Kepler
Element Brewing Company

Poured from a bottle dated 10/16 into the test glass
A - Nicely carbonated, set against an amber backdrop. loose knit cap of off white carries through the experience
S - A bit stealthy, no real coffee notes, a fine maltyness.
T - Malt forward, the coffee adds some muted bitterness, caramel and a bit of rosemary.
M - Lite in body, well carbonated. quick to exit, leaving a semi sweet linger.
O - Not to sure what to make here, the base red ale is solid, the modification with coffee need some work.
Cheers

500ml brown glass bottle from Table and Vine in West Springfield, MA.

"Brewed with coffee and milk sugar." "Red ale." Uses Pierce Brothers air roasted coffee.

Overflows upon opening, suggesting overcarbonation.

APPEARANCE: Copper-amber body. Off-white head. Pretty typical of a red ale with no bells or whistles.

AROMA: Fresh java, clean roasted coffee beans, maybe some amber malt. The coffee is nice, and definitely a few notches above the norm in terms of coffee ales - but it doesn't compare aromatically to, say, Founders Breakfast Stout (if we're allowing interstylistic comparisons). The only other coffee amber I can think of to compare this to is that mediocre Local Option brew; it's better than that.

Aromatic intensity is average.

Suggests a one-dimensional coffee beer with a shallow yet pleasant taste.

TASTE: Indeed, this is a shallow-as-hell one-dimensional coffee beer. Some generic amber malt sweetness is in there too, but adds little. In fact, it kind of throws off the balance; the coffee flavour isn't roasty enough to be bitter, but evokes java nonetheless. Painfully simplistic, with no depth of flavour or intricacy whatsoever.

TEXTURE: Slightly acidic. Smooth, wet, light to medium-bodied, overcarbonated, kind of refreshing, and of average heft and weight on the palate.

Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, or astringent.

OVERALL: The coffee flavour is nice at best, but even if it were the best coffee flavour I'd ever experienced in a beer I don't know that that'd be enough to save this build from its painful simplicity and shallowness. Possibly the least complex least subtle brew I've had this year, and that includes a week long stretch that was more or less just budget malt liquors. Still, it's not bad, and I'll enjoy finishing the one bottle I got - even if I have no desire for a second.

High C (3.00) / AVERAGE

Collaboration with Pierce Bros Coffee to make this red ale infused with cold pressed coffee using Moka Java beans.