Autumnal Mole Stout

Thanks to the Smith twins for giving me this beer during christmas weekend. We had a dinner party at Brandon Gittelman's where I received this beer. Tasted Saturday at the plant while brewing a Nugget IPA.

Appearance: Upon opening the can, a burst of foam spurted out. The pour erupted in a 2" head, that stood for several seconds before quickly dissipating and falling back into the beer. An adequately dark beer, that thins out around the edges. After several minutes, there is nothing on top of the beer, not a bubble...I'm guessing from the oils derived from using actual mole.
Aroma: Roasted malt and rich notes of acrid coffee compose most of the aroma, followed by undertones of vegetable, chilies and spice(think cinnamon and nutmeg.n the mole
Taste: A bit acidic and acrid in the front, noteably derived from the cocoa and/or coffee in mole. I was looking for more sweetness in this beer, instead I got an acidic, tannic flavor that nevertheless still maintains a lot of the key ingredients in mexican mole. I get the peppers, both toasted and fresh, along with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice among others. I would have thought, given from the cans description, the lactose would boost the body and sweetness. Instead I got nothing of that.
Mouthfeel: Thin and highly carbonated. Very little body and the carbonation doesn't help this. Drying and leaves a slightly sour aftertaste (the beer is not sour).
Overall Impression: Meh, some easy fixes in this beer, but just didn't have it going for it. The body was very thin, especially for adding lactose. The Cocoa contributed an acrid astringency. Oils from the mole may have reduced the head. It was fun picking it all out, but probably nothing I'd drink again.