Koko Head Chocolate Coconut Cream Stout
Fat Head's Brewery & Saloon

On tap at Fat Heads. 5.1% ABV, 25 IBU.

I was hesitant to try this, as the beer is compared to an Almond Joy candy bar on the menu. Not something I feel a beer should ever shoot for, the equivalent of a wine label referencing skittles. I kid, but, really, who is writing these descriptions for Fat Heads? They seem to reference a lot of weed smoking and candy. I guess one leads to the next, perhaps.

Koko Head looks nice in the glass. It's brown with a touch of red around the edges. Compared to other Fat Heads beers and the premier examples of the style, I'm noting a lack of head retention on this one. Maybe the nuts made this a touch oily? There is decent lace noted later on in the experience, but the full pint is rather average.

Smell is mild, there is a bit of typical milk stout "roasted malt/chocolate" and "lactose/sweet creme fraiche" thing going on, but I'm not getting a ton of prominent smells and the nuttiness is very subdued. Some caramel malt actually shines through, not a great nose for a milk stout but not offensive in any way.

I have a feeling this is one of those beers where the target audience wasn't beer geeks with their noses stuck in the glass but, instead, Friday and Saturday night clientele with a sweet tooth. The taste is good, a bit sweet for me even for a lactose enriched milk stout. The almonds do make an appearance, adding some earthy and slightly bitter nuttiness. The chocolate and coconut are the stars of the show. Overall, the flavors work well together, they're just by no means to candy bar levels.

The mouthfeel has adequate carbonation but a lack of body, even for a lower ABV stout. I would think the lactose would have bumped things up. Overall, this wasn't a bad beer, but was more of a gimmick than a solid milk stout to me.

On cask at the brewpub. The menu notes: "Koko Head is brewed with roasted matls, Belgian chocolate and toasted coconut to achieve a creamy sweetness similar to an Almond Joy."

The beer pours a very dark color, nearly black with a finger of thick creamy looking tan foam (cask pour). It smells sort of like Guiness Extra Stout with coconut added to it, light roasted malts and maybe a hint of lactose (maybe just imagined though).

It tastes sweeter than it smells, the coconut comes through very well, more than in Maui Coconut Porter. It could be due to the cask pour though, the light carbonation tends to let more flavors through. A little chocolate but not as much as expected from the name. This is mainly a coconut and roasted malts showcase.