Contradiction Golden Mocha Stout
Alibi Ale Works

 

Look: Clear honey brown with a medium white head that has good retention and leaves decent lacing.
Smell: Delicious sweet cocoa upfront turns into an incredible and inviting scent of roasted oats.
Taste: A delicate balance of sweet chocolate, bitter coffee, rich vanilla and robust oats make this beer absolutely delicious and extremely quaffable.
Feel: Good. High in the mouth.
Overall: I was afraid that this beer was going to be too sweet for my liking but instead it is masterfully balanced. I’d definitely recommend this brew.

neat stuff, thought i had reviewed beers from these guys before, but i guess not, seen them all over reno, went over to their truckee spot and got into a mess of them recently, and this is good, even though the style is getting annoying, never thought it would make it this long, and more and more of them are samey and sweet, as this one is, although its use of real good coffee is obvious, and that pushes it out ahead of the masses a little bit for me, still, wishing it wasnt loaded with lactose, which is a thought i often have with these. this is pretty pale but does take a little reddish brown tint from the coffee, subtle though, and this has a nice head from the tap and low shine, looks good, not too too light. the nose is coffee and vanilla together, some cereal malt, not sure i smell actual oats, but theyre pretty mild right? sweet like honey which propels the vanilla, no real roast depth to the coffee but i love its raisin and cocoa nuance, just right for this. the nib element is light to me, i taste that a bit more than i smell it, cohesive overall, sugary but not insanely so, but not really hitting like a stout to my nose either, they so rarely do. the flavor is nutty like amaretto, perhaps a note from the coffee, which is warming and wintery and there from start to finish, never bitter. the chocolate and vanilla are together, i can taste and feel the richness of the oats and i think the lactose superfluous, its already rich and lathery and smooth without that, and its sweet even without it too. lots of vanilla here, maybe more than it needs, but also just a little late metallic twinge to it. dusty earthy dark cocoa character way back, nice with the richer grains in this, some good synergies in general here and an excellent coffee profile too. thinner than any good stout but with soft supple body from the oats, and overall a solid take on a style i am kind of tired of, these no longer read as creative anymore. the coffee makes it for me, and this alibi location is rad, stoked to have been able to spend some time there!

Who ever heard of a beer like this?

Alibi had the guts to brew something of this sort, which was a pleasant surprise when I picked it up at the Total Wine in Reno, Nevada last summer. Indeed, this had an identity crisis as I wish it was in a new category but had I not looked at the liquid, this would have been a lovely Stout that was full-bodied and easy to drink while being slick like coffee and full-bodied at the same time!

Honey in hue and topped off with a nice head of foam, this delighted me as soon as I poured it out. The head settled pretty evenly although the lacing left behind was light and spotty. Cocoa, cream, and marshmallow were in the sweet and chocolate nose as the taste was quite filling but slick from the presence of coffee and vanilla beans. Not particularly strong or boozy, there was a lot to like here as this was arguably the "brightest" Stout that I've ever had - in more than one way!

The back of this wasn't full of powder, nor was it cloying, as the lactose gave it a dessert feel that left me wanting more. Dated 11/28/22 on the bottom of the can with "CONTRA" written above it, I loved the Great Gatsby-esque label as it was fitting for something so grand, even if this came across as understated. The Magnum Hops were felt in the earthy pine that lingered on my teeth once I finished this off, as I wish I had another can on hand here at home. Props to Alibi for going out on a limb and hitting it out of the park at the same time!

 

I appalled Alibi for creating something unique and having the conviction to can it, but this ain’t for everybody. Yuk was my first impression and I just couldn’t get my head around it, taste like sour green coffee beans. If you like a coffee flavored funky sour beer this might be for you, but not my cup of beer.

 

 

A thanks to the commander of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. Poured fro a 16 oz. can. Has a deep golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of coffee, little else. Taste is of coffee with a bit of cream. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a decent beer.

 

Thought this was a really cool beer, with the golden color and clarity. Has the coffee added so it comes through in the aroma and taste very clearly and prominently. That said, it's not a glass full of coffee as the oats and lactose take the edge off and smooth it out and the vanilla is hidden until the very end as it goes down. Sits on the tongue in with a sweetness and doesn't dry out. Overall a pretty good/great tasting golden stout.