Avery Brewing Company Mephistopheles Stout
What the brewers say
“Coal black, velvety, and liqueur-ish, this demon has a bouquet of vine-ripened grapes, anise, and chocolate-covered cherries with flavors of rum-soaked caramelized dark fruits and a double espresso finish.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Moderately strong tobacco aroma. Rye crackers with anise. Big alcohol. This is a weirdly mysterious aroma. Some of the expected combination of roast / chocolate / coffee but doesn't entirely offset the odd dusky aromas of Moroccan cedar wood.”
Flavor: “Thick roast coffee syrup poured over graham crackers. Fresh (unlit) tobacco here, too. Great malt complexity with toffee, toast, and chocolate and a big cherry ester. Sweet but not cloying. Alcohol is very warming, washing over the flavor letting the roast remain to the bitter end. There’s a cool spicy phenol that melds well with the alcohol warmth.”
Overall: “Chocolate-covered vodka-soaked cherries—in a good way! I would pair this with a nice Asian meal since the forward alcohol would pair with the strong spices. A sipping beer for sure.”
