Big Kahuna Porter (Coconut Porter)
Appalachian Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Appalachian Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American Porter
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.75 | pDev: 9.33%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
9
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 06, 2011
Added:
Jul 12, 2007
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
 
Rated: 4.5 by JohneHoodlum from Pennsylvania

Dec 06, 2011
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Reviewed by stakem from Pennsylvania

3.31/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5
Review from notes taken on 2/24/11 on tap at the Harrisburg ABC location.

Served in an oversized mug, this brew appears dark brown in color with a finger of brown creamy fluff for a head. The cap recedes fairly fast to just a thin layering across the top. Patchy lacework clings in a scattered webbing across the glass. When held to the light, it displays some ruby clarity through the edges.

The aroma of this brew is surprisingly and unexpectedly herbal and very mineral filled. As it warms a light note of chocolate malt developes that is faintly grainy. Somewhat fruity notes emerge as well.

The taste has a milky coconut sweetness upfront that gets overtaken by a mineral flavor and moderate bitterness. Lightly roasty an herbal hoppiness continues into the finish. The alcohol is felt with a minor warming effect. Each sip pushes forward a bright flavoring of coconut that quickly dissolves into chocolate malt taste. Clashing with those pleasant flavors is a constant mineral and metallic reminder that is a little off putting.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest level of carbonation. This is a fairly decent offering with good coconut inclusion. A little bit of recipe tweaking and removing that mineral/metallic taste could really produce a winning offering here.
Mar 17, 2011
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Reviewed by orangesol from Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Served on-tap at the ABC brewpub in Harrisburg into a standard pint.

A - Pours deep brown, borderline black, with a small half finger tall tan head leaving spotty lacing down the entire glass.

S - Plenty of dark roast and sweet coconut dominate the nose of this one. Some light vanilla, sweet chocolate, and a touch of char round out the aroma. It is really way too sweet for its own good.

T - Lots of dark roasted malt and sweet coconut run the show for this one. Bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, and some light coffee add some additional flavors. Finish is far too sweet with plenty of it lingering for some time. Decent stuff but I have had much better.

M - Heavy body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Sticky sweet feel with plenty of coconut sweetness and some dark roasted malt in the finish.

D - Decent stuff. It was ok but the large amount of sweetness really brought this one down a few notches. Good coconut flavor but it got a bit lost in all that darkness.
Mar 03, 2011
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Reviewed by thain709 from Pennsylvania

3.82/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - Poured a very deep black...the head was very small when it came (which was prompt) and it was tan in color...not good with the retention except for a tiny ring...the head disappeared really quick...not much lacing

S - A very nice sweet, roasted nose...both aspects come from the malts...I like that they aren't burnt...the coconut adds a little bit of sweetness but it's not very prevelant

T - The taste follows the nose in that the flavors are a little sweet with lots of roastiness...the sweetness comes from some caramel/toffee flavored roasted malts...the roasted flavors are really nice on the malts...there are some coffee notes that provide a bit of bitterness with that roastiness...the coconut (along with other nutty flavors) is very subtle...again providing a little bit of sweetness to the flavor

M - Medium bodied...I wanted some more body to this one...but it was rather smooth and creamy

D - The flavors in this beer really worked together...the coconut doesn't really play a big part except for adding some sweetness and slickness to the flavor...a nicely roasted, sweet stout
Nov 06, 2009
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Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

3.67/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On tap @ the Gettysburg location on 10/31/09. Served in a pint glass.

Pours black in the glass, with a thin covering of tan colored foam. Retains with a fizzy look around the edges, leaving just a smattering of lacing behind. The aroma is overall sweet in the nostrils with chocolate, but I'm also getting some real subtle coconut cream accents as well. Heavy roast and coffee come out as well, giving this more of a dark sticky feel in the nose at times.

The taste has quite a darker feel to it, with roast, coffee, and hops, giving this a rich roasty bitterness. Sweetness hangs on the edges, with sticky notes of chocolate, caramel, and a flush of roasted coconut in the finish. Much like the aroma, the coconut adds more of a sweet texture to this, as the overall flavor profile is dark tasting and toasty. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a nice sprightly carbonation that falls right in line with the heavy roast and bitterness in this. Unfortunately I do think that the intense darkness of the flavors holds the drinkibility back somewhat. One glass of this was enough for me.

I liked this at first, with the creamy tasting coconut and sweeter flavors coming out strongly but man, the strong dark bitterness of this really started wearing on the palate about half way through the glass. Balance the flavors a bit better and you'd have a damn good Porter here.
Nov 02, 2009
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Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

3.52/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
I had this on tap at the Camp Hill brewpub - named "Big Kahuna" porter now according to the signage. Served almost to the top, chilled in a standard pint.

A - An opaque dark brown which has translucent edges. The porter appears almost black and the head is thin + wispy, but revives slightly when swirled, then retreats again to a ring with pin sized bead - I am guessing the oils of the coconut rob the head retention.

S - The nose is much like coffee w/ a lot of roasted barley giving off aromas which hint at dark roast brew with mild hints of nuts, or coconut as it were. The nose is lightly sweet and mildly creamy also

M - The very roasted feel has a sweet accent w/ almost no bitterness present. The carbonation starts moderately high but a subtle burnt or dark roast coffee overwhelms the feel and it gets sweeter as it warms

T - The flavor of roasted malt is there w/ a huge coffee taste there is mellow coconut essence which is sweet + nutty, but you have to look for it. This reminds me of a coffee with a flavored coconut syrup shot in it. It comes off as cloying midway through and the afterthought of coconut gives a mild creaminess which helps. The malt is thin but has light char essence as it finishes. The sweetness remains and a woody almost toasted coconut candy flavor is noted as it warms

D - The beer is take it or leave it for me, but I am not really a coconut lover. I appreciate the beer as a porter, but the sweetness is overdone IMO and has a bit too much black malt making it taste schizophrenic to a degree. The flavors don't mesh as well as they could.
Oct 29, 2009
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Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served at the Camp Hill location. My earlier review was lost in the re-shuffle of ABC's beers on BA.

The porter is dark, a black color with a white head. The nose is loaded with coconut milk sweetness paired against roasted porter malts. The flavor is well-balanced as well; it doesn;t focus on the coconut, allowing it to contribute without having to drive the ale. I am no fan of cocunut but found this to work. The roasted flavors need the coconut sweetness in order to settle down.
Jan 01, 2009
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Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Tasted from Growler courtesy of axilla.

Poured a dark, dark brown color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of roast, chocolate and very light coconut. Tastes of the same. Coconut was on the subtle side all the way around.

Notes from 7/4/07
Nov 20, 2008
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Reviewed by weeare138 from Pennsylvania

3.92/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appears a dark brown color with crimson notes when held to the light. A small, beige head quickly fades into a tiny cap. Small streaks of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of mocha, cocoa, caramel, and mild coconut.
Taste echoes the aroma with a mix of mocha and caramel standing out with a hint of coconut making it's presence known in the flavor.
Mouthfeel is full bodied, mildly astringent, sweet, fruity, along with a coconut milk like sweetness found in the background.
Jul 12, 2007
Big Kahuna Porter (Coconut Porter) from Appalachian Brewing Company
Beer rating: 3.75 out of 5 with 9 ratings