Mandorla
Esker Hart Artisan Ales

2024 release. Poured from 500 ML bottle into a snifter at 60°. A nearly ink black pour with a modest, creamy, medium-mocha head and thin film of lacing. Its smell is cocoa-forward with notes of freshly-brewed coffee, caramel, and roasted nuts, with subtle whiffs of char and tobacco smoke. The taste is sweeter, and more chocolatey, than I anticipated. The cocoa nibs are rich like fine candy. Although I didn't smell any coconut, it is present in the taste albeit subtle. The same is true for the Marcona almonds. They add to the flavor without seeming too much like an adjunct. In fact, the overall flavor is close to an Almond Joy bar. This Stout has a thick, creamy mouth feel with low carbonation, and it doesn't drink like 12.5% ABV. Overall, Mandorla is an impressive Imperial Stout. The taste is big and bold but doesn't come across as overly gimmicky or adjunct-laden. To date, I've been impressed by every Stout from Esker Hart that I've tried.

Mandorla (2024 In Honor Of)

Dessert stouts are easy to whiff on. All it takes is a little too much sugar, just a smidge too little hops, and you end up with a cloying, syrupy mess. Mandorla walks the line and delivers a dark, full-bodied chocolate cake of a beer with enough bitterness to balance out the sweet. It's not particularly complex, with most of the flavors being chocolate, chocolate and chocolate (with hints of vanilla and nuttiness to add just a little bit of dimension). But the depth of flavor is fantastic, the mouthfeel is velvety and the taste lingers on the palate long after you've swallowed the sip. It's a very easy beer to drink slowly because of this, and it's very easy to recommend to anyone looking for something chocolaty to sit with.

 

 

 

A: Pours an opaque yet still clear thick viscous jet black in color with moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and faint dark cola brown + dark chestnut brown + dark amber + dark golden yellow colored highlights. The beer has a three finger tall dense creamy dark tan head that slowly reduces to a large patch of thin film covering approximately 65% of the surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of roasted + toasted + chocolate + toasted + caramel malts with slightly heavier than moderate amounts of lactose sweetness. There are moderate aromas of toasted coconut + cacao nibs + milk chocolate + dark chocolate + almonds along with light aromas of vanilla. Hints of earthy hops.

T: Upfront there are moderate to strong flavors of roasted + toasted + chocolate + toasted + caramel malts with slightly heavier than moderate amounts of lactose sweetness. That is followed by slightly stronger than moderate flavors of toasted coconut + cacao nibs + milk chocolate + dark chocolate + almonds along with light aromas of vanilla. Finally there are hints of earthy hops. Moderate amounts of roasty bitterness which lingers slightly before being overtaken by and leaving moderate lingering chocolate + coconut flavors and lactose sweetness.

M: Full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slick and smooth.

O: Drinks easily considering the strength with extremely well hidden alcohol and a pleasantly slick mouthfeel. A slow sipper of a dessert beer for me but quite enjoyable with lots of dark + milk chocolate, coconut, and almonds.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass with a one finger chocolate brown head that dissipates slowly with nice lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, almond, milk chocolate and toasted coconut. Flavor follows with dark toasted malt, almond, dark chocolate and toasted coconut. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess. Most definitely delivers what it promises: a rich imperial stout with authentic tasting almond and coconut, although the latter tastes more like toasted coconut than fresh, although the earthy flavors of the almond may mask the fresh taste. The cacao used here is flavorful and tastes more like quality chocolate. Hits all the markers, looks great, smells fine and much like it tastes. No surprises, but a really nice, full bodied adjunct stout. I'll be watching for more from this brewery. Nicely done.

poured from a 16oz can into a snifter. pours an oily lighter black with a thin, fizzy mocha brown foam that quickly recedes into nothing. chocolate, vanilla and coconut sweetness on the nose. taste has plenty of chocolate and coconut but it also has some marshmallow to it as well as a nutty, almond finish. very full, slick mouthfeel. velvety smooth and quite chewy. this was tasty!