Name: Mokah
Brewed By: Southern Tier
Brewed In: Lakewood, NY
Brewed With: 2-row pale malt; 2-row barley; caramel, chocolate & black malts; roasted barley barley flakes; Jamaican roasted coffee; bittersweet Belgian chocolate; chinook, willamette, cascade & columbus hops.
Type: Imperial Stouts blend
ABV: 11%

What they say: When empirical and creative impulses collide, the result is often timeless. The classic utility-art aesthetic of the coffee maker is an example of design and engineering working in concert.

It is through similar cooperation that the simple bitter cocoa bean is transformed into a sweet treat. As scientists, our brewers utilize their materials to exacting standards. As artists, they couldn’t resist the temptation to combine two of our highly acclaimed Blackwater Series Imperial Stouts: Jahva and Choklat. Alone each is perfect, but together as Mokah they are an inimitable expression of two of the world’s most sought after flavors. Enjoy Mokah stout with—or as—your favorite dessert!

Website: After the yes/no “of age” graphic, the page opens to their news and announcements (nice). There are links at the top for beers, tour, onsite bar, etc. The beer list is one big page, with links that skip you down the page to the different headings. The categories list things like year-round, seasonal, etc, covering all offerings (even the one available only at the brewery). Well done.

Why This One, Show?: Southern Tier can always be counted on to make a quality beer. In doing some research on their new 422 Pale Wheat Ale, I saw that they had blended the sublime Choklat with the haven’t-had-a-chance-to-try-it-by-itself-yet Jah*Va. I saw it at one of my local brew stores, so I grabbed it.

First Thoughts:
Head: Thin, white, some good lace cling.
Nose: Unmistakably chocolate nose, not too much coffee.
Color: Jet black.

Presentation (5): Southern Tier’s bottles make a beer snob smile. The labels are chock-full of great information, graphics, and facts. The label isn’t paper, but rather a vinyl sticker that encircles the bottle. On this one is a Moka pot, the ingredients in the beer (malts, hops, flavorings), a picture of the correct glassware WITH correct serving temperature, and the full text of the “What They Say” bit above. Perfect label snobbery. 5

Originality (5): This is a beer blend (Ja*vah and Choklat), so Southern Tier gets points in this field. Made with Jamaican coffee and bittersweet Belgian chocolate. Not the first, but well above most. 4

Body (10): Nice light body for an Imperial stout. Beer spreads a bit in the mouth, and there is that distinct “stout”-feel, but I’ve certainly felt like I’ve needed to chew much lesser stouts. There is not a lot of carbonation, as I’d expect. But there are enough bubbles so as to not make it seem like you’re drinking coffee syrup. 9

Taste (10): In a word: awesome. There’s sweet chocolate right at the top of the sip, then that melds together with the coffee flavor in the middle, turning to the slightly bitter coffee right at the swallow. The chocolate is almost too sweet, so it’s thankfully balanced out by the coffee. The name Mokah is no foolin’–this tastes like a cup of fancy, expensive coffee, just iced and in beer form. 10

Efficiency (10): Southern Tier’s Imperial offerings are nothing short of the definition of efficiency. Great-tasting beers with a high enough ABV that one 22 oz. bomber is all you need to start feeling good. With practically no hop bitterness (due to the emergent coffee and chocolate flavors), you can take hearty sips of this remarkably smooth stout, and three-quarters of the way through the 10-oz. glass you’ll realize you’ve started getting tingly. 10

Versatility (10): As my esteemed colleague put it in the Oat Imperial Oatmeal Stout review, if the brewer suggests a brandy snifter as the beer’s correct glassware the versatility isn’t getting high marks. One bomber is more than sufficient; in fact, the sweetness of the beer starts to edge into “Ok, that’s enough” territory by the time you finish the bottle. 3

final score: 41 – Great Beer

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