What kind of brew would name themselves after the devil? That is what I had to ask myself when I decided to pick up and Avery Brewing Mephistopheles Stout. I mean after all you might just loose many of your potential customers just based on the name alone, then I opened my bottle last night and it became clear why they chose this foreboding name for their high ABV Stout…
This beer was black as night and had a one finger tan head that couldn’t even wait around for its photo op. This brew had a huge and dark nose, dominated by malt with a black licorice smell very pronounced. I also detected a very small hop note in there as well which really intrigued me.
The flavor of this brew is really quite special. It starts out sweet with a BIG maltiness. It then has a little bitterness towards the mid palate that is definitely the hops coming through, but it finishes with that licorice flavor in a very clean way. This is a remarkable brew in a number of ways. First its mouthfeel is medium bodied, even though the flavor is huge. It has a clean finish, even though it has a very high ABV at 15.92%. The alcohol does not burn, but leaves its telltale warming at mid chest. Really for as high an ABV as this brew has it wasn’t overly boozy flavored, and didn’t burn at all.
This is a very well balanced beer that combines the perfect amount of carbonation, hops, big malt character and a clean finish that doesn’t leave your tongue feeling like you just drank a shot of Yeagermeister.
Well if the name doesn’t scare you off, the price tag might, $10 for this 12 ounce bottle. This will definately be a special occasion beer for me, but I will have it again. It’s just too good to pass up every time. My Son said it best when he said to pair this with beef, and not a roast, but steak. A Bottle of this with a nice thick 22Oz Sirloin and you have a meal fit for a king, well maybe a king that has been cast out…
-Don
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
I’m sold! We have lots of Avery goodies in these parts, and I’ll definitely be giving this one a try. I’m due for a trip to the beer store.
Jim, I did a lot of mental comparison between this and the Storm King, because they have similar flavors. But this one wins hands down. It is a huge brew, but complex and sophisticated at the same time if that makes sense.
Sure it makes sense. People often say that I’m complex and sophisticated as well, so this beverage and I should get on swimmingly!!
Liked this one a lot myself. Thought it was more boozy than you perhaps. But it’s so well put together and the other big flavors compliment the ABV perfectly. Definitely a treat beer.
Sometimes a brewer knows how to use “boozy” as a flavor. When I’m in the mood, there’s nothing like a beer that lets you taste the alcohol, but blends it into the taste profile perfectly, like it’s a flavor, not something to be hidden. Sounds like that’s what’s happening here. I definitely have to check it out.
Hey Chad. This was a great brew, I was very pleasantly surprised. I think, because I was let down a little by the Lost Abbey Judgement day, I was a little hesitant to try this one, because it had a similar big maltiness to it, but I was not disappointed, and my faith in great craft brew stouts has been restored!
Jim, I want to know next time you go beer shopping….I’m coming with! I’m in need of some stout anyway, LOL.
Probably tomorrow evening @the Liquor Outlet. I’m actually attending a taping of Simply Beer’s podcast, but this time as a silent drinker. That means I get to try all the beers without having to formulate an opinion – sounds like a plan to me!
Anywho, I’ll probably get over there at 6:30 or so and get my shopping out of the way before the taping begins. Wanna meet up? I’ll introduce you to Kevin who will tantalize you with his crazy beer knowledge.
Silent beer drinker? That sounds like a dream job of some kind! I hope you’ll at least make some grunting sounds or drop something so we know you’re there when we listen to it! (Maybe wear your Viking hat.)
I could see Jim just out of the camera shot with one viking horn coming into the frame! LOL
I haven’t really decided if I’m going hockey mask or viking horns, so let’s not get all excited here!
There’s a Viking hat? I have a Viking hat too! Let me see what I can do…I’ll let you know. May have to shop for bday present for my nieces
Do they enjoy beer?
I think Jim’s right (the ‘boozy’ thing, not the ‘complex and sophisticated’ thing) 😉 Alcohol can be done well and it sounds like it is with this one.
Still, I’ve seen this beer and always passed on it. As Don mentioned, the price is a bit steep, and secondly the label. Not because of any religious stuff (a lot of Belgian ales have devil-related names) but the sheer corniness.
See, I love the label. It just goes to show that different people relate to marketing in different ways. I though it was well done, and not cartoony at all, so I liked it. But I really liked the brew inside much better. At 15.92% ABV it is like getting two 8% ABV beers, so I figure the price is justified. But it does put it into the realm of “special occasion” beer.
That’s exactly why I passed it up, too Scott – the corny label! Like I recently said on a much more reputable site than this one, a bad label is bigger turn off than a dusty bottle for me.
I guess that’s the good thing about about associating with other beer nerds – we can get a peek behind the label without dropping our dough until we’re sure we will like it.
Absolutely. I know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and all that, but something goofy like that and I’ll hold off until I read a good review. I might pick one up now because of Don’s review in spite of the super-evil label that is scary.
Dude, you need to have Sympathy for the devil…Mick Jagger said so.
I’ve got bottle cellaring and drank one recently. This is a good beer and I love Avery’s niche stuff.
This one was bottled in November 2008, so it was “pre-conditioned” when I bought it in December. I think it was probably a lot hoppier in 2008 than it was last night, but to my palate it was perfectly balanced.
Great review, Don. Your description makes this one sounds really tempting despite the creepy label and the menacing 15.92% ABV. At $10 for a 12oz., it sounds like the grim reaper of your bank account though. I also love that your son is making food/beer pairing recommendations! Send him over to the LD for some recipes and get him cooking!
This was a fun brew Rachel. Not for the faint of heart, but a very big and flavorful malty beer. My son mentioned it again last night. 22 oz sirloin, a bottle of the Avery Stout, a Roaring fire in the fireplace, and snow falling outside! It all seems to go together pretty well.
Very nice blog! My brother and I just started a “beer blog,” please feel free to check it out and give suggestions. http://beerwall.wordpress.com
Thanks for the kind words. Good luck on your blog. The more the merrier!
We’ll follow you on Twitter as well to see what develops. Your @beerwall right?
Just went to your blog, first of all I’ve found it a great thing to do as brothers. Lots of fun with my little Bro. Secondly for suggestion, we decided early on to include pictures and make it as graphical as we could. It seems to make people want to come back. Looks like you two have a good start. Just keep going, and the followers will come. Good luck!