Mikerphone Smells Like Bean Spirit Double Maple 4Pk

Mikerphone Smells Like Bean Spirit Double Maple 4Pk is a 4-pack of imperial breakfast stout brewed at 8% ABV by Mikerphone Brewing in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. This Double Maple variant holds a 4.3 out of 5 rating on Untappd across nearly 6,000 reviews, placing it among the most celebrated breakfast stouts in the Midwest craft beer scene.

Quick Facts: ABV: 8.0%  |  Origin: Elk Grove Village, Illinois  |  Style: American Double/Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Mikerphone Brewing

Production & Heritage

Mikerphone Brewing operates out of Elk Grove Village, a suburb of Chicago, and has built a reputation on bold, adjunct-forward stouts and heavily fruited sours. Smells Like Bean Spirit Double Maple is an imperial breakfast stout brewed with Vermont Maple Syrup and Tugboat Coffee Roasters' Super Sumatra Mandheling blend — a single-origin coffee known for its earthy body and low acidity. The "Double Maple" designation indicates a heavier dose of maple syrup compared to the base recipe, pushing the sweetness and complexity further while maintaining the roasted malt backbone that holds the beer together at 8% ABV.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with a wave of roasted coffee and dark chocolate, followed by a distinct sweetness of maple syrup and warm cinnamon. There is a bready, malt-forward undercurrent that anchors the sweeter aromatics.

Taste: On the palate, bitter Sumatra coffee arrives first, layered with milk chocolate richness and caramelized sugars. At mid-palate, the Vermont maple syrup asserts itself with a buttery sweetness reminiscent of French toast, balanced by a roasted malt and dark chocolate backbone. The 8% ABV is well-hidden beneath the density of flavor.

Finish: The finish is smooth and moderately long, with lingering coffee bitterness and a trailing maple sweetness that fades gradually. A faint vanilla character and toasted bread note round out the close.

How to Drink Bean Spirit Double Maple

This imperial stout is best served at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, which allows the maple and coffee layers to fully express themselves. Pouring into a snifter or tulip glass concentrates the aroma and lets the viscous body breathe. While this beer is designed primarily for sipping on its own, it also performs well in creative beer cocktails: a Stout Float using vanilla bean ice cream amplifies the maple-cream interplay; a Beer-amisu (stout poured over espresso-soaked ladyfingers) doubles down on the coffee character; and a Black Velvet variation — blended gently with dry sparkling cider — creates an unexpected contrast of tart effervescence against the rich malt body.

Best For

• Cold-weather evening sipping alongside a dessert course
• Gifting to a craft beer enthusiast who gravitates toward pastry and breakfast stouts
• Sharing during a curated beer tasting focused on adjunct imperial stouts
• Pairing with a weekend brunch spread featuring waffles or smoked meats

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Bean Spirit Double Maple taste like? It delivers a rich combination of bitter Sumatra coffee, dark chocolate, and caramelized maple syrup sweetness layered over a roasted malt backbone. Secondary notes of French toast, cinnamon, and vanilla add complexity without overwhelming the palate.

How does Bean Spirit Double Maple compare to Founders Breakfast Stout? Founders Breakfast Stout is brewed with imported chocolates and a Sumatra-Kona coffee blend at 8.3% ABV, producing a drier, more coffee-forward profile. Bean Spirit Double Maple leans sweeter and more dessert-like due to its double addition of Vermont maple syrup and its use of a single-origin Sumatra bean from Tugboat Coffee Roasters.

Is Bean Spirit Double Maple good for sipping neat? Yes — the 8% ABV is moderate enough for easy drinking, and the layered maple and coffee flavors reward slow, deliberate sipping at cellar temperature.

Where is Bean Spirit Double Maple made? It is brewed by Mikerphone Brewing in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, a Chicago suburb. Mikerphone is an independent craft brewery known for its inventive stout and sour programs.

What foods pair well with Bean Spirit Double Maple? Maple-glazed bacon complements the syrup sweetness; dark chocolate truffles echo the cocoa in the malt; a slice of pecan pie mirrors the caramelized sugar notes; sharp aged cheddar provides a savory contrast to the sweetness; and smoked brisket stands up to the beer's roasted intensity.

What sizes does Bean Spirit Double Maple come in? This release is available as a 4-pack of cans, which is the standard format for Mikerphone Brewing's limited and seasonal stout releases.

Is Bean Spirit Double Maple worth the price? It positions as a premium craft imperial stout, priced in line with other adjunct-heavy, small-batch releases from top Midwest breweries. The high Untappd rating of 4.3 out of 5 and the use of named, quality ingredients — Vermont Maple Syrup and Tugboat Coffee Roasters beans — support its value within the category.

Why Bean Spirit Double Maple?

What separates this beer from the crowded field of maple-coffee stouts is ingredient specificity. Rather than relying on generic maple flavoring or commodity coffee, Mikerphone sources Vermont Maple Syrup and partners with Tugboat Coffee Roasters for their Super Sumatra Mandheling blend — a pairing that gives the beer a more layered, less one-dimensional sweetness. The 4.3 out of 5 Untappd rating across nearly 6,000 reviews reflects consistent execution across batches. For drinkers who want a breakfast stout that commits fully to the maple-coffee-chocolate triad without tipping into cloying territory, this Double Maple variant delivers that balance at a very drinkable 8% ABV.