Eye Opener Coffee Porter
A liter swing-top bottle into a couple of tulip glasses. Pours a straight black in the glass, with 1-2 fingers of darker mocha colored head. This retains with a thin layer of froth that stretches across the surface of the liquid yet still leaves back some rich lacing that hangs in heavy foamy swathes down the sides of the glass. The aroma smells of fresh roasted coffee grounds, sweet chocolate malts, and then a bit of earthy hop character in the background. Unfortunately I'm also picking up some chalky and plastic band-aid off-notes in this as well. They aren't completely off-putting but are noticeable and detract from the nose a bit. The taste is a mix of thick chocolate and caramel sweetness, dark roasted malts, and a light leafy bitterness. The coffee flavors seem much more muted here than they did in the nose and take some punch away from the profile. The finish is dry and roasty, with that chalkiness rearing its head again. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with more of a soft and bubbly feel in the mouth. It would seem to need a bit more sharpness to help bring out those roast and coffee flavors. Thankfully that nearly 7% ABV is well hid and is a big saving grace of this beer. Wow, I have to say that this was pretty much a disappointment, especially since I had such a good experience with this same beer out of the growler back in 2009 (a solid A Coffee Stout for me). The off-notes, lack of coffee flavors in the taste, and overly soft body just didn't get the job done for me. I guess this is one that just didn't translate well to the bottle.