Mackeson XXX Stout
By John & Dad on January 27, 2009 @ 6 PM (16 Comments)
Picking back up with our Father and Son Thursday review sessions, we’re hitting the Mackeson XXX Stout, pronounced Mackeson Triple Stout. Opinions vary on the pronunciation of Mackeson – we’ve seen everything from “Mack-E-son” to “Mickasen” so we’ll just agree to disagree.
Though technically an InterBrew (now InBev) beer, it’s brewed by the Boston Beer Company in Cincinnati. It’s said that the recipe for Mackeson has been around since 1801, but that refers to the British version of the beer known simply as Mackeson’s Stout. The American version gets the XXX distinction because it’s so obscene, like you can see everything, including, oh wait. It’s called XXX because it’s got a 4.9% ABV as opposed to the 3.75% ABV of the UK edition.
For our rigorous testing purposes we procured a 12 oz bottle that was, as we said, 4.9% ABV. The beer temperature for the rating was 56.5 F and we used an British pint glass.
Our initial pour gave us a large 2 1/4″ rocky dark brown head that yielded a good amount of head lacing as it dissipated slowly. There was little to no carbonation and the color was an opaque black.
A few good whiffs gave us a nice arrangement of smells – chocolate, coffee, molasses, roasted malts, black licorice, cream and soy sauce. A few good tastes gave us a lot of the same with a little bit less and a little bit more: chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, earth, black licorice, cream and soy sauce.
Our initial flavor notes were a moderate sweet that stays constant into the finish but rounds out with a light bitter and light saltiness as well. The finish length is average, the mouthfeel is creamy and the tongue hit is in the front. There’s really no body lacing to speak of. On the patented malt to hop scale it comes in 3.5 clicks to the left of balanced on the malty side – one of the more malty beers we’ve done.
For our bottom line notes we get a yes to drinkable, repeatable, balance, harmony, memorable and buy again. Our only no is for wow factor (we’re just not as easily wowed as we once were).
It’s very similar to a milk stout, especially in mouthfeel. Some review sites actually classify it as a milk stout (some classify it as a sweet stout and some show a milk/sweet stout). Whatever it is it’s very smooth and nice. It’s got a strong sweetness to it though – stronger than a Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, and that may be off-putting to some of you who don’t like them super sweet. The sweetness really hangs around on this one.
The good news is it seems to be pretty readily available and relatively inexpensive – you can probably pick it up for less than $2 a bottle in a single. It’s a really good session beer if you like the sweet stuff and would go really well with some cheese and crackers. This one is definitely BeerFather approved.
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Where is it readily available? This is my favorite beer and i can’t find it anywhere. It was available one day, and completely gone the next. Please help if possible.
I second Chuck’s question. I’m in SoCal, and NO ONE has it. BevMo and Trader Joe’s told me it’s been discontinued indefinitely.
Failing distribution info, could you recommend any suitable substitutes? I’m not fond of Young’s, as I like my stouts sweet, black and chewy…
I need to know where this beer’s gone too? Can’t find it in Northern California either. I’m suggesting if it’s a distributor problem – choose another one. If it’s gone for good….what is an alternative….
Not sure what’s going on with the Mackeson XXX Stout. Will try to find some more info on that soon.
If you’re looking for a good sweet stout that’s not a super high gravity – we really liked Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout. Here’s the review for that one:
http://www.drbeerlove.com/bells-kalamazoo-stout.shtml
A lot of the same notes involved and a nice heavy sweet edge to it. Hopefully you can get it out in CA – Bell’s has a pretty good distribution around the US.
Again, seconding Chuck, where can you find it anymore? I live in Phoenix, AZ and about six to nine months ago it disappeared from every store I used to find it. Two weeks ago, I was told by one store owner that it was discontinued – he wasn’t sure if I was the county, state, or nationally. It is easily my favorite beer and I would love to find it again.
FWIW, I also am missing Mackeson’s. I gather it is no longer produced but I have no way to validate that. I have been sampling some other stouts since then and found that Milk Sout made by the Left Hand Brewing company is a reasonable substitute for now.
NO longer produced? That is terrible! I love that beer. I was wondering why my local store no longer has it.
The brewery that bottled it was bought out by Boston Beer, at least from scanning the net, thats what happened.
Boston Beer will not say yea or nay to producing it again.
Here is the number for their corporate office. 617.368.5000 Maybe if enough people call and ask about it they will see that there is still a demand.
I called the above number, and spoke to a nice fellow in consumer relations who told me that the brewery in Cincinnati produces Sam Adams only, and Boston Beer does not brew Mackeson Stout, and certainly not for anyone else. He suggests emailing the brewery in England, which got bought by AB/InBev. ABInbev, in turn, used to list Mackeson as a “local brand”, but its UK-specific website says nothing about it. If anyone wants to email , go for it!
whoops, left out the contact info!
http://www.inbev.co.uk/Contact.htm
Sadly, it sounds like a discontinued beer to me.
It’s pronounced “Mackasin”
Well at least thats how I pronounce my name!
Mackeson is no longer brewed in the US. There is a distributor of Mackeson XXX in Florida:
DCI Miami Inc.
Tel: 1-305-591-0885
caribbeer@caribbeerus.com.
who distribute the “US version” (4.9 % alcohol), which is brewed by Carib Brewery in Trinidad & Tobago.
I am very interested in pursuing a distribution arrangement for Mackeson & have directly contacted Whitbread in the UK & A-B in the US. I would appreciate any suggestions or ideas as I sincerely believe that Mackeson has the potential to significantly erode Guinness’s market share.
Thank you.
I did not like beer until I tasted Mackeson Triple Stout!
I had the beer while living in Indiana.
Since then, I have not found a beer that matches it! I have also not found a place that sells it! It is my favorite beer by a vast leap!
Those I know who have had the beer love it. I can’t wait to share it with my friends who haven’t had it! I cannot believe it’s distribution was interupted.
I live in the Washington DC area and have been trying to purchase some Mackeson since last year without any luck. I drank some last month while on travel in the Caribbean but the taste is different to the one that I use to purchase in this area. I contacted one of the distributers that use to carry it but they indicated that they stopped because it was not a good seller. I still belive that it was one of the best stout that I have ever drank.
This is my favorite beer ever. (I’m not much of a beer drinker – but this I really enjoy!!).
Personally, I preferred the US version in a bottle more than the UK version in a large can.
As was suggested above, I’ll try:
1)Bell’s Kalamazoo Stout
2)Left Hand Milk Stout
I’d love to hear of any other close substitutes for the unlucky US population?