Mocha Merlin | Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Brewed by:
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
California, United States
firestonewalker.com
Style: English Oatmeal Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.50%
Availability: Fall
Notes / Commercial Description:
Formerly Velvet Mocha Merlin
Added by JayPeso on 10-25-2014
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers
Ratings: 501 | Reviews: 118
4/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.46/5 rDev +10.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.6/5 rDev +14.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark brown pour is opaque black in the glass with a tall dark tan foam head... As expected, brings ample coffee and cocoa to the nose and palate... Light-bodied, with the sweetness up front and a slight drying char on the very back-end... Not my normal fare, but enjoyable and well-crafted...10/8/18 canning...
310 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Dark brown pour is opaque black in the glass with a tall dark tan foam head... As expected, brings ample coffee and cocoa to the nose and palate... Light-bodied, with the sweetness up front and a slight drying char on the very back-end... Not my normal fare, but enjoyable and well-crafted...10/8/18 canning...
310 characters
3.92/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.94/5 rDev -2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
12oz can
Pours a nice finger of tan head into my tulip glass. Dissipates pretty quickly. The body showed hues of brown and mahogany while being poured and when held up to the light. It's not as dark as I would expect, though, it's still mostly black. It looks fine so far.
The nose is exploding with fresh coffee beans. Hard to smell much else, but it smells fantastic. Not too sweet, not too bitter. Very very nice.
The flavor is much the same, huge flavor of fresh coffee beans. Slightly on the sweeter side, but it's not too sweet by any means, and it has some bitterness in there as well. The flavor is big initially, but unfortunately does not stick the entire way through the palate, not a big deal, but noticeable. Overall a very good taste.
The mouthfeel is a little lighter than I would expect, and probably than I would prefer. It's an extremely light body, which coincides with the lighter appearance, and the un resilient flavor. The carbonation is about medium. Bitterness lingers for a nano second at the end. Overall I would prefer something thicker here.
The drinkability is very high. I think they were definitely going for a sessionable coffee beer. Nothing wrong with that, but I would have preferred something bigger, even if it meant sacrificing it's sessionable quality.
Overall this is a good beer. It's got a great nose and taste, full of fresh coffee. I would have liked a bigger mouth, and a more lasting flavor, but it's still good.
The appearance turned out sub par. Not really anything in the way of lacing. The head dissipated quickly, it left a little film, but not much. Overall not too great.
1,651 characters
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4
12oz can
Pours a nice finger of tan head into my tulip glass. Dissipates pretty quickly. The body showed hues of brown and mahogany while being poured and when held up to the light. It's not as dark as I would expect, though, it's still mostly black. It looks fine so far.
The nose is exploding with fresh coffee beans. Hard to smell much else, but it smells fantastic. Not too sweet, not too bitter. Very very nice.
The flavor is much the same, huge flavor of fresh coffee beans. Slightly on the sweeter side, but it's not too sweet by any means, and it has some bitterness in there as well. The flavor is big initially, but unfortunately does not stick the entire way through the palate, not a big deal, but noticeable. Overall a very good taste.
The mouthfeel is a little lighter than I would expect, and probably than I would prefer. It's an extremely light body, which coincides with the lighter appearance, and the un resilient flavor. The carbonation is about medium. Bitterness lingers for a nano second at the end. Overall I would prefer something thicker here.
The drinkability is very high. I think they were definitely going for a sessionable coffee beer. Nothing wrong with that, but I would have preferred something bigger, even if it meant sacrificing it's sessionable quality.
Overall this is a good beer. It's got a great nose and taste, full of fresh coffee. I would have liked a bigger mouth, and a more lasting flavor, but it's still good.
The appearance turned out sub par. Not really anything in the way of lacing. The head dissipated quickly, it left a little film, but not much. Overall not too great.
1,651 characters
3.93/5 rDev -2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.45/5 rDev +10.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
4.31/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
3.6/5 rDev -10.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
4.07/5 rDev +1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
4.91/5 rDev +22.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours to a nice frothy head with solid retention. Lacing is also good. It has a strong smell of coffee mixed with a slight hint of chocolate. The feel is smooth which makes it incredibly easy to drink. With it being coffee infused there is a strong coffee flavor that works incredibly well with the malts. There is a subtle chocolate aftertaste that is a perfect compliment to the coffee flavor. Overall I'd say that this beer is incredibly delicious and makes for a great dessert beer.
486 characters
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours to a nice frothy head with solid retention. Lacing is also good. It has a strong smell of coffee mixed with a slight hint of chocolate. The feel is smooth which makes it incredibly easy to drink. With it being coffee infused there is a strong coffee flavor that works incredibly well with the malts. There is a subtle chocolate aftertaste that is a perfect compliment to the coffee flavor. Overall I'd say that this beer is incredibly delicious and makes for a great dessert beer.
486 characters
3.75/5 rDev -6.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
4.56/5 rDev +13.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
4.06/5 rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The additives dilute the head’s duration and stick as well as the feel. (As almost always) Beer is compromises by the trade offs of additives. (Look + Feel) 3.75
The smell is lovely roasty, coffee of quality, well made with suitable char and hop to offset any sweetness.
Wood fire included. (Smell 4)
The taste is outstanding with a very long, bitter-sweet, well-made arc on the tongue that includes the aromatics plus I find a long clean finish that outpunches its ABV. If you’re an espresso drinker this is for you.
O: Outstanding and original, not me too, among the best of the espresso stouts.
603 characters
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
The additives dilute the head’s duration and stick as well as the feel. (As almost always) Beer is compromises by the trade offs of additives. (Look + Feel) 3.75
The smell is lovely roasty, coffee of quality, well made with suitable char and hop to offset any sweetness.
Wood fire included. (Smell 4)
The taste is outstanding with a very long, bitter-sweet, well-made arc on the tongue that includes the aromatics plus I find a long clean finish that outpunches its ABV. If you’re an espresso drinker this is for you.
O: Outstanding and original, not me too, among the best of the espresso stouts.
603 characters
4.25/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
the coffee spike really makes this, a next level beer, and worth the high praise it receives. i think the cool thing about having coffee in it, is that it contributes a lot more than just coffee character, like, there are synergies it is responsible for that make this special, well beyond the nutty, sweet, roasty java thats all over the nose and taste of this one. for one, i think it calls up some cool nuance in the dark grain that is a little harder to fully appreciate in the original. chocolate is the main note i get now that i dont so much in that one, dark and milk alike, sweet and bitter, rich in a fancy and high end sort of way, and i think the coffee addition is responsible for it. i also think the coffee adds a lot of depth, like it highlights some of the roast in the dark barley, earthy and bitter, and it pulls up a slightly sweet caramel malt aspect to balance in the middle, toffee notes and light smoke to it. on top of that i really like the coffee itself, smooth and heavy, some caffeine to it, and its warming, feels like morning, and works in both cold weather as a cozy sort of thing, and in warm weather like a cold brewed coffee over ice might refresh. its beautiful, a more nuanced and complete beer than the original, still frothy and full from the oats, just awesome, and of the finest quality. one of the better firestone beers in recent memory for me!
1,387 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
the coffee spike really makes this, a next level beer, and worth the high praise it receives. i think the cool thing about having coffee in it, is that it contributes a lot more than just coffee character, like, there are synergies it is responsible for that make this special, well beyond the nutty, sweet, roasty java thats all over the nose and taste of this one. for one, i think it calls up some cool nuance in the dark grain that is a little harder to fully appreciate in the original. chocolate is the main note i get now that i dont so much in that one, dark and milk alike, sweet and bitter, rich in a fancy and high end sort of way, and i think the coffee addition is responsible for it. i also think the coffee adds a lot of depth, like it highlights some of the roast in the dark barley, earthy and bitter, and it pulls up a slightly sweet caramel malt aspect to balance in the middle, toffee notes and light smoke to it. on top of that i really like the coffee itself, smooth and heavy, some caffeine to it, and its warming, feels like morning, and works in both cold weather as a cozy sort of thing, and in warm weather like a cold brewed coffee over ice might refresh. its beautiful, a more nuanced and complete beer than the original, still frothy and full from the oats, just awesome, and of the finest quality. one of the better firestone beers in recent memory for me!
1,387 characters
4.25/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.41/5 rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Mocha Merlin from Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
4.02 out of
5 with
501 ratings
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