Stone Cat Octoberfest
Stone Cat Octoberfest was the second beer I tried out of the autumnal sampler released by Mercury Brewing Company in Ipswich, MA.
Stone Cat Octoberfest poured an opaque honey amber color. There was a decent finger of head upon pouring that shrank to a steady ¼ inch of tight foam, sticking to the glass as the beer was tasted. It had a yeasty nose with sweet aromas and an underlying idea of a damp basement or decaying leaves. There were slight bready flavors and strong alcohol phenols up front. The fizz of the beer gathered in my mouth, causing my mouth and lips to be numb, and coating the inside of my mouth with a thick residue. The sharpness was replaced by a smooth body with flavors of honey and maple candy. There was a bitterness that started at the front of the beer that lasted through the finish, along with the slight maple flavor that grew from the middle of the beer and remained steady.
All-in-all, this Octoberfest offering was interesting, with unique flavors for the style, but I expect a maltier and fuller beer to warm me in October. This offering did not stack up to Sam