Far Out Espresso Stout
Great River Brewery

 

Thanks to Matt for supplying this growler all the way from Iowa. A much-need state tick. Served in a Rodenbach tulip.

A - Quick-dissipating tan foam that settles to a thin ring and some filmy haze, leaving behind spotty lace. Black body that's brown at the fringes of the glass.

S - Huge iced coffee and espresso flavors. Not subtle, but quite delicious.

T - Taste is also huge espresso. Where's the beer? There's some caramel malt character as it warms up.

M - Medium body, sticky burnt finish. Some zesty carbonation.

D - This was quite good. I had a few pours, and thought it was quite successful, albeit a little mono-dimensional. Reminded me a little of the early growler-only Cup A Joe, which was also a coffee bomb. Would probably leave me wired.

Thanks to Matt for bringing a growler of this back to the city. I was really excited to try this.

This beer pours a still, solid black with a light ring of mocha foam that fades quickly.

The nose is iced coffee with cream. I'm not picking out any malts or hops.

The taste follows with a huge iced coffee with cream flavor. Ton's of fresh, cold roast coffee beans, cream, sugar, and some sweet malts are present. It's a very coffee forward beer.

The mouthfeel is a bit lacking. It falls a little still and flat. If the body and carbonation was bumped up a bit this beer would be perfect. It's still not bad though.

I wish I had the whole growler to myself. I guess now I have a reason to go to Iowa.

Had a pint of this today at the bar adjacent to the brewery in Davenport.

Black with a very deep mocha shade of foam from the coffee. We compared it side by side with their regular "Straight Pipe Stout" which was the base beer, and the coffee definitely imparts a darker shade to the foam. Laced a little and left random flecks in the glass. Good retention.

Aroma was deep espresso, rich and roasty, very clean and pleasant. Chocolate and tobacco were interwoven in there too. Flavor was similar with the coffee notes taking center stage. Rich with a mild bitterness, lingering espresso notes in the aftertaste. Smooth mellow carbonation, and somewhat dry. Had to have a growler of this, so i'd say it's pretty damn drinkable!