocoa, milk chocolate, semi-dark chocolate, pumpernickel bread.

Not surprisingly, this is all about the sweet chocolate. Straight off the pour, milk chocolate dominates with some cocoa, slight black bread, and roast coffee with plenty of cream and sugar on the finish. As it warms, some bitterness finally comes through as dark chocolate, helping to round things out. Even after warming, the aftertaste remains sweet and builds to cloying as you work through the pour.

The carb is moderate but just a little harsh. Medium body makes this one go down easy

Overall, a serviceable milk stout. As it warms, the one-dimensional nature drops away and this becomes quite nice, but the slight cloying sweetness detracts a bit.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque in the glass with a half finger milk chocolate head with great retention and solid lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, lactose, cocoa and a hint of coffee. Flavor follows, with dark tasted malt, lactose, milk chocolate with a little bakers chocolate bitterness and faint coffee in the finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. Well, this one fooled me; I ordered this from the East Coast expected to taste the Original English Mackesons, but reading the label, this is brewed by Carib in the old Florida Beer facility. Wasn't expecting much, but it's a quite pleasant, solid milk stout. Hits all the style flavor points and has a somewhat laid back, but nicely balanced flavor that lasts through the finish, leaving a light milk chocolate aftertaste. Now I really want to try the English one, but for now, I'm happy with this.

12 ounce bottle poured into a nonic pint glass.

L: Dark brown and clear, opaque in the glass, 2 finger light brown head, foam is dense and persistent, leaves lace.
S: Robust nose, chocolate malt, coffee grinds, roast
T: Malty and very sweet, coffee and cream flavor, roasted malt, closing bitterness cuts through the sweetness,
F: Medium-full body, medium carbonation, creamy feel with a slight bite.
O: Decent Sweet Stout, definitely on the sweet side, bit of a sipper for me.

 

 

now brewed in usa - not as great as the original from england if you can find it

 

 

12 oz bottle, says brewed in Florida

It's been probably 10+ years since I had the English version, so can't say how it compares off the top of my head. but it's got a nice moderately sweet flavor, bittersweet cocoa is dominate flavor. nice slick mouthfeel, medium bodied.

No date code; drank 12/9/21 @ the Yarchives.

Brown/black appearance.

An even pour yielded a big tan head; strong, frothy tree-rung lace.

Oats, cream, mild chocolate & faint hop notes in the nose.

Creamy, medium mouthfeel.

Cream, oats, mild dark chocolate & faint hop bite flavors.

I wasn't expecting much from a classic English beer brewed in (checks notes) Florida...but this was very good! I'd have another.

 

Pours ebony with a 1.5" tan head, which lasts. Heavy lacing to the end.

Aroma is chocolate, caramel, roast malt, coffee.

Taste follows nose: Dark chocolate, caramel, roast malt, coffee. Also a distinct saltiness.

Medium bodied, light carbonation. Semisweet finish.

As milk stouts go, this one is pretty good.

 

 

So I bought this at Total Wine & More (for a wallet-raping $2.79/single plus tax) thinking it was the British classic from Kent, but apparently I was dead wrong and need my money back? Anyway, it's a 12 fl oz brown glass bottle and is apparently brewed by Florida Beer Co. in Cape Canaveral (or so the label says). Label apes the English label hard, making me wonder about brand ownership and brewing contracts...I guess this is licensed to whomever will brew it, passed around like a village whore to those willing to buy the rights.

"Milk stout." "Triple Stout." 4.9% ABV.

Served cold into a dimpled mug. Seemed fitting for what I thought was a classic English milk stout.,,

A: Khaki head. Dark ruby body. ~8 minute head retention.

Sm: Fantastic lactose sugar-meets-dark-malts-and-roast aroma. Malted milk balls. Caramel. Thin brown malt.

Seems sweet but tolerably so, and creamily silkily smooth...

T/Mf: Impeccably well balanced for the style, leaning hard on lactose sugar without the beer tasting cloying/saccharine. Milky and creamy with a silky soft mouthfeel, perfect carbonation, and borderline refreshing wetness on the palate...I can see why Caribbean and African countries murder stouts in the heat, finally, drinking this brew.

Medium-bodied. Not chewy, oily, or problematic in any way. ABV is well disguised.

Dark malts, malted milk balls, milk sugar, coffee substitute, cola.

O: Rather well executed despite its simplicity...it's just so damned drinkable. It may not be brewed in Kent, but it drinks like a classic English stab at the style ought to in my book, rivalling American brewed top tier expressions of the style (e.g. Left Hand's Milk Stout) and honoring the recipe (I presume) they licensed.

Low B+ / VERY GOOD

 

 

Mackeson Triple Stout from Florida Brewing Company. Purchased 10/20/20 from Shangy’s, Emmaus PA. Reviewed 10/19/20.
Undated 12 oz bottle. $ 2.12 (Including tax)/ $ 0.176/oz. In reefer at store and stored overnight in hotel room reefer. Served at 46 degrees in a hand washed and dried glass coffee cup. Final temperature 51 degrees.
Appearance – 4.
First pour – Deep amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Brown (SRM 20), opaque. When held to direct light, same.
Head – Small (Maximum 1.5 cm, aggressive center pour), earth yellow, medium density with many surface rocks, average retention, diminishing to a five to seven mm gently undulating crown and a thin cap with rocks.
Lacing – Fair. Wide band of tiny bubbles with enormous windows.
Aroma – 3.5 –Roasted malt and coffee. No hops, no yeast.
Flavor – 3.5 - Begins slightly bitter with weak roasted malt, weak coffee, and weaker chocolate. There is some obligatory lactose. No hops, no yeast. No alcohol (4.9 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3 – Thin, watery, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 (Minus 0.25 point for undated bottle) Just not an exceptional stout. At least it looks good.

My good friend and old neighbor from the 'Wego gave me a bottle of this beer. It poured an opaque dark with tan head that is not leaving much lace. The scent subtle mocha notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with milk chocolate base and roast highlights. The mouthfeel was lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall its a good beer.