It’s a sweltering summer day and no refreshing Pilsner in sight. How far would one go to place the cooling liquid to one’s lips? It’s twenty degrees below zero and nary a winter warmer at hand. How much is one willing to pay to acquire such drink? There’s a Keeping up with the Kardashians marathon on TV and the remote’s broken. Would not one sell their soul for escape through libation? Would not one make a Faustian deal to improve such undesirable situations with craft beer? If one’s paying that high a price, one might as well get their money’s worth: Mephistopheles’ Stout (16.2% ABV) by Avery Brewing.
Color: Like the soul of the eponymous demon, Mephistopheles is coal-black—no highlights. A dark chocolate milk-esque head tops the beer and oily, wine-like legs creep down the sides of the glass.
Aroma: Mephistopheles is chocolate-y with a wallop of alcoholic aromas lying underneath. The alcohol is so strong it practically burns the hairs right out of the drinker’s nose. Intermingled is the scent of charred wood.
Taste: Soothing, thick chocolate flavors precede the intense alcoholic aftertaste. The overall experience of drinking Mephistopheles is like biting into a liquor-filled piece of chocolate.
Mouthfeel: This beer is so thick one can almost chew it. It’s also wet and it imparts a fair amount of alcoholic heat.
Beware of Mephistopheles for he packs a mighty punch. To lessen his impact, make him happy by putting him where every demon feels comfortable: underground. This is a beer that needs to be cellared for a few years so that it may mellow out. Unless, of course, one thinks themselves brave enough to take on Mephistopheles at full strength.
Mephistopheles is available in most Denver-area liquor stores.
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