Maman 17 vs Maman 18

I have had all the mamans so far and 17 is the second best next to TWCP. Alone 18 is a great beer, but after drinking it next to a 17, it is like majors vs minors. 17 has dropped a bit and is worth the small + over an 18 all day.

 

17 was/is one of the better straight up non-adjunct BA imperial stouts I’ve had (and I don’t like adjunct stuff so I gravity toward straight BA imperial stouts). I thought 18 was a lot more barrel forward and more boozy, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but I thought 17 was ‘put together’ better. Based on ISO:FT forum, 17 trades for more than 18, and from my personal experience, I think it is justified.

 

I know we all have different tastes and opinions, and I totally respect that. However, a number of the STL crew who are OG members of Craft Burrito, Societe and Coterie did not necessarily agree with this assessment after a recent blind non-adjunct share with BBT 1, Maman 17, Maman 18, DB Carpathian, and a couple other lesser non-adjunct bottles. 18 ended up the clear winner decidedly by all participants--threw everyone off. To be transparent, I was not in this share, but I did drink another Maman 18 last night with one of the guys that was there. It is an outstanding beer, and honestly, unless they are side by side, you would likely not notice any real perceivable difference in quality. Among Cory's non-adjunct stouts, the only time I have seen a distinct difference that is so noticeable it is absolutely undeniable is BBT2. IMO, it stands above all of these others.

But, for scientific purposes aka verification/refutation of our preconceived notions, we are doing another blind non-adjunct BA share Labor Day Weekend. Right now, the line-up is looking like it will be something like this:
BBT1
BBT2
Maman 17
Maman 18
Sons of Darkness
Assassin 19
Carpathian (OG)
DB Carpathian
Hung Drawn & Quartered
Abeyance
2557 Anniversary (Kane)

Other possible bottles being considered for a more normal control group/comparison:
Rare 15, Reserve 17, Reserve 18, BA Expedition

 

Thank you for sharing. Beer after all is opinion best. There is no right or wrong answer. And you're correct, for the most part unless you're drinking these beers side by side you'll never truly know.

Yes 18 is more barrel forward but like stated above 17 is more balanced and seems like the whole package. 18 was not as nuanced as 17. Take this for what you will OP and make an educated decision on your preferences.

And as for that upcoming share you got, sounds fantastic. You have my true love that is Sons of Darkness. I've opened 6 bottles myself. Im part of the reason they are drying up lol. I just opened one up about a week or so ago. That beer rocks.

 

Hehe, yeah, I got two SoD when they were first released for a great deal. I opened one in a higher-end line share and was blown away (sad that it disappeared as fast as I could pour the bottle). In fact, it was one of the triggers for the blind share, as my boys and I were all amazed at how good it was and want to see how it holds up against our hometown beer.

 

Excellent list. I’ve had a few on there including, and I do want to point out specifically, Hung Drawn n Quartered. Even though it is a rye whiskey barrel aged Dark Lord, it is not without adjuncts. Regular Dark Lord, which is what is aged in all the different variants, contains coffee, Mexican vanilla and Indian sugar. It will undoubtedly have a different taste profile from the rest of your line up. With that said, it is a great beer (albeit a bit too sweet because of all the adjuncts) but I would still place it behind both Maman 17 and 18.

 

I don’t know why anybody would go for a 17 or 18 Maman when 16 Maman is perfect in every way.

 

I love soda flavored beer!

 

I'll bring the rare 15

 

Need an update on the results of the blind share haha

 

Didn't happen/10

 

After '15 Maman they all paled in comparison.

 

A good bottle of 16 is a close second!

 

I'll gladly take ALL your post 15 non infected batches

Thanks