by Brian Wall
Beer and coffee. For some, coffee is an institution, a must for every day. The breath of day in which some cannot wake up, function or think until they have had their “first cup of the day”. An interesting thing, coffee. When someone first noticed a form of berry growing on a type of evergreen and decided to roasted the seed inside, filter it with water and drink it, really shows how in-depth the thought process of humans may be. Different areas, climates and methods of processing the seeds can either enhance or decrease the flavor. I will not get started on the Kopi Luwak coffee from Sumatra that is from civet droppings.
Coffee in beer is not something new and plenty of breweries take advantage of the roasted, bitter, earthy flavor that coffee can impart into beer. Primarily, stouts and porters are the main beers that have coffee infused into them.
Real Ale Brewing Company is one such brewer that offers a coffee beer- Coffee Porter. While not really a warmer-weather beer, porters are best drank during cooler seasons. This beer offered a light scent of coffee from the opening. The pour showed a light carbonation level with very little lingering foam. Color is a very dark, similar to used motor oil. While a nice glass of used motor oil may not peak an interest, this is a pretty standard description of good dark beers.
Flavor on the first sip showed little coffee flavor but a nice toasted malt. Ongoing flavors showed some chocolate on the back of the tongue and very minimal hop flavor. While it was initially sampled at a chilly forty-five degrees, the warming of it to room temperature allowed it to mellow on the toasted/roasted malt flavors. Coffee was still not very prominent on the tasting but subtle in the offering.
While this beer was subtle in its coffee flavor, it still is a nice porter. Other coffee beers may be overwhelming in the flavor and scent but it does vary from brewer to brewer. If you are a lover of coffee flavored beers, you may want to seek a stronger coffee presence.
If you are not a coffee lover, this porter is definitely for you. Regardless one way or the other, give Real Ale Coffee Porter a try. Colder weather, chilly nights and shorter days are perfect for a nice dark robust beer.
Sláinte.
Reblogged this on Proper_Pour.