It's weird, I'm not one for coffee (or tea for that matter) yet I seem to really enjoy coffee porters and stouts.
Maybe its just that hot drinks do nothing for me... anyway, here's three recent variations on coffee porters I've had - even better two of them are ticks from the list!
206. Rogue Mocha Porter
Style: Porter. ABV: 5.3%. From: Drinkstore.ie
Description: Poured a decent oily black with a tan head. Lots of coffee and bitter cocoa in the aroma, and some nice roasted malt in the background. Less coffee in the taste than you'd expect from the smell, more light frappuccino than espresso here, decent chocolate hint too. Some light roasted malt as a backbone. Dryish, with a mid to full body and a little bitterness on the finish.
Thoughts: Subtle, well balanced, quaff-able yet not boring. A great example of a light, interesting, but not overdone coffee porter. I'll be getting again.Score: 8
207. Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast
Style: Oatmeal Stout. ABV: 7.5%. From: Drinkstore.ie
Description: Poured a deep black colour with brown head that didn't last very long. Roasted malt on the nose, bitter coffee, but there's a definite aroma of hops here too. Taste starts off all bitter coffee and toasted malt, but then the hops come through providing a can of floral bitterness at the end. Thick, resin like, but quite carbonated with it. Hides the ABV well.
Thoughts: I think expectations got to me here. I was waiting to be wowed and it never happened. I personally thought it was too hoppy to really go with the coffee and oatmeal base. Not sure I'd buy again to be honest. But feel free to tell me I'm wrong (and why) in the comments!
Score: 6
Now for one outside the list
168. Flying Dog Kujo
Style: Imperial Stout. ABV: 8.9%. From: Light House Wines
Description: Dark with a tan head that disappeared really quickly. Lots of coffee on the nose and a big aroma of toasted malt. Taste eases back on the coffee (just a wee bit), there's some sweetness in here too, with a hint of wood and smoke. I also got a twang of apple (but that might just be me). Effervescent, yet creamy and smooth. Slightly oily and full bodied.
Thoughts:I genuinely thought this would be way too much coffee for me; I was wrong - this was lovely. Though I could taste every % of the ABV - but in a good way - brings heat to what is a big, but quite well balanced, imperial stout. Go buy some!
Score: 7.5
I missed Beerclubbelfast's much anticipated beer and cheese night - looks like it was a cracker. Anyone who was there fill me in? Best beer, best cheese, best pairing?
Cheers
It finally feels like spring is here; hard not to be happy with good weather and a few days off coming up. I'm in London next weekend, I'll probably not get a chance to sample too much interesting as I will be fully celebrating a mate's wedding in true Norn Iron style (I'm guessing that even if there was something worth writing up my notes might be a tad blurry...). This weekend was therefore rather reserved but I did get a couple more beers ticked from the list.
204. Birra del Borgo Re Ale
Style: APA. ABV: 6.4%. From: Drinkstore.ie
Description: Pours dark amber with an off-white head. Smells wonderful, sweet fruits (mandarin), floral notes, and some tart grapefruit - hop heaven. I was expecting a big hit of hops following the small, but this was light, subtle, floral but quaffable, with a nice caramel malt backbone. Light but slightly sticky.
Thoughts: A bit like last week's Celebration, this may not have been at its freshest, but it stood up really well. Not too bitter, not too sweet, this balanced APA hit the spot with me.
Score: 8
205. Gouden Carolous Classic
Style: Belgian Strong Ale. ABV: 8.5%. From: Drinkstore.ie
Description: Poured very dark brown, opaque, small off-head. Not a huge aroma (my fault it was too cold) but there's hints of treacle and fig. Taste is dark fruits, figs and plums, toasted malts, treacle, and that Belgian yeast backbone. I also got some smokiness on the finish and a boozy hit. Mid bodied, syrupy.
Thoughts: I didn't read too much of this before trying, which screwed me up as I served this too cold, but as it warmed up it really came to life nicely. Felt a wee bit like a mini quad, or a big dubble. Either way it was good stuff.
Score: 7.5
Quick round up of a few other things I tried.
Off-List: 165-167. Steen Brugge Blonde / Wit / Dubble
For ease I have stuck these all together as they are all a bit same-y in my mind. First up I had to google Gruut - as each of these beers (picked up in the Vineyard) had "Enriched with Gruut" on the side of the bottle. While this made them all interesting, it made them all have the same herbal taste despite the style difference. None of them were bad but I couldn't see me buying them again.
Score: 5
Might manage an another quick post picking off a few more beers before the weekend, if not I'll catch you on the other side of Easter. Have a good one!
Cheers
I was hoping this wee beer would be imbibed to celebrate something good this weekend past, The grand National let me down (again), then the ref had a go at ruining the ulster match in the first 4 minutes, it was a great performance for the Ulster boys but just not enough to get the win. Finally a different ref tried to spoil the Liverpool game, but the boys battled through for a hard fought 3 points. So after all that, I felt I deserved this...
203. Sierra Nevada Celebration (2013)
Style: IPA. ABV: 6.8%. From: Drinkstore.ie
Description: Poured dark amber and hazy, with a good white head that last well. Grassy hop aroma, plenty of pine, and citrus - mainly grapefruit. The hops are front and centre in the taste, some sweetness and grapefruit, the middle is some nice caramel malt, and the finish is decently bitter and dry, some pine here too. Light to mid bodied, stick mouth costing.
Thoughts: Tasty stuff, may be slightly older than it should have been (given this is a Christmas IPA!), may have been even more bitterness in its pomp, but still enjoyable.
Score: 7.5
Managed a couple other beers too:
163. Wild Beer Sourdough
Style: Sour/Wild. ABV: 3.6%. From: Grange Wines
Description: Pale cloudy yellow; no head at all. Lots of vinegar and acid on the nose. Taste is acid (cider vinegar), citrus, bready yeast. Light.
Thoughts: This was really quite good; tart, zesty, refreshing. Worth trying if you like that sort of thing.
Score: 7
164. Kinnegar Yannaroddy
Style: Porter. ABV: 4.8%. From: Vineyard
Description: Black, translucent, light tan head. Roasted malt aroma; some coffee. Roasted malt taste, slight sweetness - though not sure you'd pick it out as coconut though. Mid to full bodied; slightly oily finish.
Thoughts: The second Kinnegar brewing beer I've really enjoyed, could have taken a bit more coconut but other than that, what's not to like.
Score: 7
Cheers
So I finally had to bite the bullet and placed an on-line order. Drinkstore.ie had quite a few beers from the list and Island of Ireland delivery for a not bad €6. A hint of a few things to come in the pic below!
So, first up is:
202. SlyFox Pikeland Pils
Style: Pilsner. ABV: 4.9%. From: Drinkstore.ie
Description: Craft in a can. Poured light yellow coloured, slightly cloudy, and a decent white head. Some grassy hops, and there's some light fruit there too (mango I'd say). Taste starts out with some fruit and sweetness, followed up by some grassy hops, a bready malt hit, and a bitterish finish. As it warmed up the fruit came through more. Light bodied, more sparkling than fizzy.
Thoughts: Pilners don't tend to do a huge amount for me, but this was quite enjoyable. Light, refreshing, and quaffable. Tasty.
Score: 6.5
A couple of other beers not from the list to catch-up on:
161. Wild Beer Bliss
Style: Farmhouse ale?. ABV: 6%. From: Light House Wines
Description: Dark amber / light brown in colour, hazy, with a tight off-white head. A lot of spice in the aroma, nutmeg & cinnamon, and a sour twang in the background. Spice again in the taste, plenty of nutmeg and cinnamon, a hint of dried apricot. Quite light bodied.
Thoughts: Recommended by Stephen as something different... It certainly was that. I've not been that impressed by Wild Beer in general, this was one of the better ones - though more for autumn than this time of the year. Personally would have preferred more apricot but it was grand.
Score: 5.5
162. Beavertown 8-Ball
Style: Rye IPA. ABV: 6.2%. From: Grange Wines
Description: Cloudy light brown/dark orange with no head. Citrus and grapefruit aroma, some pine. Taste is caramel malt, grapefruit, and a little rye spiciness. Light but a little sticky.
Thoughts: Enjoyable but nots good as the Black Betty.
Score: 6.5
Had a wee day out mid-week too. Neill's Hill in Ballyhack produced some good food and an Anchor Liberty Ale to go with it. Then it was over to Horatio Todd's who now have Pilsner Urquell on draft, belfast beer scene keeps getting better doesn't it?
Cheers
