Moher Mocha
Tree House Brewing Company

 

Probably the thickest, blackest pour I’ve ever seen. Initially no head, even from an aggressive pour, but eventually some dark mocha, fizzy head does pop through — quickly dissipating into a pencil-thin crown. Spotty lacing.

Chocolate, umami and light coffee in the aroma.

Chocolatey tasting. A little red wine, raisin and umami behind. Touches of vanilla and almond. Just a little coffee.

Extremely thick, viscous mouthfeel with a little carbonation poking through.

Why so damn thick? Feel like this likely has a lot of lactose, although I didn’t see it listed.

Sampling a cellar temp 12 oz bottle poured into a snifter. Picked up at the brewery in CHarlton some time ago and has been in my cellar for a bit since.
The beer pours a dark black coffee color with a dense brown head of less than .5 cm. this foam fades rapidly to a thin edging and nothing else in my glass. Looks the part of an imperial stout.
Aroma is fudge brownie, sweetened coffee, some dark fruit ( raisins) and a little fusol booze. No hop character on the nose.
First sip reveals a a medium to full body and slightly sticky texture with fine tingly carbonation. Definitely some coating on my palate with each sip. Very minimal warming on the swallow.
Flavor is dark malt, fudge brownie and sweetened coffee with some molassess and brown sugar and definitely chocolate covered raisin note. no hops, no bite from booze either.
This is a tasty brew and I kinda wish I had more bottles, not for tonight per se, but for future sessions.
Glad to have drank this one!

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A: The liquid itself is inky black, oily and impenetrable. A very aggressive pour only manages to kick up a half inch of very brown head. It dissipated only about a minute after its creation. Tiny spots of lacing here and there, but that's about it. Pretty standard for what it is.

S: Hallmark barrel aged stout aromas forward on the nose- blackstrap molasses, chocolate sauce, chocolate ganache, dark caramel chews, oaky, bourbon, woody vanillins, bit of toasted marshmallow. Perhaps some nutty coffee if I really search for it. Roasty with whiffs of acrid smoke. Toasty coconut, and a separate and distinct oakiness pull through with time and warmth.

T: Bold and rich stout flavors up front. This is a big one. Chocolate ganache, chewy fudge, blackstrap molasses, brownie batter, dark salted caramel. Dark fruit on the mid palate with blackberry jam and juicy plum. Toasty oak, warm vanilla, coconut shavings, browned marshmallow. Bourbon comes out, but is subtle. I get more barrel than booze. Here in taste, the coffee gets lost in the shuffle again. Were I not looking for it, I don't think I'd have found it. There is a little smoky nuttiness, but it's easily missed hiding amongst what the roasted malt naturally brings. Sweet throughout. Long, lingering finish of salted caramel, fudge sauce, and a touch of lingering bourbon. A little of the jamminess also sticks around.

M: Rich and thick in the mouth, and definitely coating. It starts to go even sludgy, but there is just enough of an underlying prickling carbonation to keep it from being too much. Some mild tannin at play, too. Relatively easy in terms of any alcohol warmth. It's really quite tame there.

O: I'm really not sure what they were going for in concept. The label would lead one to believe either a mocha stout, or an attempt at an Irish coffee beer. I honestly don't feel that it hits on either of those concepts, but I also don't care. It's a pretty great beer in its own right. Very enjoyable from stem to stern. It's a big beer that drinks like a big beer, but isn't harsh. The flavor profile is as fudgey and barrel-forward as any barrel aged stout drinker could want. A focused dark fruit aroma and flavor provides a nice contrast. In truth, it isn't the most complex beer out there, but what it does it does very well. Worth seeking out.

Pours as black as squid ink with a small brown head that dissipated quickly and left minimal lacing. Smells like dark chocolate, bakers chocolate, cocoa powder, a milk chocolate bar with peanuts, smoked malt, molasses, vanilla and bourbon. It almost seems like it would be too sweet, but the powerful barrel aging notes dominate and unleash vanilla and char. The taste is decadent, with a tremendous amount of malty complexity that weaves the bourbon and chocolate in masterfully. The flavor is a combo of dark chocolate, burnt coffee grinds, bakers chocolate, cocoa powder, vanilla, bourbon, charred oak, molasses, port wine or sherry, milk chocolate bar with peanuts, smoked malts, chocolate covered raisins, coffee creamer, hot fudge and soy sauce. The taste borders on too sweet but the alcohol reels it in so it’s not cloyingly sweet. No burn, it’s a smooth feeling brew that is certainly a desert like slow sipper.

 

 

Poured from a bottle into pint glass in September 2024. I do not see a bottled on date, but I drank this about 1 month after purchasing the bottle at the Tree House brewpub.

Appearance: As with many imperial stouts, very dark black with only a thin dark brown head. Head was only a small covering high, and lasted a minute. It leaves only a little lacing on the glass, and ended with no head on the beer. Head bubbles were very fine.

Smell: Strong aroma of bourbon, chocolate, and coconut. There is also some caramel, vanilla, and some other sweet aroma like black licorice, but overall the bourbon and coconut dominate the others. It is a very nice balance of aromas, and good contrast.

Taste: There is a nice balance between the chocolate, bourbon, and sweetness from the coconut flavors. There is some smokie roasted flavors, some caramel, vanilla, and coffee flavors, and a little amount of bitter hop flavors to enhance the taste and add some complexity. There is a strong alcohol presence, but it is balanced nicely by the sweetness. The taste is an excellent mix.

Mouth-feel: Thick like liquid licorice, but with a smooth body.

This is an excellent, complex Imperial Stout, and it has a variety of flavors that adds a nice complexity to the beer. Although this is a big beer, it is very smooth and enjoyable to drink. This coconut sweetness nicely contrasts the bourbon flavor, and is a nice balance to the alcohol. This reminds me a lot of Founder's CBS and KBS stouts which are some of my favorite beers. At $10 for a 12oz bottle, I just wish it was not so expensive. Another outstanding beer by Tree House.


See my Founders CBS review for a list of my current favorite stouts.

 

 

 

Pour was ok, but no head. Good clingy texture.

Decent smell, a hint of the flavor to come.

This really got better as I drank it. Strong strong flavors. A bit too much, but as a stand alone, very interesting and complex. Mocha, coffee, chocolate, all there.

Fascinating beer, worth sipping and having.

 

 

 

Pours onyx black with a dark mocha colored head that sizzles and dissipates quickly. Definitely looks the part of a big BA stout. The Bose features rich chocolate notes, roasty coffee, and some barrel aromas.

The taste is centered around the rich chocolate and roasty coffee flavors, which are delicious, but the star for me is the surprising stone fruit flavor, which is delectable dark cherries, and the barrel, which is oaky and most present as a warming alcohol note at the back of the palate. Delicious stuff.

The mouthfeel is rich and creamy, commensurate with a beer of this gravity. This is really well done, IMHO.