Beer Review: Berkshire Brewing Company: Dean's Beans Coffeehouse Porter

Brew Style: Porter
Brewer: http://www.berkshirebrewingcompany.com
ABV: 6.2%
BrewNewb Opinion: Great Beer!

I love a nice thick porter. I love the brown sweet scent, the way it pours like a flat soda, the thick creamy froth of the head, and this brew does NOT disappoint. 

I bought a pint of this, brought it home and poured it into my Sam Adams perfect pint glass. It smelled like a iced coffee, with a mild grain scent, hints of cocoa.

The head is truly impressive, thick and fluffy, and dark like that of a root beer float. 

The taste was smooth and crisp. Coffee and caramel, vanilla and chocolate, with a smooth finish. Very well balanced beer, and a good choice if you're itching for a coffee porter. 

Price was nice too, a pint was less than $5.

A to Z Blog Challenge Beer Review - Kona Brewing's Pipeline

Brew:  Porter
Brewer:   http://konabrewingco.com/beers/pipeline-porter/
ABV: 5.4%
Opinion: Good Beer!  

I've really been enjoying these reviews for the stouts. This one isn't a stout, but it's a porter, and that's pretty close...

Anyway, I've been enjoying the hell out of the coffee / chocolate stouts. This beer boasts that it's a porter with 100% Hawaiian Kona coffee.

I popped the cap on this, and was sorta surprised I didn't really smell it right outta the bottle. I practically stuffed the thing up a nostril and inhaled. Still not much. Slight coffee and malty overtones, but that was about it. I wasn't quite disappointed, as I was curious.

I poured it, it had minimal head. Either this is a flat, tasteless beer, or it's a very understated gem. Here's hoping...

PHEW. Understated gem!

It's not overly thick, not bitter, smooth, doesn't coat the tongue, doesn't linger much. This is a good smooth drinking beer.

As I scoured the bottle for the alcohol percentage, I realized the label at the top says "Mele Kalikimaka", which of course is the thing to say on a bright Hawaiian Christmas day, you know. That's the island greeting they will sing to you from the land where palm trees sway, so I'm told. So being April, this bottle is several months old. Five or six anyway. Not sure what that means as far as porters go. I dunno if it would have been tastier a few months ago, or... Who knows.

Anyway, like I said, good beer. If you like porters, and you like coffee, do it!

Also, I really like that glass in the picture. I'd love to have a set of, oh, 40 of em. So feel free to send some along. 

#atozchallenge Beer Review - Founder's Breakfast Stout

Brew:  Stout
Brewer:  Founders Brewing
ABV: 8.3%
Opinion: Great Beer! 

I love this bottle. Doesn't the picture just make you wanna drink it??

I was very interested in this brew, being a stout fan (and a fan of stouts! HAR!) I thought it sounded good. It's stout made with chocolate, coffee and oatmeal. Who wouldn't love that?!

Interesting story: I once had an idea that Coffee flavored oatmeal would be a fine thing. I emailed the Quaker oats guy, and suggested it. I said you could go so far as to have french vanilla, hazelnut, etc. I was told that they have people who are paid to think of those things, but thanks for my interest, and they suggested I buy more product... I thought for sure a month later they'd have the coffee oatmeal on the shelves or something, but still no.

Anyway, who needs the Quaker oats dude, when you have Founders?! They figured out the same genius scheme and added chocolate!

I cracked this baby open, and immediately the smell of coffee found my nose. I eagerly, yet carefully poured. The head came up about an inch and a half. Twas a brown color, much like the foam from a cola. Still the smell of coffee dominated, which is fine with me, cause I love coffee.

As it sat, I continued to sniff, in between typing paragraphs here, and the chocolate became vaguely apparent. Perhaps it was there the whole time, but I was over powered by the coffee smell. Either way, my mouth is watering.

Wow. This beer is amazing. There's so much going on here. The coffee is definitely the most prominent flavor especially in the first of a sip. The chocolate and oats flavors come out in the finish. There's a little alcohol heat left on the tongue, as it is 8.3%. There's a little bitterness in burp.

This is such a terrific beer! Smooth and tasty. I could drink these all day. Or... at least for a couple hours or so.

HIGHLY recommended.