Four Seasons Of Mother Earth - Winter 2019
Mother Earth Brew Co.

 

Incredibly smooth and drinkable for a barrel aged 10%er. Creamy mint and chocolate ... just a very well done beer! Wish it wasn’t $10 for a 16oz can, but it was worth it.

 

Nothing but positive things to say about this beer it's very well balanced with the bourbon the deep milk chocolate there's a touch of creamy peppermint rounding out for a .vanilla fish. Going to assume this has a year of age because it's far from winter but on tap it is quite exquisite.

 

 

 

I think the only other experience I've had with Mother Earth was the atrocious Sin Tax, a horrible peanut butter-laden imperial stout that pales in comparison to the likes of Mast Landing Gunner's Daughter and its stronger big sister, Imperial Gunner's Daughter, so when I saw this at my local store, it was with some trepidation that I picked it up. I'm not a person to completely write a brewery off via a single bad experience, especially if the beer in question is one of the more common offerings, after all. This seemed interesting: a 10+% mint chocolate stout aged in bourbon barrels. I have had exactly one other good mint-focused stout before, and that would be Stone's example from back in like 2012/2013. Been a while. Excited to see how this is.

Pours a fairly standard yet nice looking color for a big stout. Dark and mean appearance with a nice brown overall color to it. Not strictly terrifying or anything, but it's decent enough coming out of the can. The head doesn't have too much buildup and what's there is more akin to a khaki color than the typical mocha of a BBA stout of this size. I can only assume the mint flavoring and/or the "liquid cacao & cocoa nibs" changed some of the chemistry here. Anyway, it's not bad, but it definitely doesn't have as imposing an appearance as some other bigger stouts tend to.

The nose, however, is excellent. Wow, this is like a chocolate-y mint julep for sure! Smells just like an Andes mint with a side of bourbon to wash it down. I get initial notes of fresh-shaved peppermint, deep milk chocolate, some slight tannins, herbal notes, and light caramel-like sweetness combining with the adjuncts in a very nice, satisfying way. I don't really like spearmint, but I can detect a touch of that sweeter, grassier mint in here too.

Wonderful flavor profile... very much like an Andes mint once again, with some nice tannins and vanilla-like notes from the barrel-aging. Great malt profile with some intense caramel and chocolate maltiness. Smooth and sweet in the mid-palate with exceptional handling of the mint addition. Carbonation is decent in the middle but peters out quickly toward the finish. I honestly didn't expect this to be so drinkable and enjoyable. The feel is a lighter-bodied "heavy" than expected, though it definitely still tends towards being a big BBA stout at the end of the day. Definitely reminds me of the Stone beer from all those years ago, with a light but defined barrel-aged twist. Recommended!

a barrel aged imperial milk stout with mint and chocolate, a really cool release, better than so many of these out there, and cool that its in a can now too, a little more accessible this way than some of the bombers of the past. this is deep and near black, viscous from the tap but not over the top, complex and immediately cozy as i take in the aromas of fresh mint, peppermint patty, milk and dark chocolates, both bitter and sweet, and the best parts of the bourbon without any of the booziness, namely the oak, char, vanilla, and corn sweetness, really rich and decadent, but not diabetic when i taste it, they did a fine job of not putting too much lactose in this. the flavor is great, not over the top bourbon here, mellow accents throughout, some wood, and some vanilla too, it brings this all together, makes it warming, and is perfectly proportioned. the mint is natural but not menthol intense, and the chocolate is obvious without being too desserty, and this drinks very adult, very layered. some lightly bitter dark chocolate and barrel char here, some sweet mint and vanilla over there, its palate coating but not cloying, and it makes me feel good both inside and out. an impressive beer here, one of the best i have had from mother earth to date. i didnt expect to be so impressed, but this is money!

edit: lost one in the fridge for a few months and its still great, but not as bright as it originally was, probably not a beer to cellar, but overall still one of the best mother earth brews ive had!