Beer Review: Bourbon Barrel Aged Mayan Mocha Stout

Reviewing the Bourbon Barrel Aged Mayan Mocha Stout from from Odd Side Ales out of Grand Haven, Michigan. This beer is a stout with coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg and habanero peppers that is aged in bourbon barrels.

Score: 80

2014 vintage bottle served in a Surly Darkness chalice and enjoyed on 02/10/14.

Appearance: Black bodied, opaque. Pours a finger-plus of khaki head that settles to a ring around the glass. Decent lacing and retention. 4/5

Smell: Huge on the cinnamon and nutmeg spice character, plus brown sugar and an accent of vanilla. There is also cocoa, habanero pepper and a hint of pineapple creeping in the background, but the nose is mostly about the spice. If you added some peppermint to the mix, then this beer would smell like Christmastime in the kitchen. No coffee character whatsoever. 4.25/5

Taste: The taste is a lot more mellow than the nose led on. My first impression is "nutmeg hot cocoa made with too much hot water (instead of milk) and allowed to sit out until fully cooled", followed by a touch of habanero flavor mixed with a dash of cinnamon towards the finish and a very mild warming sensation thereafter. No coffee in the taste either. The habanero pepper flavor and "warmth" (there is no prickly heat with this beer, like there is with Space Ghost or Mexican Cake, but it does have a little consistent liveliness on the top of the tongue) mildly layers, but as this happens the flavor profile disjoints somewhat -- which is to say the integration on this beer starts off mediocre and only gets worse from there. No bourbon barrel character to speak of whatsoever. 3/5

Mouthfeel: Thin bodied, minimal carbonation. Has a light creaminess to the mouthfeel, but it's mostly just watery. Decent pepper warmth, but no real kick or spiciness here. 2/5

Overall: I love barrel aged stouts where the stout is not overwhelmed by the barrel aging process (e.g., 1414 and the latest batch of Damon), but the bourbon barrel character on this beer is so practically non-existant that it might as well not be barrel aged at all. The nose led off with a lot of promise, but the taste is relatively bland, poorly integrated and the mouthfeel would make Satin Solstice feel like Bourbon County Brand Stout. Odd Side Ales makes some interesting beers that have caught my interest and intrigue, but they still need to do some serous tinkering on the recipe/cellaring process for this one in my opinion so that the taste and mouthfeel are worthy of the inviting aroma.

Cost: $12.99 for a four pack.