Mercy Seat
Holy Mountain Brewing Company - Interbay Brewery + Taproom

 

2020 vintage; consumed on 12/3/2022

Pours a silky, midnight-black body capped with nearly two fingers of creamy, dark khaki foam; solid head retention leaves an inconsistent layer of cap, thin, frothy collar, and minimal bits of lacing holding to the walls of the glass.

Aromas of charry vanilla ease to hints of raisin as a prickly bourbon oak takes hold; English malt underscores the entirety of the bouquet while accents of doughy cocoa develop alongside soft barrel and an encroaching tinge of black licorice.

Taste opens with bakers cocoa accented with tinges of charry vanilla, leaving dark fruit esters and touches of fig lingering to raisin past the mid-palate and a firmer barrel roast on the finish.

Mouthfeel shows a creamy medium body with an airy, moderate carbonation; a slight char builds to an easy warmth through the mid-palate, leaving a roasty prickle as silky overtones cut a soft heat on the back end.

Old-world roast and dark fruit prominence supersede balanced barrel across the profile, showing the base blend on full display above all; classically attenuated stout fuses deceptive brown ale complexities.

I am not a big fan of smokey beers but this one rounds it off great. The smokey salty finish with bourbon chocolate puts it on top.

 

The mix of barrel-derived vanilla and coconut mixed with the subtle earthiness of the smoked malt blends to create these amazing chocolate cake batter aromas. Like, imagine chocolate cake batter right after you add vanilla extract. Not sure why you would add vanilla extract to chocolate cake batter, but what can I tell ya.. That’s what it smells like. The barrel-aging has thinned it out a bit, and it’s lacking the density that I like in a stout, but it’s still rich and smooth, with minimal burn from the 13.5% ABV.