Coffee Stout

Beer Name: Coffee Stout (Brewmaster Series)
Brewery: Long Trail Brewing Company
ABV: 8%
Serving method: 22-oz bottle in a pint glass
Born/Bottled/Shipped on: Bottled 2/15/11

The Brewmaster Series is currently a group of 4 beers that are only available during a small window each year. Coffee Stout is only made for February and March, so I guess I got lucky when I found this bottle. Or possibly unlucky. That all depends on how good it is.

The Long Trail Coffee Stout is a very dark beer. Like solid black, just the way a stout should be. It poured with a nice thick stout head, caramel-colored and almost an inch thick. The head faded slowly, and left a somewhat heavy lacing pattern. That faded before the beer was done, since this beer is too good to rush through. There was a great coffee aroma here, but not really anything else.

First impression: wow, that's some intensely bitter coffee flavor. However, after letting it mellow out for a couple minutes, the taste becomes a bit less intense and a whole lot more enjoyable. Each sip is pretty much the same, with a little sweetness from the malt at the beginning, and then the coffee and a little bit of hoppy bitterness. This beer feels very thick and creamy as you drink it. There's a medium amount of carbonation (for a stout), and a slight aftertaste of coffee.

Final thought - If you pour this in a glass, give a few minutes, and then drink it nice and slowly, this beer is delightful. It's great for sitting back and relaxing. The coffee flavor is very noticeable, but it's not overwhelming.

-Jon