Chaos
Mortalis Brewing Co.

 

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very very dark mahogany brown nearly black, appearing opaque black in the glass with a one finger chocolate head with great retention and nice lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, bakers chocolate, mild vanilla and fudge. Flavor follows with dark toasted malt, bakers chocolate, fudge, a touch of vanilla. Mildly boozy. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess and nice mouth feel. This is a chocolate bomb; really fine fudge and dark chocolate flavors and will a bit sweet, about the same as a quality chocolate bar, not cloying even at the end of a glass. Not really getting much coffee in the aroma nor taste, but this is so rich that it really isn't necessary; it would have worked well with more coffee taste, but it's fine as is. Looks amazing. I waited a while for a simpler stout offering from Mortalis because most stouts sound like very busy dessert style, but this is impressive, straightforward chocolate;flavoful.

 

had on draft, now also drinking a can. 16 oz can

pours inky black in color, with dark brown colored head. but the head fades. nice aroma of espresso and fudgy chocolate. taste is similar, but its quite sweet, like maple syrup, a bit too much so for my preference. very full bodied, with a slick oily feel

 

Updated 3/1/25
Pulled a can from 2023 purchase
Flavors significantly more rounded; coffee evident. Body has lightened and has a sludge at bottom of can.
Overall a much more drinkable and complex flavor than before.
Excellent coffee chocolate imp stout.
May now be a “go to”.

Notes taken; Had on tap 4/16/23 at MBC.
Medium body; silky smooth.
Great nose. Delicious chocolate but didn’t really notice coffee.
Happy for change/absence of other adjuncts.

 

 

 

 

 

poured from a 16oz can into a CW snifter. pours a muddy, chocolatey brown with a khaki head that reduces to a ring around the glass. heavy chocolate and roasted malts on the nose. really don’t get any coffee. nor do i get any in the taste. it’s a chocolate bomb, which i appreciate but i also was hoping for some coffee to balance it all out. medium-full mouthfeel. perhaps a touched over carbed. it carrie’s a little alcohol burn to it for only being 10%. kind of expected it to drink a lot smoother. not bad. was hoping for more. maybe my expectations of a coffee imperial stout are skewed or at a higher standard.

For this from Emma & Terry. Cheers!

From a 473ml can into a snifter

APPEARANCE: Pours out pitch black and yields a 2+ finger, medium looking, foamy dark tan head with good retention. Jet black body with no carbonation evident. Head eventually fades to a full foamy cap. A wisp remains leaving solid lacing on the glass as it empties.

SMELL: Roasted malts, cacao powder, milk chocolate and some vanilla aromas on the nose. Solid strength.

TASTE: Roasted malts with cacao powder, vanilla beans and some burnt marshmallows at the swallow. Bold finish with marshmallows, cacao powder, vanilla beans, roasted flavors and a touch of alcohol at the swallow. Bold, flavorful, and plenty going on.

PALATE: Fuller body with lower levels of carbonation. Silky slick on the palate, goes down silky and finishes very sticky on the palate. A bit of heat lingers.

OVERALL: Great stuff. The look and aroma are good times and the flavors are right on the money. A big, silky slick feel is a great foundation for the show as well. Well made and all the good stuff in the right places, this one is well worth checking out if you get the chance. Thanks again guys!

 

16oz. can into a Side Project snifter.

Pours dense. Pitch black. Spotty lace, thin legs. Nose is robust chocolate, cocoa powder, lactose, and vanilla. Big mocha notes balance the sweetness. Pretty aromatic. Beer opens mocha, chocolate, vanilla, and cocoa powder. Espresso and more vanilla and sweet cream in the middle. Iced coffee and fudge on the finish. Pretty delicious. Very straightforward. Body is full with moderate to low carbonation. Smooth and slick on the palate and goes down warm, rich, viscous. Long, lingering aftertaste.

I know there's usually a ton of adjuncts in Mortalis offerings but this seems rather no-frills. Great balance, delicious flavor.

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

This smells like bitter roasty coffee, peppery spice, maple, dark fruit, and dark chocolate.

The coffee flavor seems super fragile, like at any point soon it's gonna turn into a green pepper spicy disaster zone. Right now, it's surprisingly bitter and dry for a Mortalis stout. It's quite quite the monster and local legend that As Above So Below is, but it's stil an intriguing beer. It's quite spicy and chocolatey, with some roast and maple-esque flavor.

This is medium bodied, cremay, and with a lower level of carbonation. It's pretty drinkable.

This isn't quite their best coffee stout, but I'm happy to have tried it.

my first from these guys, huge thanks to my boy for sending this out, its a total beast and a wonderful expression of some high end coffee they have obviously put to work in here, cocoa nibs too in this, but its complex enough to seem like other flavors are also added, and this borders on the hyper modern over flavored pastry stouts that are so popular, but not quite, saved by not being too too sweet, although there is a fair degree of residual sugar here, this would probably be closer to 13% abv if it was fermented to dry, unless i am missing that there is lactose in here. anyway, its insanely black and rich looking, about as viscous a brew as i have seen, short but sturdy deep tan head on it and long legs. it smells and tastes like heavy roast supplemented by good espresso beans, fresh ground, and an organic dark high cacao chocolate bar. i also get hazelnut, raisin, maple, and vanilla, even a praline sort of vibe, and its hard to divorce the tasty flavor from all the dense body or the sweetness, i taste it a little longer than i want to on each sip, even though i like what i am tasting, if that makes sense. just a colossal body, palate and throat and stomach coating, just huge, but not overly boozy or anything, its just weighty, syrupy, not even sure how they achieved this, its a monster. the coffee leads the flavor but there is a lot going on here, enjoyable to sip on but a pint can felt like too big of a dose. this has me curious to try more from mortalis, a neat offering here unlike anything i have had before, even in this style. challenging in a good way...