Mocha Wednesday
The Bruery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2021 vintage. Pours a dark brown with lots of flecks of ruby red as the light hits it; pours rather thin with a fizzy cola head that disappears quickly. Bits of carb hitting the surface. No lacing/retention. Nose is roasted coffee beans, molasses, black licorice, loose change, baking chocolate. Very little barrel character, at least initially. Kind of mind-blowing these days to have a chocolate and coffee stout that doesn't lay it on thick with raw adjunct aromas; while the coffee and chocolate are certainly there, they feel like parts of a whole that developed together, rather than some gunk that's thrown in and overpowers the product. Taste follows a similar vein - big coffee roasted coffee bean notes throughout the palate. Through its very long finish, dark chocolate and dark fruit, vanilla, smoky wood, salty black licorice, and finally, traces of warming, spicy bourbon emerge. As on the smell, a really impressive use of the adjuncts here - not at all overpowering, but still present throughout. Mouthfeel is the only real knock for me. The feel is surprisingly thin, and I think a little more body would be nice (and even expected?) given the ABV. Really worth seeking out.

 

 

 

 

2016 vintage. Poured from a brown wax topped bomber into a Tree House tulip. 19.4% ABV

L: Lighter than expected pour. Medium to dark mahogany color with ruby highlights. A thin fizzy off-white head falls fast. Not much in the way of lacing.

S: Rich and boozy. BOOZE. Bourbon and vanilla... some oak, cocoa, and coffee. Mostly booze.

T.F: Sweet and rich. Boozy... as expected at 19.4%. Deliciously complex. Cocoa and coffee mixed with oak, roast, and fudge. The coffee and chocolate especially come through and are nicely complemented by the bourbon and vanilla. A little thinner than expected. Medium bodied... boozy, but not as much as the 19.4% would make you think. Still very drinkable. Low carbonation. Coffee/cocoa finish.

O: An outstanding overdone ABV stout. Great barrel character... and you get a lot of bourbon, chocolate, and coffee on this brew. Held up super well at 6+ years in the cellar. This is an all-night sipper of a beer.

750 ml bottle, 2021 vintage, bottled 10/21/21, label says 19.1% ABV. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with not quite an inch tan head that fizzled away kinda quickly but leaves a small bit of head. Small amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like bourbon, coffee, vanilla, cacao nibs and roasted malt. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also the addition of some oak and fudge flavors noticeable too. Good amount of barrel character in both the taste and aroma. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's slick, rich and a bit creamy with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a pretty good brew, definitely worth picking up if you're into big barrel aged coffee stouts!

 

2021 edition. Coffee comes across as burnt, hides the ABV well. Tasty, but not something I'd seek out again.