Mephistopheles' Stout
Avery Brewing Company

2012 Vintage. Batch No. 8.
5.4.14
This is a truly beautiful beer. Pours just shy of black; like coffee that you just know is top of the line. Less than a finger or so of brown head, dissipates quickly settling into a nice little foamy topper that lingers and tags the sides of the glass like so many train cars after a late night bombing session.

Smells smoothe and round, chocolate on the forefront, but certainly the 16.2% creeps in a little bit. Molasses and roast, with a sweet underpinning of dark fruits. I'm usually more of a chocolate and coffee guy when it comes to stouts as opposed to fruity notes, but this incorporates bits of both masterfully, balancing them and letting them each take their turn in the sun. As it warms the boozy plums and the like take more of the attention from the chocolate, but I ain't even mad at it. I even get bits of a fine cigar as it evolves. Amazing.

I must say the flavours are top notch, but even at a year and a half this is still pretty darn hot. I'd probably give it another year or two before it really hits its stride, which is saying something considering how tasty it is now. The dark fruits continue to take the forefront here, sharing time with more bitter tobacco than came out on the nose. Less chocolate, more leather than my olfactory bulb suggested, at least until the finish, which is creamy bakers cocoa: that lush meeting of creamy, sweet and bitter that masterfully crafted stouts present so well.

As previously stated, this is still pretty hot as 16.2% is a hell of an elephant to try and hide. Beyond that first impression, though it has a creamy silky mouthfeel with just enough carbonation to dance across your tongue and offer some nuance. Not quite as thick as the pour indicated, but by no means thin... I'd call it medium heavy? But incredibly smoothe. I can't wait to get another bottle and let it sit for even longer to let the alcohol mellow out a little more, because this is great as is, but with that sorted out it could be galaxian... you heard me.

 

12oz bottle from Oct 2019 (5.5 years ago) poured into a tulip glass at cellar temp 14.666% ABV per label. The beer pours absolutely pitch black with medium brown colored head. The head recedes to a single layer of multisized bubbles and leaves a little lacing. The aroma is mild with ashy, bitter roasted malt and notes of licorice and earth. The taste is bittersweet roasted malt with additional layers of dark fruit, chocolate and coffee. Moderate bitterness. The feel is medium bodied with just less that average carbonation and a mostly dry finish. The ethanol is remarkably well hidden for the ABV. Just a warming glow that hints at what's up. Overall, excellent.

Black color. Big, brown head. The aroma of chocolate, cherries, molasses, and dark fruits. Heavy sweetness in taste balanced by biting, roasted bitterness. Flavors of coffee, dark fruits, and chocolate. Warming alcohol at the end

 

 

12 oz bottle. 2010 release consumed on 1-14-2024. Served at room temp.

Nice pop upon opening the bottle and there's a nice bit of smoke coming out. Very pitch black looking when pouring into the glass. I did an aggressive pour to see if there was any carbonation in this beer, since it's 14 years old, and I am very surprised there's a lot of it. The head produced is 2 finger and brown in color. Frothy, and smaller bubbles. Head retention is off the charts. How can the head last so long with a 15.95% ABV Beer? Some clingy and sticky lacing on the glass as it slowly dissipates. Wow!
Roasted chocolate, malty nose. Hints of vanilla and caramel. Slight hint of coffee. Nose isn't too strong, but, it's a very old beer.
Taste is where this experiment is either proven good or bad. I'm not too sure it's a success. I do get some faint notes of caramel, chocolate and vanilla. The main flavor is a boozy flavor that is somewhat bitter tasting.
This is a very thick and full feeling beer. Smooth, and a very slight burn.
Was this a beer that was outstanding in its prime? Probably, but, at 14 years, way past. I wish I would have known about this beer in its prime days.

This is retired? Well that sucks. This is a world class imperial stout. I’m glad I lucked into one at Coltrane’s in Colorado Springs. I didn’t even realize it was from 2016 at the time and it was still amazing.

Im sampling a cellar temp 12 oz bottle poured into my snifter. The beer is from batch 1, bottled in January 2006. Part of my cellaruary effort of 2023!
the beer pours a rich cola brown and sits like black coffee in my glass, no light passing through. I get zero carbonation on the pour and a few clingy bubbles stick to the edge of my glass, but it is certainly not a complete "layer". Looks still in my glass.
Aroma is rich and robust, even just from the cap popping. Rich dark chocolate fudge mixes with molasses and figs and raisin. I also get some light fusol booze, but this is very buried and the malts steal the nose. No hops anywhere.
First sip reveals a thick body with VERY fine and gentle soft carbonation. the carbonation does fizz up if I swirl the beer in my mouth. Beer also leaves some legs on my glass like a merlot each time I take a sip.
Flavor is rich dark chocolate fudge carrying the lead. This moves to some molasses and a bit of a tobacco and leathery note comes through in the middle. Dark fruit shows through briefly and then a bit of roast note pops up and lingers on the finish. Never any hops and no warming booze here either.
I enjoy this 17 year old beer and am glad to have a chance to share it. I remember really liking this beer when it was new and fresh and am honestly surprised I didnt have review posted from the past. Glad to have #Cellaruary to help encourage me to open these old treats!!

 

2016 vintage. Growler into pint glass. Pours an oily black with essentially no head. Initial impression is silky-smooth, thick, boozy, and impressive. Chocolate, coffee, and roasted malts in perfect balance with one another. Aged extremely well. Mouthfeel is slippery smooth, with plenty of body for even the most jaded Stout enthusiast. Finish is boozy but surprisingly clean and smooth (albeit with a bit of alcohol burn). Overall, an outstanding Imperial Stout - one of the best.

The best imperial stout, bar none, and I've had a few of them.

Unfreaking GREAT

 

 

Shared 355 ml bottle at local tasting. Vintage 2007, ABV is 16%. Black colour, small tan head. Intense aroma of fusel and soy sauce, also roast malts and tar. Sweet flavour, intense malty and roasty notes, also molasses and liquorice.

 

Complex stout much aroma a slight etoh and taste cherries coffee chocolate

 

Batch 12 Oct. 2016. Poured at 58 degrees. Rocky/mousse-like combo tan head; excellent cap retention, solid ring, medium heavy lacing; tons of suspended particles; tar black with ruby edges; thin legs. Roast malt, molasses nose; some fruity esters from the Westmalle Belgian yeast; boozy exhale. Bitter Baker’s chocolate; char; roast malt; black licorice; burnt brown sugar; dark chocolate on backend. Smooth feel, medium body; alcohol bite on tongue; full mouth warmth from 14.6% abv; dry finish. Overall, awesome multilayered flavors; some sharp alcohol, but the malt and yeast keep the booze in check; not keen on the floaties, but otherwise an impressive high gravity stout.