Chaos Grid - Monsters' Mix
Modern Times Beer

Type: 8-oz. draft
Glass: Clear 8-oz. pilsner glass
From: Hoffer’s Cigar Bar in La Mesa, Calif.
Price: $10.00
Purchased: May 24, 2019
Consumed: May 24, 2019
Reviewed as: American Double / Imperial Stout
Misc.: Part of the “Fortnight of the Monsters”; Quick review

Snuck over after work to Hoffer’s for a special “Fortnight of the Monsters” they were having. Checked the prices and saw $10 for eight ounces. Steep, but much cheaper than Eureka on campus ($15 for nine ounces). Picked this one of the four. Description read, “This jaw-droppingly tasty power combo is comprised of batches of Mega Devil's Teeth and Monsters' Park aged in North American port and brandy barrels. That's a pretty outrageously decadent blend in its own right, but we raised the stakes to hedonistic proportions with the addition of Dominican & Peruvian cocoa nibs from our homies at Nibble Chocolate in San Diego. What resulted is a rich, complex beverage with enchanting notes of caramel, dark fruit, bakers chocolate, toffee, and oak. It's pretty much a shoo-in for the Best Decision You Made All Day award.” Let’s go!

Poured an almost pitch black color with one finger of khaki tan frothy head when I got it. Could see a few bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. Excellent foamy lacing. Outstanding retention. (Sight - 4.25)

Smelled caramel, toffee, milk chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, butterscotch, oak, Heath Bar and mocha. (Smell - 4.25)

Tasted even better than the nose. Got leathery oaky wood, caramel, toffee, butterscotch, milk chocolate, Heath Bar, oak, fudge batter, baker’s chocolate, fig, raisin, dark berry, cinnamon and lingering rye spice. (Taste - 4.50)

Full body. Sticky texture. Average carbonation. Long, bitter, warming finish. (Feel - 4.50)

Just another terrific Monsters’ Park beer. (Overall - 4.25)

4.38 | 97 | A

 

 

 

On tap at Belmont Station.

The beer pours a blackish brown color with great head retention and considerable lacing. On the nose, there's a huge aroma of dark chocolate and vanilla, coupled with milk duds and light bourbon. The flavor profile replicates the nose pretty closely in this rich, decadently sweet beer. As is typical with ba stouts from MT, the sweetness is a bit much, and hurts the beer's drinkability a bit (it's almost cloyingly sweet). Mouthfeel is pretty full otherwise, and the finish is long and lingering.

Another impressive ba impy stout from MT, but I really wish they could tone down the sweetness a bit. The 4 ounce pour I ordered was almost more than I can handle. Should also add that the pricing is the usual over the top nonsense I've come to expect from MT ( 4 ounce glass was $6, and a 10 ounce glass is $10). So this probably isn't a beer I'll be revisiting any time soon.