Mean Old Tom Nitro - Aged on Vanilla Beans
Maine Beer Company

On draught.
A dark pour with a thick Nitro khaki head and decent lacing.
Pleasant dark roasted malt, flavorful and smooth.
Dark chocolate and molasses flavors are very pleasant and enjoyable.
Mouthfeel is of a light-medium bodied brew, decent carbonation and a mild roasted malt and chocolate aftertaste.

 

 

Roasty dry and not a lot of vanilla. Caramel and slight bitterness

 

 

 

 

Look: Pours a dark brown, almost cola colored shade of black with a two finger, beige head of foam. Laces the glass well.

Aroma: Sweet/fruity roasted Columbian coffee, vanilla bean, powdered cocoa. Pleasantly bitter undertones of burnt toast and molasses.

Taste: Treacle, savory caramel and sugarcane upfront. Fudge brownies. Vanilla is really well balanced here without being sticky or cloying; its evened out almost immediately as the palate transitions into rich flavors of light roasted espresso and dark chocolate.

Feel: Mid weight with moderate carbonation (nitrogenation??). Very crisp for the style and for something that is aged on vanilla beans. Bittersweet.

Overall: This was a very pleasant beer to drink; lots of good bitter/fruity coffee and chocolate flavors going on here balanced out against a sweet contrast of vanilla bean and powdered cocoa. I've never had a bad beer from MBC and this is no exception.

Pours pitch black color with a 2 finger thick foamy tan head that was packed with tiny bubbles and faded in average time, leaving minimal spotty lacing. Smells of vanilla, burnt coffee grinds, espresso beans, roasted grains and some herbal notes. Roasty and malty for the most part with just as much vanilla in the aroma as there was roasted malts.

Tastes very similar, with smoked malts, burnt coffee grinds, vanilla, espresso beans, roasted grains, some herbal notes, cocoa powder, chocolate, woody barrel accents, metallic notes and then more vanilla as it fades. It’s very thin for a stout with a mild bitterness and lots of roasted malts throughout.

Nitro pint

A- jet black with a creamy khaki head that has great retention

S- chocolate, cocoa nibs, coffee, toasted malt, light vanilla

T- rich and creamy chocolate up front, with notes of coffee and caramel. Mid-palate has coffee and charred malt, as well as a hint if black licorice. The finish brings out vanilla, with more chocolate and charred malt on the linger

M- medium body leads to a creamy mouthfeel and a silky velvety finish

O- outstanding and highly drinkable

 

 

4th Review!
Everything I look for in a Stout, made in Maine craft. Even better on Nitro as it helps with the feel.
A) Brown-black body sports a tan rocky head that laces only a bit.
s) Roasty, with hop, chocolate and vanilla bean.
t) Roast vs chocolate shake, but never too sweet and the vanilla and hops playing equal background parts.
f) Amply creamy, finishes clean and dry.
o) sum greater than the parts.

On tap at Jacob’s Pickles, NYC.

Pours a pitch black color with a well retaining lovely foam cap. There is lots of lacing throughout.

Inviting aroma that showcases dark biscuity malts, chocolate, vanilla and coffee. There are also hints of grassy hops and dark fruit.

The taste aligns with the aroma. The nitro yields low carbonation with a smooth, creamy and mouth coating mouthfeel. Full bodied with a long finish that has some bitterness. Sweet overall with light roasty bitterness and grassy and minty hops flavors.

As much of a fan I am of the standard Mean Old Tom, I found that the nitro and vanilla iteration was wonderful and makes it arguably better than the original.

Pours an effervescent mahogany with 3 fingers of tan head. Above average head retention

S: Faint roastyness, woody hops,

T: Very roasty and dry, woody hops and vanilla up front. Roastyness prevails as this warms, some woody hops, some iron notes. Finishes dry and roasty

MF: Medium body, slight carbonation

Decent stout, was expecting better

I am new to reviewing, so I will just state that I was comparing this to two Stouts I have tried from 4 Quarters Brewery. Normally I drink IPA's but I tried Morningstar Stout on draft about 2 weeks ago and it was so exceptional it has me searching Eastern Ma to find it again. I was in Western Mass and I found "Chocolate Drop" at a whole foods store but I only drank one of the 4 cans I bought. Last night a friend offered me a "Mean Old Tom" and it was very good. Maybe 4.25 good, and if I go to Maine that is what I would drink but first I want to go back to Winooski to drink a Morningstar stout that I rated 4.5