One of the more fun things about tasting local beers is that you frequently know not only the brewing companies, but also the artisans who make their add-ins. Lots of beer-makers use Taza chocolate, others use local honey, and still others use locally roasted coffee. Today we're tasting two local beers flavored with coffee.
Amy - First off, I'd like to give a high five to whomever named this brew. Well done, sir or ma'am. Nothing like memorializing the past indiscretions of celebrities with your beer's name. Now, to business.
Unlike most beers flavored with coffee, this is an ale, not a porter or a stout. And it's darn good. The flavor is very up front. It's a bit tart from the acidity of the coffee, but also oaky and fresh tasting. There's a nice coffee finish to it. It's not heavy like a porter, but it's more assertive than most ales. I really enjoy how much flavor and personality there is here without it being a beer so intense that it's not really drinkable. It's also got just a touch of sweetness to it, which is a nice balance to the acidity I mentioned. I'd pair the Divine Brown with a spicy curry. Normally this is a dangerous game, but at only 4.5% I think I'd be pretty safe drinking it to cool down my mouth. It's not so intense that it would compete with the spices of a good curry, and the flavors would be very refreshing. Overall, this is a big winner in my book.
Paul - While I agree with Amy that this beer would go well with a curry, I'm not sure the beer works without a food pairing. Drinking it solo, I was surprised that the malt stood out so strongly, and with just a hint of the promised coffee flavoring. When I think of beer brewed with coffee, I'm usually expecting those flavors to rock my palate. Instead, this uses the coffee as a background note for the brown ale styling. I got some fairly simple flavors from this one: lots of malt, a touch of coffee, and a light-ish body. I'm not saying the subtlety isn't appreciated, but I'm saying you'll want to grab something more like Berkshire Brewing's beer (below) if you're wanting full-on coffee fireworks. All that being said, I would definitely recommend a good English cheese with this. Stilton maybe, or even Double Gloucester, would be excellent pairings here. I'm not ordering this to drink in the summer heat, but it will be on my short list come fall.
Amy - 4 stars
Amy - Sigh. Unfortunately, I found the Dean's Beans Coffeehouse Porter to be mediocre and disappointing. After being pleasantly surprised by a coffee ale with lots of complexity, I was ready for a coffee porter that would blow me away with dark, rich flavors. Instead, this beer is thin, mild, and almost weak (I will admit that I drink my coffee strong enough that my dad brews a separate pot for me when I come to visit to "protect his larynx."). While there's nothing disastrous about it, it isn't anything out of the ordinary for a porter. I also doesn't have a lot of coffee flavor, so it's mostly just a porter. The one positive thing I can say about this beer is that it has a nice, smooth texture. Other than that, it's like being in a coma: there's just nothing you can get excited about.
Paul - I couldn't disagree more with Amy on this one. While the beer's medium body wouldn't stand up to a stout (nor should it!), it still has a lot to offer. With a soft mouth-feel and light-brown foam, the beer delivers flavors of iced coffee, baker's chocolate, and roasted malts. The whole feel of the beer is fresh and clean, like you might expect from a cold-brewed coffee. As a porter, it stays true to style and delivers more of what I expect from a coffee flavored beer. Unlike the ale above, this is something I'm buying again to drink on its own, and I might even drink it in place of coffee (not in the morning maybe, but I won't judge you if you decide to). Folks have become so obsessed with IPA's, Weisse's, and other lighter (dare I say populist?) styles that I think there's a lot of fear surrounding dark beers with bold flavors. These beers can be refreshing too, and stand up to intense flavors better than some of the more popular summer beers out there. So ignore Amy and get yourself a bottle!
Amy - 2.5 stars
View this post on our new blog: http://paulandamyonbeer.com/2012/07/02/lets-brew-some-coffee/
Divine Brown
High + Mighty Beer Co.
Brown ale brewed with coffee - 4.5% ABV - Holyoke, MAAmy - First off, I'd like to give a high five to whomever named this brew. Well done, sir or ma'am. Nothing like memorializing the past indiscretions of celebrities with your beer's name. Now, to business.
Unlike most beers flavored with coffee, this is an ale, not a porter or a stout. And it's darn good. The flavor is very up front. It's a bit tart from the acidity of the coffee, but also oaky and fresh tasting. There's a nice coffee finish to it. It's not heavy like a porter, but it's more assertive than most ales. I really enjoy how much flavor and personality there is here without it being a beer so intense that it's not really drinkable. It's also got just a touch of sweetness to it, which is a nice balance to the acidity I mentioned. I'd pair the Divine Brown with a spicy curry. Normally this is a dangerous game, but at only 4.5% I think I'd be pretty safe drinking it to cool down my mouth. It's not so intense that it would compete with the spices of a good curry, and the flavors would be very refreshing. Overall, this is a big winner in my book.
Paul - While I agree with Amy that this beer would go well with a curry, I'm not sure the beer works without a food pairing. Drinking it solo, I was surprised that the malt stood out so strongly, and with just a hint of the promised coffee flavoring. When I think of beer brewed with coffee, I'm usually expecting those flavors to rock my palate. Instead, this uses the coffee as a background note for the brown ale styling. I got some fairly simple flavors from this one: lots of malt, a touch of coffee, and a light-ish body. I'm not saying the subtlety isn't appreciated, but I'm saying you'll want to grab something more like Berkshire Brewing's beer (below) if you're wanting full-on coffee fireworks. All that being said, I would definitely recommend a good English cheese with this. Stilton maybe, or even Double Gloucester, would be excellent pairings here. I'm not ordering this to drink in the summer heat, but it will be on my short list come fall.
Amy - 4 stars
Paul - 3 stars
Total -
Dean's Beans
Berkshire Brewing
Coffeehouse porter - 6.2% ABV - Deerfield, MAAmy - Sigh. Unfortunately, I found the Dean's Beans Coffeehouse Porter to be mediocre and disappointing. After being pleasantly surprised by a coffee ale with lots of complexity, I was ready for a coffee porter that would blow me away with dark, rich flavors. Instead, this beer is thin, mild, and almost weak (I will admit that I drink my coffee strong enough that my dad brews a separate pot for me when I come to visit to "protect his larynx."). While there's nothing disastrous about it, it isn't anything out of the ordinary for a porter. I also doesn't have a lot of coffee flavor, so it's mostly just a porter. The one positive thing I can say about this beer is that it has a nice, smooth texture. Other than that, it's like being in a coma: there's just nothing you can get excited about.
Paul - I couldn't disagree more with Amy on this one. While the beer's medium body wouldn't stand up to a stout (nor should it!), it still has a lot to offer. With a soft mouth-feel and light-brown foam, the beer delivers flavors of iced coffee, baker's chocolate, and roasted malts. The whole feel of the beer is fresh and clean, like you might expect from a cold-brewed coffee. As a porter, it stays true to style and delivers more of what I expect from a coffee flavored beer. Unlike the ale above, this is something I'm buying again to drink on its own, and I might even drink it in place of coffee (not in the morning maybe, but I won't judge you if you decide to). Folks have become so obsessed with IPA's, Weisse's, and other lighter (dare I say populist?) styles that I think there's a lot of fear surrounding dark beers with bold flavors. These beers can be refreshing too, and stand up to intense flavors better than some of the more popular summer beers out there. So ignore Amy and get yourself a bottle!
Amy - 2.5 stars
Paul - 4 stars
Total -
View this post on our new blog: http://paulandamyonbeer.com/2012/07/02/lets-brew-some-coffee/
I really enjoy the Divine Brown, but the BBC Coffeehouse Porter is FANTASTIC. Have either of you had Left Hand Weak Sauce? Founder's also makes some great similar beers; I think the Breakfast Stout is very coffee-ish. This happens to be among my favorite varieties of beer, so nice to see you review them!
ReplyDeleteI've never had that Left Hand, but I LOVE the Founders.
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