Devious Intent
McCall Brewing Company

a solid imperial stout here, one of the best beers ive had from these guys from an overall quality standpoint, a classic, no frills example of the style, and at a moderate enough alcohol level where a whole bottle doesnt seem like too much beer. its dark brown and frothy looking, roasty as they come on the grain side, without much balancing sweeter malts in here at all, and fermented on the drier side with just a little bit of a yeast profile to it, giving it some depth, dark chocolate and black coffee character to it, a distinct grainy flavor as well, not just the roast and bitterness. there is excellent roundness and smoothness to this, some oats likely in the mash to soften the texture, and the gentle feel is as nice as the flavor. in a lot of ways this is simple beer, but its a great example of the style, no need for barrels or additives here at all, and its a nice cold weather bomber. full bodied, palate coating but not sweet, hearty and good, and more tidy on the fermentation than a lot of other beers i have had from mccall recently have been. fairly priced and good.

Christmas gift from my wife. Dark brown, almost black, fluffy beige head fades to ring. Chocolate is first in the aroma, roast grains second. Taste is almost chocolate milk, very creamy consistency, plus sweetness could help pas this off as a milk Stout. Pretty solid RIS.

 

 

L: black. Brown head.

S: hot chocolate, decent macro coffee, a nip of hop bitterness.

T: dark roast coffee, milk chocolate, hint of hop. Milk chocolate may even be closer to Baileys. This masks the 8% abv. Im sure there are better Imperial Stouts but this is tasty as hell and could prove dangerous how drinkable it is. The milky smooth coffee taste is to die for.

M: rolls watery, though kind of squishy. Must be medium. Pleasent but less card would be nice.

O: i got a sour IPA and tried before and was heartbroken it was soured. Even called and taled to the brewer to ask if it was suppose to be a styled-sour IPA and even he said it was bad bottling. Offered me to come down and he would pour me a glass, but had to decline (wish i had, im only a mile from the brew house). I was afraid this would have been soured as well since i got it from the same place, but it turned out fine. Really enjoyed.

 

 

 

Appearance: Pitch black body with a thin layer of tan foam.

Aroma: Dark malt, watered down black coffee, cream.

Taste: Starts with smooth iced coffee flavor. Creamy then turns to coffee and light hop bitterness. Finish and aftertaste are the high points of bitterness. Dark cocoa and black coffee. Don't get any of the 8.2% ABV.

Mouthfeel: Medium in body and almost lighter at times. Very smooth with even carbonation and good drinkability.

Final Thoughts: Basically an average imperial stout. Hits all the right taste notes without being flashy. Would I drink it again? Sure.

Got this as an extra from a good trader and I was very much looking forward to this one. It poured jet black and chocolate like. Smelled pretty good and I got even more ready for a good experience. Then I tasted it. Holy crap it was awful. I need drain poured a stout before until now. Maybe it was infected or skunky but it was sour. Never had a sour stout but its not a good combo.

 

 

Got this as an extra from JohnGalt1. Thanks

A: Jet black body with a thinner then expected muddy brown head that lasted about 10 min before it was completely gone.

S: There is the aromas of chocolate malt, bitter coffee, and a heavy roasty smoke. Independently, these are great and in some beers the meld together well, but not here. They clash a little.

T: The taste matches the nose very well. There is chocolate in the beginning followed by smoke. They don't go together very well in this beer but it is still good.

M: Heavy body with a bit of sharpness from the alcohol (surprising given the ABV) and the carbonation.

O: A good stout but not great. The brewery could make this into an amazing stout with some work.

From the website: "Devious Intent is a robust Imperial Stout full of complex malty flavors and aromas. Our process conjures flavors of bitter chocolate, burnt grains and brown sugar. Please sit back and enjoy our inaugural Imperial Stout.

ABV 7.90% Hops: Columbus, Palisades, Mt. Hood, Challenger"

My bottle says 8.20% so that is what I went with.

Picked up at Bier Thirty for $9ish... Pricey for an initial go-around, but glad I did.

The beer is being enjoyed from my small Cigar City goblet... 1" dark dark brown head shows okay lacing.. the brew is the expected black... the head dies really quickly.

Nose begins with a bit of charred malt and scorched caramel... some dried fruits bloom with warmth... prunes and something that make me think of the inside of a Sunmaid box... very estery and very little perceived hoppiness.

Flavor is a rich mix of light roasty malt, some acrid char, and again plenty of fruity esters.. a bit vinous.. no real hop flavors, just enough hop bitterness to balance.. dark chocolate shows mainly on the lingering finish but no where up front.. unfortunately a bit watery with warmth and the flavors drop off pretty quickly.

Body is medium/heavy with a carbonation that accentuates a sorta silky mouthfeel.

Pretty well done... I will enjoy the last 1/3rd of my bottle quietly.

3.5/4/3.5/4/3.5

Good beer... Not going to grab the geek world yet, but it is a damn good start and worthy of my $9 investment.

Drink Local!!