Bottle/Tap: Bottle
There are times that it pays to have extras on hand and this is one of those times. Earlier in the week I thought about a beer to review and, wouldn’t you know, I’d already reviewed it some time ago. Rather than dwell on the past, I found a stray bottle of this coffee concoction that I wanted to give a little more attention to. You might remember this beer from a few weeks ago, Avid Reader, as one of our coffee sampling beers. I didn’t think the few lines I wrote about it did it much justice, so I’m going to let it shine for a few paragraphs this week.
When I want to drink a coffee stout, I have a few old standbys that I always lean toward when the moment is right. They are all jet black, have a healthy coffee aroma and flavor, then leave some slight bitterness on your tongue. Most of the coffee stouts I’ve had could all be poured into one glass and drank at the same time not allowing for much distinction; that was my normal way of thinking until I met this brew.
Releasing the beer from the icy depths, I took my time to pour it out witnessing the jet black liquid swish in my large glass. The aroma wasn’t anything unexpected, so I decided to hit this one where it counts and proceeded to take a drink. I remembered why I was drawn to this beer at the party and why it still shocked me now: the added hop flavor. This beer had an abundance of hop flavor,bringing in a lot of bitterness, floral notes, and that sweet coffee taste to soothe my tongue afterward. It had an unmistakable dry aftertaste that I couldn’t shake and I had to keep drinking.
As I said before, this was a coffee stout with a hidden punch of that hop flavor, and riding in at 7.5%, this was close to an imperial. Many coffee stouts will warm you up; Java Head will kick you in the pants and get you moving. If you are looking to be a little adventurous with dark beers, you should consider getting a six pack and sharing amongst friends — or be greedy and keep it for yourself. This was my first foray into Troegs and I know it won’t be my last.
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