La Colombe Tandem
Conshohocken Brewing Company

La Colombe TandemLa Colombe Tandem
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From:
Conshohocken Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Belgian Pale Ale
ABV:
6.4%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.74 | pDev: 15.24%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
38
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 18, 2017
Added:
Oct 08, 2014
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  5
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by woodychandler:
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Whoops! Once again, the dreaded Bottle Backlog CANbined with a lack of an approved pic caused this one to fall out of the rotation. My thanks to the Conshohocken brewers & owners for providing me with CANs for inclusion in The CANQuest (tm)! I hope to run through a bunch of them today. This should be a good time.

From the CAN: "Go Where the Path Takes You"; "La Colombe Tandem breaks the mold of traditional coffee beers. We worked (in tandem) with our good friends at La Colombe to design a beer that showcases the unique coffee flavor characteristics of its Ethiopian origin. Hand crafted with Belgian yeast,La Colombe Tandem has a full, creamy mouthfeel, coffee and hop-derived fruity and floral flavors, and is packed with coffee all at the same time. Hard to define, but easy to drink."

I am working in CANdem with CANshohocken B.C. to do this review! Oh, boy. As soon as I CANducted the Crack!, I got some foaming action coming through the vent. I allowed it to calm before CANducting the gentlest of Glugs, but I still produced two fingers of foamy, light-tan head that fell rather quickly. Color was an oh-so-slightly hazy Deep Amber/Light Copper to Copper (SRM = > 13, < 17). Nose was an odd mélange of coffee (definitely coffee) plus a yeast-driven mustiness. It was like my morning coffee had been spilled on a bundle of old newspapers from the attic. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste left no doubt that coffee had been utilized in its production! It was like iced coffee infused with ... old newspapers? Is that fair? It makes it sound awful, but I liked it, if for no other reason that the idea that it was so different. I had it shortly after my morning coffee, so it was a fitting time of day, but I am not so sure I would have liked it at any other time. The finish was semi-dry since I never think of coffee as dry and that was the prevalent flavor. I see that it was only brewed once and is now retired, so it may have been a novelty, but one that I am glad that I got to try.
Dec 31, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.6 by SiepJones from Pennsylvania

Dec 18, 2017
 
Rated: 3.8 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

Sep 04, 2016
 
Rated: 4.48 by TeachChefs from Pennsylvania

Apr 27, 2016
 
Rated: 3.72 by wonothesane42 from New Jersey

Mar 20, 2016
Photo of BWED
Reviewed by BWED from Colorado

3.44/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
16 oz. can poured into a tulip.

A- Chestnut, hazy. Cream-colored head is dense and creamy. Decent lacing, but the head retention isn't great.

S- Nutty, almost peanut butter. Belgian yeast spice. Coffee adds some roasty notes.

T- Nutty, some dark fruit notes. Belgian yeast isn't as prominent as in the aroma. Roast is still there.

M- Bittersweet. There's a sweetness, with some roasty finish. Medium body, and low carbonation.

O- Mixed feelings about this one. I really love the subtle coffee (not overbearing, like a lot of coffee beers) but the Belgian style seems to get lost here.
Feb 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.53 by IdrinkGas from Pennsylvania

Feb 07, 2016
 
Rated: 3.52 by BigMike from Pennsylvania

Jan 29, 2016
 
Rated: 3.57 by rydev24 from Pennsylvania

Jan 24, 2016
 
Rated: 4.03 by let8it8grow from Pennsylvania

Jan 10, 2016
 
Rated: 3.83 by rfgetz from New Jersey

Dec 29, 2015
Photo of Cdidden
Rated by Cdidden from Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Not my thing. Pleasant for one glass. No coffee notes
Dec 27, 2015
 
Rated: 2.79 by baconfromwalmart from Pennsylvania

Dec 19, 2015
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Reviewed by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
I appreciated tenderbranson69 gifting me with this can -enjoyed chilled in a tulip.

The color is golden amber with thick haze and white head with very fine bead with lace that sticks to the glass. The smell is phenolic on entry with yeasty odor and earthy almost woody smell with light spice elment-not a typical coffee augmented scent. The feel is lightly spicy with dry texture and medium bitterness increases with medium body and medium carbonation with a slight bitter and semi-dry finish.

The taste begins with a tangy mineral yeast and lightly acidic taste either from hops or coffee not sure which, but coffee does not stand out in the taste. The flavor of hops have an herbal quality with light yeast presence intermingled and slight nuttiness of the coffee presenting itself with a dry almost toasted quality. The combination of coffee and hops conflicts slightly with a yeast flavor continuing into the finish. Overall I consider this an interesting beer I would drink again and coffee is not traditional in the roasty aspect but there is a citrus flavor that blends with the hops and adds to the complexity from the African beans.
Apr 17, 2015
Photo of MonicaAJC
Reviewed by MonicaAJC from Pennsylvania

4.02/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Really surprising, and good, for a coffee ale. I'm not a fan of anything coffee-like (except coffee, of course). But the Belgian yeast "twist" makes this beer a treat. Very smooth. Rich mouth feel. Beautiful amber color. Lacy foam. Not at all sweet like some Belgian-style ales--the coffee quietly balances out the malt. Nonetheless, great caramel smell and taste.
Apr 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4.1 by BraveMountie from Pennsylvania

Apr 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3.26 by Lurkerson from Pennsylvania

Mar 28, 2015
Photo of thebeers
Reviewed by thebeers from Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A hazy amber-bronze color with a large, long-lasting off-white head and lots of lacing. A great Belgian-y mix of dates, raisins and toffee on the nose, with an impressive whiff of high-quality coffee in the background when you tip the glass for a sip. There's a coffee-and-butter candy taste up front that reminds me of those chewy coffee candies old grocery stores sell in the bulk bins. Not like anything I've tasted in a beer before. Unfortunately, the mouthfeel is too thin, making the middle a bit watery. The aftertaste of coffee and hop bitterness also makes for a weird mix that doesn't quite stand on its own. (When paired with a meal the layered tastes meld and it works better.) This has some very interesting notes, but just doesn't come together.
Mar 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.33 by EmptyInBetween from Pennsylvania

Mar 27, 2015
Photo of justintcoons
Reviewed by justintcoons from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
16 oz can poured into a pub-style pint glass.

Appearance
Lightly hazy amber with 1 finger of off-white head. Great retention with light carbonation.

Nose
Caramel, brown sugar, plug, grape, and sourdough bread.

Taste
Sourdough bread, caramel, brown sugar, tobacco, and earth. Hints of dark fruit; red grape and black plum. Hints of light roast coffee bean and cacao. Light touches of potpourri, dried hay, and florals.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, smooth, and semi-dry with a medium-light bitterness.

Overall
A good Belgian Amber with a subtle coffee presence. A refreshing departure from the usual coffee fair.
Mar 24, 2015
La Colombe Tandem from Conshohocken Brewing Company
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 38 ratings