By Danny DeGennaro
The pour is a deep, regal brown. No light penetrates the edges. I guess let’s call it black. There’s a pleasant finger of brown egg shell head that terminates to a thin cap. For 7.5 percent, this is a seriously leggy little beer. Gams for weeks.
The nose is heavy on the coffee (duh), but rather than a roasty, acrid character, there’s a gentler blend that hints more at lactic sugars, rich cream, and milk chocolate.
The flavor follows suit, with some energized bottom of the pot coffee—the more this warms, the more it becomes the coffee monster I was secretly hoping it would be. The initial caramel notes are bumrushed by disgruntled bakers chocolate and day old café. The back end is rounded out by a kiss of bracing hops.
The carbonation is right on the money, and the oats lend themselves nicely to a smooth, relaxed, but not slick, mouthfeel.
This is an A-1 coffee stout that can be aged, but begs to be had as fresh as possible.
Also recommended:
Mikkeller’s Beer Geek Brunch Weasel
Cigar City’s Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale
Dieu du Ciel's Peche Mortel
