Molé Stout with Spices
Ellicottville Brewing Co.

 

Thanks to Ozzylizard for this one, from his boxes during NBS BIF #14. 16oz can (dated 12/17/20) poured into 14oz teku. Poured a solid black color with a half-inch of dark tan head that quickly faded to 1/4 inch, then maintained that for a couple minutes. Very light lacing.

In the nose, the spices were very dominant. Cinnamon for sure, clove, pepper, and a general spicy scent. no real cocoa in the nose.

Pretty similar on the tongue. The pepper popped a bit more, but the chocolate still didn't make a strong showing.

The body was a bit thin for the style, smooth, and had a slight touch of heat that lingered a bit on the finish.

Drinkability was good, but probably not the kind of beer I'd have a session of. Maybe you would though.

Overall, a pretty nice brew. Worth a shot if you see it.

Mole Stout with Spices from Ellicottville Brewing. Purchased on 16 Aug 21 from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. $ 5.00 (Including tax) per 16 oz can ($0.313 /oz). In the reefer at the store, stored at home at 42 degrees. Reviewed 18/8/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on bottom of can “CANNED ON 12/17/20”. Served at 50.9 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 59.3 degrees.
Appearance – 3.
First pour – Brown (SRM 20), slight haze.
Body – Black (SRM 40), opaque. When rear-lite, same with light barely penetrating at edges.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.5 cm, aggressive center pour), wheat, high density, diminishing to a three to seven mm undulating crown constantly reinforced by effervescence and rocky partial cap. Second pour produces a 0.7 cm head.
Lacing – Poor. A few drag marks remain as the volume drops.
Aroma – 3.5 – Weak cocoa with some scorched malt, no hops, no cinnamon, no chilis, no yeast.
Flavor – 3.75 – Begins slightly bitter with weak cocoa and vague hints of the added spices (allspice, cinnamon, clove). No malt, no yeast, no chilis. No ethanol (6.8 % ABV, as marked on container) taste or aroma. Slight gastric warming but whether from the chilis or the ethanol … No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl.
Palate – 3.25 – Medium, approaching creamy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.5 A decent stout but have no illusions about a pleasing mole – flavors are very weak and unexciting. I don’t know if this is because of the initial recipe or the age of the can.

A: A coffee-ish pour summons a two finger golden chestnut capping with a spongey surface. Solid quick pace of micro-bead carbonation. Nice staying power on the head.

S: Cinnamon spicing and warm chili peppers first on the nose. Deep chocolate, roasted and bitter with some dry cocoa. Sweet and spicy, with some dried honey and licorice. Roasty creamer coffee and sweet dark fruit. Some slight hints of whipped cream. A good strength overall.

T: Creamer and dark bitter coffee roast for flavor. Silty campfire ash, damp burnt grains, anise, and a slight secondary helping of chili peppers. Background of peppercorn and cinnamon.

M: Creamy and dry bitter mouthful. Silty campfire texture, light and aerated with a soft carbonation.

O: The cinnamon was prevalent on the nose, more subtle and background for flavor. The roastiness was dark and bitter, the chili warming, was soft and spicy providing secondary characteristics. The chocolate I felt was less served here, the roasty bitter strength seemingly overtaking most of the sweet and warm spicing. Some good after feel. Solid, subtle complexity, big roast body. Good silty campfire aspect. 89 for me.

16OZ can
Served in a snifter

This beer pours black and is topped with an inch of tan head that leaves no lacing.

The smell is quite busy. I get chocolate, cinnamon, and cardamom. As it warms the peppers come out more.

Chocolate up front. The spices follow. The peppers tickle my tongue.

Medium bodied with a smooth mouthfeel

This is a decent beer. I don't know why I buy "Mexican" stouts. I am not a big cinnamon fan.

Super smooth collab stout. Pours a deep, chocolate brown. Slight cocoa on the tongue. As it warms, spicy chili peppers start to pop on the nose. It’s got a great spicy profile that would go extremely well con auténtica comida Mexicana!

Can / Nonic pint glass / Key lime tortilla chips

Pint glass is half wicked creamy head/half wicked dark beer upon initial pour. "Upon initial pour," says the pretentious ass. Anyway... earthy spice scents be jumping out the glass. "Be jumping out the glass," says the overly-corrective jackass trying not to be pretentious. "Overly corrective," says the utter douche. What are we even talking about here? I seem to have lost the script. Beer? Sure. This one has mild heat, at least on the nose; not that I expect it to be spicy. Taste is chocolate up front followed by earthy spice and an odd metallic note. Cinnamon and chilis kind of linger. It's nice. Medium-bodied, maybe even a little heavy, with the proper "lift" for a stout. A winner, says me; an absolute shit-heel who writes in awful prose he would never use in real life.

 

 

Canned on 12/17/20. 16oz can poured into a tulip. Pours almost black; khaki head that fades leaving solid retention and lacing. The aromas are malt forward. Hints of cocoa and spices. It doesn't smell bad, it just doesn't have too much going on at all in the aroma department. The aromas do open up slightly as it warms though. The flavors are a bit bolder than the nose. Everything is balanced. The clove is probably the most noticeable out of all the spices. Chocolate comes through. The peppers are on the mild and subtle side. It's not hot or spicy at all. Moderate to low sweetness. Low bitterness. Solid malt backbone. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with active carbonation. It's sharp, fluffy, smooth and easy to drink.

This is an alright stout. It's not bad, but it's just not as exciting as one might expect when looking at the ingredients used. It might not be bold, but it's still enjoyable and becomes more likeable the more I drink it.