Mean Old Tom | Maine Beer Company
Brewed by:
Maine Beer Company
Maine, United States
mainebeercompany.com
Style: American Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.50%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
Our American-style stout aged on organic vanilla beans. Intense notes of coffee and dark chocolate lead way to subtle notes of natural vanilla. Flaked oats generate a silky mouthfeel.
Added by dciBA on 03-03-2010
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Ratings: 2,404 | Reviews: 470
4.56/5 rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.43/5 rDev +11%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap, Nitro. Deep black color with nice tan head. Sweet vanilla in nose. Vanilla and dark chocolate, burnt coffee finish. Very smooth and velvety feel and very drinkable. Very enjoyable stout.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap, Nitro. Deep black color with nice tan head. Sweet vanilla in nose. Vanilla and dark chocolate, burnt coffee finish. Very smooth and velvety feel and very drinkable. Very enjoyable stout.
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4.24/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.74/5 rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured a dark brown, almost black with a quarter inch dark tan head that settled quickly to a cap and left little lacing. Smells of roasted coffee, chocolate, roasted malts and a slight burnt quality. Tastes of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, roasted malts, hint of tobacco, char and vanilla. A lot less vanilla than I expected seeing as it is "aged on natural vanilla beans." Light bodied, minimal carbonation, smooth mouth feel although it is on the watery side.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Poured a dark brown, almost black with a quarter inch dark tan head that settled quickly to a cap and left little lacing. Smells of roasted coffee, chocolate, roasted malts and a slight burnt quality. Tastes of dark chocolate, roasted coffee, roasted malts, hint of tobacco, char and vanilla. A lot less vanilla than I expected seeing as it is "aged on natural vanilla beans." Light bodied, minimal carbonation, smooth mouth feel although it is on the watery side.
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3.84/5 rDev -3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Good, not great.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Good, not great.
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4.13/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Serving: Bottle
Bottled: Apr-11-2017
Pours pitch black with a billowing three+ fingers of thick mocha head. The aroma is all a mix of sweet malts and vanilla with a little bit of roast bitterness in between. It tastes less thick and sweet than it smells with baker's chocolate, coffee, wood, faint woodsy hops and some roast astringency/bitterness.
It has very active carbonation, a lighter body that I was expecting based on the look/smell and is a little thinner than I'd like. However here it is so drinkable for as much flavor as there is that I don't mind any perceived 'thinness'. Nice dry finish, drinkable and the vanilla adds a little oomph in the aroma department. An extremely solid dry stout.
Loved it. I'd have it again.
A (4.25) S (4.25) T (4) M (4) O (4.25)
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Serving: Bottle
Bottled: Apr-11-2017
Pours pitch black with a billowing three+ fingers of thick mocha head. The aroma is all a mix of sweet malts and vanilla with a little bit of roast bitterness in between. It tastes less thick and sweet than it smells with baker's chocolate, coffee, wood, faint woodsy hops and some roast astringency/bitterness.
It has very active carbonation, a lighter body that I was expecting based on the look/smell and is a little thinner than I'd like. However here it is so drinkable for as much flavor as there is that I don't mind any perceived 'thinness'. Nice dry finish, drinkable and the vanilla adds a little oomph in the aroma department. An extremely solid dry stout.
Loved it. I'd have it again.
A (4.25) S (4.25) T (4) M (4) O (4.25)
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3.94/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Coal black with an aroma of dark chocolate and candied sugar. Goes down dry with notes of black grape, dark chocolate, pine and faint vanilla. Medium in body and smooth.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Coal black with an aroma of dark chocolate and candied sugar. Goes down dry with notes of black grape, dark chocolate, pine and faint vanilla. Medium in body and smooth.
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4.21/5 rDev +5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Description: Dark brown/black with a coffee colored head - pretty much standard stout appearance. Smell is mostly coffee and roasty but the vanilla is a little tough to find. Maybe just a touch of it. The taste follows the smell in that it's mostly coffee with vanilla well in the background. You can taste some sweetness but I might not recognize it as vanilla if I didn't read the label. Mouthfeel is like the look in that it's pretty porter-esque: thinner and more carbonated than a stout.
Suggested food pairing: Tacos al pastor
If you like this beer then you should also try: Founders Porter
Overall: 4 (This beer is good and I may or may not drink it again) This was a textbook porter for me but not much more. If it had more vanilla notes and some more complexity I would have rated it more highly. Alas, it did not. So, this falls into the 'good not great' category.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Description: Dark brown/black with a coffee colored head - pretty much standard stout appearance. Smell is mostly coffee and roasty but the vanilla is a little tough to find. Maybe just a touch of it. The taste follows the smell in that it's mostly coffee with vanilla well in the background. You can taste some sweetness but I might not recognize it as vanilla if I didn't read the label. Mouthfeel is like the look in that it's pretty porter-esque: thinner and more carbonated than a stout.
Suggested food pairing: Tacos al pastor
If you like this beer then you should also try: Founders Porter
Overall: 4 (This beer is good and I may or may not drink it again) This was a textbook porter for me but not much more. If it had more vanilla notes and some more complexity I would have rated it more highly. Alas, it did not. So, this falls into the 'good not great' category.
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4.35/5 rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.59/5 rDev +15%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Not a huge stout guy, but this is very drinkable. I've been very impressed with Maine Beer CO!
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Not a huge stout guy, but this is very drinkable. I've been very impressed with Maine Beer CO!
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4.24/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
It poured a dark black-brown with a half centimeter of white head. The fifteen second head dissipates and leaves a film on top of the body. The smell was a mixture between coffee, cocoa and vanilla. The taste had the vanilla and cocoa mixed well and in front with the coffee coming in just to blend in. The palate was about a medium with a moderate carbonation leaving a nice acceptable dryness. I’d say it was fairly drinkable. Overall, another well done beer by one of Maine’s best beer companies.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
It poured a dark black-brown with a half centimeter of white head. The fifteen second head dissipates and leaves a film on top of the body. The smell was a mixture between coffee, cocoa and vanilla. The taste had the vanilla and cocoa mixed well and in front with the coffee coming in just to blend in. The palate was about a medium with a moderate carbonation leaving a nice acceptable dryness. I’d say it was fairly drinkable. Overall, another well done beer by one of Maine’s best beer companies.
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4/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Poured into a nonic pint to a black beer topped by a dense and rocky two finger tan head that retains well and elaves decent lacing
S: Smells of chocolate breakfast cereal(think cocoa krispies), vanilla, and a little roasted malts
T: Taste is chocolate and vanilla with some nice roasted character along with some hints of coffee. Swallow is more roasted malts with chocolate covered espresso beans and a nice hit of roastyness on the finish with some lingering hints of vanilla
M: This beer is on the heavier side of medium in body with soft carbonation that is perfect for the style. The beer has a fairly silky and smooth feel to it which is very nice. This beer has a semi-dry finish which is nice.
O: Overall this is a really nice beer that represents the style well. The vanilla is there but it doesn't overshadow the base beer but it complements the flavors well. Definitely one to keep an eye out for.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A: Poured into a nonic pint to a black beer topped by a dense and rocky two finger tan head that retains well and elaves decent lacing
S: Smells of chocolate breakfast cereal(think cocoa krispies), vanilla, and a little roasted malts
T: Taste is chocolate and vanilla with some nice roasted character along with some hints of coffee. Swallow is more roasted malts with chocolate covered espresso beans and a nice hit of roastyness on the finish with some lingering hints of vanilla
M: This beer is on the heavier side of medium in body with soft carbonation that is perfect for the style. The beer has a fairly silky and smooth feel to it which is very nice. This beer has a semi-dry finish which is nice.
O: Overall this is a really nice beer that represents the style well. The vanilla is there but it doesn't overshadow the base beer but it complements the flavors well. Definitely one to keep an eye out for.
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3.88/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Black with brown foam.
Roasted malt, vanilla.
Light roast coffee and hints of dark chocolate, neither dominate. No sweetness, all roast. Very well balanced but not a beer of superlatives and has some soft, inky bitterness. Reminds me of Anchor's Porter.
Tad thin.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25
Black with brown foam.
Roasted malt, vanilla.
Light roast coffee and hints of dark chocolate, neither dominate. No sweetness, all roast. Very well balanced but not a beer of superlatives and has some soft, inky bitterness. Reminds me of Anchor's Porter.
Tad thin.
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3.48/5 rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.98/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 16.9 oz. bottle into an El Catador Barrel-Aged glass.
A: Very dark brown, and essentially opaque. A low amount of visible carbonation, but the half-finger of tan head lasts for quite awhile.
S: Vanilla up front. Undertones of chocolate, coffee, and roasted malts. Some toffee and leather as well. Nice here – vanilla-dominated, which is no surprise. But nice.
T: Vanilla and heavily roasted malts that have a mild charred character. Chocolate and leather. Vanilla wafer cookies mixed with some smoke – but no hint of the acrid or Band-Aid I find so off-putting. A modest hop and roast bitterness at the end, with some more lingering vanilla.
M: A nice thick body, as long as you remember that it’s not an imperial stout. Low alcohol presence, and low carbonation sensation overall but acceptable for style.
O: I thought this was really a pretty decent American stout. I’m not sure the vanilla added anything over the base beer (whatever that is) – it’s sweet, though not cloying, but I think I would have enjoyed it just as much if not more without the vanilla. Still, pretty tasty as it is.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Reviewed from notes. Poured from a 16.9 oz. bottle into an El Catador Barrel-Aged glass.
A: Very dark brown, and essentially opaque. A low amount of visible carbonation, but the half-finger of tan head lasts for quite awhile.
S: Vanilla up front. Undertones of chocolate, coffee, and roasted malts. Some toffee and leather as well. Nice here – vanilla-dominated, which is no surprise. But nice.
T: Vanilla and heavily roasted malts that have a mild charred character. Chocolate and leather. Vanilla wafer cookies mixed with some smoke – but no hint of the acrid or Band-Aid I find so off-putting. A modest hop and roast bitterness at the end, with some more lingering vanilla.
M: A nice thick body, as long as you remember that it’s not an imperial stout. Low alcohol presence, and low carbonation sensation overall but acceptable for style.
O: I thought this was really a pretty decent American stout. I’m not sure the vanilla added anything over the base beer (whatever that is) – it’s sweet, though not cloying, but I think I would have enjoyed it just as much if not more without the vanilla. Still, pretty tasty as it is.
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3.34/5 rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
From the left side of the bottle, stamped: "031417 90"
Appearance: Black body with a thick and creamy textured chocolate milk colored head. It quickly fades to a short but well-maintained head. Good retention with moderate lacing.
Aroma: I immediately get that burnt charcoal aroma of heavily kilned grains. There is a bit of a woody quality to the aroma. The burnt aroma is the only aroma present.
Taste: Up front I get a burnt coffee flavor with some burnt wood. The woody flavor of the beer has a bit of a cinnamon quality to it but mostly the beer just monotone with a burnt flavor.
Mouthfeel: It has a smooth transition from a sharp beginning to a slightly raspy finish.
Overall: I'll address the elephant in the room where the bottle says it is a "stout aged on natural vanilla beans." Unless those vanilla beans were fire roasted before putting into the beer I am not picking them up at all. Even while letting the beer warm up the vanilla simply never surfaces. While the beer is still good I probably wouldn't buy it again. It's not one that I would recommend.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
From the left side of the bottle, stamped: "031417 90"
Appearance: Black body with a thick and creamy textured chocolate milk colored head. It quickly fades to a short but well-maintained head. Good retention with moderate lacing.
Aroma: I immediately get that burnt charcoal aroma of heavily kilned grains. There is a bit of a woody quality to the aroma. The burnt aroma is the only aroma present.
Taste: Up front I get a burnt coffee flavor with some burnt wood. The woody flavor of the beer has a bit of a cinnamon quality to it but mostly the beer just monotone with a burnt flavor.
Mouthfeel: It has a smooth transition from a sharp beginning to a slightly raspy finish.
Overall: I'll address the elephant in the room where the bottle says it is a "stout aged on natural vanilla beans." Unless those vanilla beans were fire roasted before putting into the beer I am not picking them up at all. Even while letting the beer warm up the vanilla simply never surfaces. While the beer is still good I probably wouldn't buy it again. It's not one that I would recommend.
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Mean Old Tom from Maine Beer Company
Beer rating:
84.7% out of
100 with
2,404 ratings
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75