Avery's 2010 Mephistopheles

Avery's 2010 Mephistopheles

Avery's 2010 Mephistopheles

It's a cold day here in Denver, Colorado. The snow is coming down and the temperature is somewhere in the low teens and it's time to taste an amazingly rich stout. Today I am tasting Avery's 2010 Mephistopheles. This is an imperial stout coming in at 15.9% alcohol by volume (abv).

Avery Brewing Company has been around since 1993 and is quickly becoming known as the brewery to age. Their beers are massive and intense and at first glance can be very overwhelming. Given this fact their beers can age for 5 to 10 years easily which will allow their intensity mellow out and the flavors of the beer to come into fruition. Avery makes their year around brews (IPA, Joe's Pils, Elle's Lab) but they also make some great "series" beers.

Mephistopheles falls into the Demon Ale Series. There are three beers in this series: Samael, The Beast, and Mephistopheles. Mephistopheles was born in 2005 and is a fan favorite for most imperial stout lovers as well as Avery lovers and I am no exception. Mephistopheles is also the final beer in the Demon Ale Sales.

I crack the bottle (12oz) and hear a slight hiss as the gases within are released. Pouring at a forty-five degree angle into a tulip glass I can clearly see that this beer is a no joke stout. It pours pitch black with a cocoa tan head that quickly recedes. No light penetrates this beer and the name is fitting so far.

I give this beer a good swirl and inhale the nose. Brilliant! Rich espresso malts and burnt coffee with just a touch of toffee like sweetness fills my nose. This beer is very intense and could easily be aged for 5 or more years. I take another sniff and find it's just as intense as the first and not backing down.

With a smile I take the glass to my lips and take the first sip. A shudder passes over me as very rich and massive espresso malts fill my palate. There is just a touch of sweetness as the nose displayed but the richness of the malts is equally as powerful as the bitterness as well. Dark fruit (plums and cherries) with deep espresso and thick malts overtake my palate. Mephistopheles is something to behold. There is just a touch of booziness on the finish, which is to be expected since its 15.9% abv. The feel of the beer is quite heavy in the mouth. This is very full bodied and quite thick. There is minor carbonation for the head does stay as I drink sip this beer; mind you all I can do is sip, it is far too intense to do anything but.

With the snow coming down this is the perfect brew for such a night. This is a great sipping beer and should probably be aged for at least a year if not five or more. The malt is gorgeous as is the espresso notes and richness of the beer. Mephistopheles is an amazing brew and I can't wait to come back to it in a year to see how the flavors change. I can only wish I had a fire place and a leather chair with a cigar to truly enjoy this beer. You can pickup a 12oz bottle every winter for around $10. If I were you'd buy 6 and try one each year. Cheers!

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