Self Assembly Pope
BrewDog

Copenhagen 33 cl can from Kvickly, Østergade, Middelfart. Marvelous can with drawings of snakes, scepters, devil heads and other obscure handiwork. I suppose it’s a Pope you can put together with a little glue and consideration.

Pours opaque dark brown with light beige head. Settles as creamy layer of foam clinging to the side of the glass. Moderate lacing. Aroma of dark malts, sweet vanilla and caramel - sort of Candy-like.

Soft carbonation and thick oily palate.

Flavor is heavy sweet followed by medium coffee bitterness. Aftertaste is bitter sweet. Lingering.

A bit heavy on the vanilla - but I must admit it hides the impressive ABV. I did not know that the Pope comes as a collection kit - with vanilla flavor. But in this case I would consider going to Church.

A 330ml can with a BB of Dec 2017. Acquired a while back from Wine Rack. The label doesn't give much away but the ingredients include coconut, cocoa and vanilla. I want my free papal action figure!

A: Poured into a Duvel tulip. A very dark brown hue that appears pitch black in the glass. Yields a large head of creamy tan foam that lasts for a few minutes before reducing to a patchy surface layer. Some lacing.

S: Aroma of intense coconut flesh with hints of vanilla, chocolate, dark malt, a touch of molasses and vague ale yeast. Seriously coconut-laden. Rather good; initially comes across as unbalanced but it grows on you.

T: Tastes of dark malt with notes of coconut, roasted grain, vanilla, subtle molasses, chocolate, mild ale yeast and faint stewed leaves. Pretty sweet, with a restrained, malt-driven bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth and tingly, with spritzy carbonation and a somewhat insubstantial body for the style. Could certainly be creamier. Aftertaste of bitter dark malt, coconut, vanilla, chocolate and ale yeast.

O: Not bad, though it definitely goes in for coconut overkill. Looks great, while the aroma and flavour are loaded with coconut, vanilla and chocolate, underpinned by dark malt and yeast notes. At least the booze is well hidden. Body is OK but could be thicker. Drinkable but unbalanced - tons of coconut but also a clash of sweetness and bitter malt notes. Alright but not the best coconut porter I've ever had; moderation is the key. Worth trying if you love coconut.

 

 

 

Dark brown color with creamy, tan head. Aroma has chocolate, coconut with some dark malts underneath. Taste starts slightly sweet with lots of coconut but continues with a roasted malt bitterness. Finish is bitter with roasty but also hoppy notes. Medium to light body, medium carbonation. Overall it's a quite good porter with nice coconut flavors.

 

CAN
Cola-black with a puffy sepia head that craters. 4
Coconut! 4
Speck of chocolate, a ton of sweet coconut meat, thread of vanilla, slight treacle, some ash, a certain huskiness and a waxy finish. 4
Smooth, mild fizz, medium. 3.75

Coconut, cocoa, and vanilla

Nose is like suntan lotion, and the body follows through. On the one hand, like a Bounty bar. On the other, not much else going on; even the vanilla + chocolate get lost and I can’t quite ignore the overly slick coconut oil in the body. We’ll line this up against Death by Coconut and report back… 3.75

 

Exceptional beer. Pours beautifully but the smell is not sweet as the taste. The taste is full of coconut and vanilla. Truly spectacular.

 

 

330ml Can from BottleDog, Glasgow (£3.00):
An interesting beer this one, it was definitely a lot sweeter than I'd anticipated going in thanks to the sugars, vanilla & coconut as well as a few touches of chocolate with the taste. It didn't overpower as such but it was quite a strong offering too, there was certainly a little more alcohol showing at times than I'd have liked from this one & it gave the beer a somewhat harsh feel due to the alcohol grains. It was still a drinkable & , to a certain extent, an enjoyable offering with some darker malts & roasted flavours near the end but I'm not sure it is one that I'd have again.

330ml can into a Spiegleau Stout glass. Paid £3.15 for a single.

Pours an opaque, dark brown, almost black body, which shows a few ruby glimmers near the edges of the glass when held to the light. Small amounts of incredibly fine carbonation sit below a creamy, one-finger in height, tan coloured head that slowly reduces to a thin film and collar, leaving behind modest amounts of soapy lace.

The relatively subtle nose is predominantly led by coconut and semi-sweet chocolate. Underneath, lighter notes of roasted dark malts, coffee and vanilla follow, while traces of alcohol become very faintly perceptible towards the back-end. Taste follows suit, allowing the bulk of the flavour profile to be led by sweet creamy coconut and milk chocolate. Hints of bitter baking chocolate and powdered cocoa follow, while lightly charred dark malts and espresso-like coffee provide a faint bite of sharp roasted acidity after the mid-palate. In the mouth, a medium body and moderate amount of lively, but soft and fine carbonation give a pleasantly slick, smooth and creamy feel. Towards the back-end, lingering coffee, dark chocolate and cocoa powder combine with hints of coconut and vanilla to faintly dry the palate, finishing clean, with just a touch of bittersweet roast-driven astringency and hint of warming alcohol.

Overall this is a very good beer. Coconut and chocolate comprise the majority of the simple flavour profile, but although sweet, its roasted backbone is just dark and dry enough to avoid becoming cloying. Ultimately it’s smooth, flavourful, well-balanced and easy drinking, a rare gem from BrewDog. Recommended.