Avery Brewing - Mephistopheles Stout

So today I was reflecting on life, liberty, and the pursuit of delicious beer.  I realized that when I go beer shopping, I tend to be drawn to new breweries and beers that I've never seen or heard of before.  It's driven mainly by curiosity, and most of the time it's good, considering Steve and I write about a new beer every day - it's our duty to stay on the front line of new-brews.  But as a result, I often overlook some of the more commonly available beers, for no good reason other than the fact that I see them all the time and they've become familiar.  It's completely ass backwards, right?  Anyway, this Mephistopheles Stout is one such beer that I've seen on the shelves for 2 years now, and for one reason or another, became familiar with it without ever actually trying it.  The $9/12oz price tag might have had something to do with it too ; ).

There is some interesting history behind this beer's name.  Mephistopheles is a demon found in German folklore.  As the story goes, Faust, a well-known and successful scholar in the 1600's, sells his soul to Mephistopheles for worldly knowledge and power.  As you can probably guess, things don't end well for Faust.  The name seems appropriate, considering the stats on this brew; 15.95% alcohol by volume (more than most wines) and 107 IBUs (more than most IPAs).  This beer is brewed once per year, and bottled on December 1st.  It's the 3rd installment of their "The Demons of Ale" series, which also includes Samael's Oak-Aged Ale and The Beast Grand Cru Ale.

The label includes some amazing art - this image of Mephistopheles is really creepy and awesome.  

Bottled in December 2010, Batch 6.  Glad to hear this has 1 year of age behind it, hopefully that will help soften up the 15% alcohol.  The color of this stout is the blackest black, with a thick 2 inch layer of dark tan foam that doesn't recede.  Ever.  Aroma is hefty, with rich milk chocolate malt-balls, molasses, candied dark fruits, and plenty of boozy vanilla.  Generally this beer smells very sweet, quite a bit less....ominous....than I expected.  After my first sip, I was in a state of beer shock.  Literally sat back with my eyes wide, mumbling "wow" under my breath.  Incredibly rich, with heavy chocolate malt sweetness assaulting the palate up front.  If that was an assault, then what comes next is the Big Bang.  An intense multi-layered middle, with a combination of cocoa, sprinkled on raisins, drenched in woody, vanilla-laced alcohol, with a hint of brown sugar on top of the whole thing.  The finish leaves a thick layer of Espresso on every nook and cranny of my mouth.  Mouthfeel is thick and syrupy, with minimal carbonation that fits perfectly.

Overall Rating:  This Imperial Stout is extreme in every sense of the word.  Chocolate heaven.  A session beer, this is not.....the heavy alcohol definitely heats things up, but never overwhelms the other flavors.  This would make a great showcase/dessert beer for a family dinner or holiday get-together.  I plan on buying 3 or 4 bottles for the cellar, this beer is worth every penny.  A+