Mammoth Lair of the Bear

Here is a guest review from our friend Jeremy in Altadena, CA.  If you are interested in submitting a guest beer review, please contact us.

From Mammoth Brewing – A true winter warmer to sit by the fire, Lair of the Bear is a hefty Russian Imperial Stout with O.G. 22 Plato. Our Brewers fermented this stout with our proprietary yeast in stainless for two weeks then racked into freshly empty Heavenly Hills bourbon barrels and allowed the beer to rest for seven months. Enjoying now, or age for as long as you like, but be aware Lair of the Bear may put you into hibernation.

Mammoth Brewing – Mammoth Lair of the Bear – 22 oz. bottle poured into a goblet. 9.5% abv. 70 IBU

Appearance: Pours opaque black with dark rich caramel colored head that subsides to thin lacing on the glass edge.

Aroma: Bourbon notes with deep rich hints of chocolate and coffee, with a light aroma of alcohol. But, that’s to be expected with a 9.5% beer.

Taste: Dark rich and complex. While there are overwhelming notes of dark carmel and roasted malts you’d expect in a RIS, there exists a light note of cinnamon and a substantial hop bitterness which helps to balance the expected sweetness from the barrel aging.

Mouthfeel: Champagne like carbonation, and a smooth feeling on the tongue without being predictably heavy like a Russian Imperial Stout.

Overall: For the size of the brewery and their distribution, Mammoth Brewing is finally showing its wings. Instead of producing a basic run of the mill offering, they are branching out and experimenting, to their success. This beer is a great cool weather sharing experience. It pairs well with dark chocolate, smokey almonds, or anything that has a strong taste to go toe to toe with this well rounded, yet well executed, winter beer.