M.F.C.S.
Mortalis Brewing Co.

083020 Thanks, Stephen B

This one looks like black chocolate and pours very dark brown (SRM 36-38). A faint, dark golden brown film forms where otherwise one would expect a head. Unsurprisingly, there is no lace and there is a syrupy film left inside the pint glass.

The Mexican theme is strong, with aromas of sweet churro. Rich chocolate and cinnamon play well with vanilla. Horchata sweetness perfumes the air around this beer. This one is a "wow" experience!

Sweetness is a dramatic understatement as the flavors follow the nose. Bitterness is unquestionably here, though it lacks any harshness. Roasted malt is also strong. All of these work well with the strongest chocolate flavor I can recall from a beer. Cinnamon and spice follow, also strong and exceptionally well balanced in a progression. Eventually, vanilla comes out against a hint of coffee and smoke. Marshmallow also comes out in this extremely layered experience. It is like a symphony that builds one instrument upon the next. The finish is long and a mellow expression of all that preceded it. With so much going on, it is easy for warmth to be an issue. However, it helps with the character.

The texture is luschiously smooth with a thick, dense body and light carbonation. Alcohol is clearly expressed, albeit a tertiary player. Spices pleasantly nibble at the throat, while residual sugar tempers the effect.

M.F.C.S. screams DESSERT AND PASTRY STOUT. As is typical of this type of beer, it is gimmicky. However, in this case, the gimmick has a pleasant and overwhelming effect. I picked up this bottle on a lark, and found it to be a pleasant surprise. Sweetness of this level is generally off-putting, unless it is supported by the flavors and character that are found in this beer.

This one pours a dark black color, with a small head, and not much lacing.

This smells like a spiced oatmeal cookie - it really does evoke that intent well. There's a lot of very nice chocolate aroma, with a perfect level of spice and heat.

There's a measured heat & spice level here- I usually don't like outright cinnamon bombs, and this isn't that. The pepper seems to folded well into that, and isn't demonstrably spicy on the palate. I also get a lot of chocolate fudge flavor. I don't get a ton of vanilla from either the Madagascar and Mexican beans, but I do get some caramel that works well the intended cookie character.

This isn't quite as thick as Mortalis' usual imperial stout, but it's certainly not thin. It's quite creamy, with no real booziness to it.

Like most Mortalis beers, this does a great job at faithfully recreating the dessert in question. I like this a lot.

Tastes like a spicy hot chocolate super rich and creamy and has some heat from the peppers at the end. Hear longer in back of throat. Very good. Mortalis never disappoints!