Mexican Coffee Cake
Westbrook Brewing Co.

firesidewithphil from Illinois

4/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Westbrook has been on the radar for all of 2020. I was finally able to find their Mexican Coffee Cake Stout on Tavour. The beer is heavy coffee for the initial few sips. As it warms up, the chocolate cake profile starts to break through and rounds out. I would recommend drinking this one about 10 minutes out of the fridge.

IG: @firesidewithphil

Jan 10, 2021

REVZEB from Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Void of the depths black with a finger of brown foam. Smell is dominated by the coffee with dark chocolate and cinnamon accenting. Taste has much more depth: dark roast coffee, dark cocoa and hot chocolate (so brighter) with mild pepper heat, strong cinnamon, a touch of vanilla and earth. Feel is warm yet not overly taxing, chewy, and decently smooth despite spice textures, very well made. Not as good as the orignal, but for coffee fanatics you might disagree.

Sep 14, 2020

mschrei from Illinois

4.66/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled 7/7/20. I can see why this one is rated so highly. Anytime I see a beer with peppers, I worry that it is going to be too spicy. But this one is just right. It brings heat and flavor, but it is not too much. There is also plenty of cinnamon, coffee, vanilla, and chocolate flavor. Extremely well balanced, big bodied, very boozy, but it doesn’t have an oiliness, thickness, or stickiness to it. Excellent beer.

Aug 30, 2020

flagmantho from Washington

4.33/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 22oz bomber into my BeerAdvocate teku. Bottled 7/7/20.

Appearance: completely, utterly black, with two fingers of extremely creamy, compact brown foam atop. Beautiful.

Smell: roasty and sweet with just a hint of coffee. There's also wonderful dark, rich notes of toffee and dates. Really quite delightful.

Taste: very sweet, with plenty of vanilla flavor; there's a bit of roastiness and the coffee comes through, though like the aroma it is subtle. There's less of the dark fruit and toffee in the flavor than in the aroma, which is a pity because I really like that stuff. This is still a very good pastry stout, but maybe not quite up to what the aroma promised.

Mouthfeel: rich body with plenty of carbonation and a very, very nicely smooth creaminess.

Overall: this beer is a delicious, if rather sweet, treat. Perhaps not sublime, but very good indeed.

Aug 28, 2020

maximum12 from Minnesota

3.45/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Hello. My name is max12. I am addicted to Tavour. Please help me. And by help, I mean send beer in other ways. 22 oz. bomber bottled 7-7-20 split with my wife.

Black. Of the mass of ingredients, it is chocolate & chilis that escape the surface & just a touch of roast.

Mexican Cake – Coffee is an interesting name for a beer missing the coffee. Muscular chilis assault the tongue & palate while banishing the balance of the ingredient team to the back benches. Nice dark malts with nearly unheard hints of chocolate, coffee. Nice & thick, but half a bomber is just fine.

Popped at about the same age as my first encounter with the base Mexican Cake, but the chilis are even more aggressive in this thing. Pretty good, but I can see this improving markedly with six to twelve months to allow the heat to wither a bit.

Aug 27, 2020

BBThunderbolt from Kiribati

3.54/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to BrutalFarce for this one, from his ninja box during Rookies BIF #2. 22oz bottle, poured into 12oz goblet. Poured the expected solid black color with 3/4 inch of tan head that had OK retention and lacing.

On top of the base "stout" scent, I picked up a hint of cinnamon, light licorice, just a teensy bit of coffee, some light chocolate (maybe from the malts?), and a couple notes I couldn't quite put my finger on. A busy olfactory experience indeed. All of the above applies to the flavor profile, with the addition of a hint of spicy pepperness.

The body was a bit thinner than I look for in the style, but was very smooth, and had, a bit surprisingly for all that was going on, a semi-sweet finish. Drinkability was very nice, it was the rare big stout that I would have drank a whole 22 of by myself. Overall, a very nice brew, would I would happily drink again. A must-try if you get the chance.

Nov 03, 2018

rudzud from Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Shared with JLindros.

A - Poured into a Kate the Great tulip a nice dark black hue with a thin mocha head that fades to leave light wisps and a thin halo.

S - Aromas of decent amount of cinnamon and spice, nice pepper heat, chocolate, vanilla. The coffee is a bit subtle.

T - Taste is similar to the nose with nice heat, great cinnamon, solid vanilla and light coffee. The coffee is fruity as well which was unexpected.

M - Mouthfeel is lightly carbonated, creamy, alcohol hidden nicely.

O - Overall this was a rather solid imperial stout. I don't think this is better than regular Mexican cake, but, it's solid beer.

Serving Type: bottle

Aug 06, 2018

jlindros from Massachusetts

4.39/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Another big thanks to rudzud, bottled 5/25/18
Pours a large dark foamy creamy thick pillowy head that fades slowly, nice sticky lacing, pitch black beer.

Nose is awesome, plenty of pepper, a bit spicy, then dark chocolate mocha, a touch roasty and big coffee and cinnamon, mild roasted coffee, nice spices, plenty of cinnamon dust and spices, doughy cake and donut like, sweet candy like notes too, big caramel

Taste brings sweet candy malt and caramel, candy like, big cinnamon and decent spices, baked cake and doughy cake batter, a little spice cake, cinnamon topping on coffee cake, decent roast, mild roast with a little coffee, touch spicy between peppers and cinnamon, some dark chocolate cocoa and a little fudge, touch of warming alcohol and pepper flavor late, fair bitterness later, finishes a little dry but sticky sweet and big bitterness and a bit of pepper

Mouth is fuller bod, spicy pepper and cinnamon, decent fluffy carb, bit of alcohol.

Overall pretty good, nice spice and cinnamon, nice cocoa and base beer, decent coffee, etc, very enjoyable

Aug 06, 2018

brentk56 from North Carolina

4.37/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: Pours jet black with a two-finger tan head that has great retention and leaves strands of lacing behind

Smell: Mocha aroma, with notes of dark chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg and a hint of vanilla

Taste: Mocha and chocolate forward, with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla developing; after the swallow, coffee tones emerge and, finally, the hot pepper brings some heat to the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with low to moderate carbonation; the heat lingers quite a while

Overall: A lot going on here beyond the base version; very enjoyable

Jul 11, 2018

Vidblain from Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I was quite surprised by how little of the spice of Mexican Cake has survived in Coffee Cake - the overriding adjunct is very much so the coffee.

But then, in the very last tiny pour from the bottle, there's a whoooooole lot of savory heat and spice.

My pour, however, was quite sedate with just a bit of spicy edge and lots of rich, acidic coffee. It's certainly no dessert stout, and definitely not on a level with bourbon barrel-aged Mexican cake - but this is a very worthy bottle with a lot going for it.

Apr 08, 2018

Rristow from Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tasted from bottle. Pours Black with dark brown head. Aroma of coffee, cocoa, chilies. Flavors up front of cinnamon, coffee, chocolate, caramel. Finishes with a nice pepper burn. Very well done beer. Would love to have the BA version.

Mar 20, 2018

superspak from Ohio

4.47/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bottle into snifter, bottled on 6/7/2017. Pours dense pitch black color with a 1 finger dense dark brown bread with good retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings on the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, nutty coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, cinnamon, chili pepper, fudge, marshmallow, and toasted dark/brown bread; with light notes of molasses, raisin, plum, fig, cherry, smoke, char, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness. Incredible aromas with fantastic complexity and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, cocoa, and spice notes; with great strength. Taste of huge milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, nutty coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, cinnamon, chili pepper, fudge, marshmallow, and toasted dark/brown bread; with light notes of molasses, raisin, plum, fig, cherry, smoke, char, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness. Light roast/char bitterness and cinnamon/pepper spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, nutty coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, cream, cinnamon, chili pepper, fudge, marshmallow, toasted dark/brown bread, molasses, dark fruit, light smoke/char, herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, cocoa, and spice flavors; with an amazing roasted bitter/sweet and spice balance; with zero acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from roast bitterness and cinnamon/pepper spiciness. Light-medium carbonation and full body; with a very smooth, creamy, silky, and velvety mouthfeel that is fantastic. Light chalky roast and spice stickiness. Minimal warming alcohol for 10.5%, with slightly increasing pepper heat after the finish. Overall this is an insane spiced coffee imperial stout! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, cocoa, and spice flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the big ABV. One par with the best Mexican stouts out there. Very rich and complex, but never cloying; with perfectly balanced stout/spice flavors. Great pepper flavor with minimal associated heat. A highly amazing offering.

Nov 24, 2017

pmarlowe from Virginia

4.64/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2017 vintage.

A: Pours black with a thin cap of medium brown head that fizzles out to a ring immediately.

S: Dark coffee and a lot of cinnamon (but not too much), rich dark chocolate and vanilla, light roast, and a little sweetish pepper.

T: Dark chocolate and cinnamon, followed up by a bit of black coffee, earthy vanilla and a tinge of roast, very mild heat provides some nice complexity without asserting itself too much. Fairly dry, actually, though a mild sweetness supports the flavors nicely. Nice balance and complexity.

M: Medium-full body and medium carbonation, sharp enough to cut through some of the heft.

O: Really tasty and well executed adjunct stout. Flavors are almost perfectly balanced. Coffee is lighter than expected given this is a coffee stout.

Sep 29, 2017

wulfie85 from California

4.29/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The only way to make Mexican Cake better is to add coffee. The cinnamon, habanero, and other flavors pair so well with the coffee and the mouthfeel is great

Sep 03, 2017

YodersBeerEmporium from Iowa

4.4/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed the most recent batch with a few friends at a bachelor party share. Solid variation of Mexican cake which I love. Could be a little thicker but overall solid!

Aug 20, 2017

IckyT2012 from Florida

4.49/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2017 release. This was better than the base cake, but not by much. For something much harder to come by and branded as the coffee version, I expected a much stronger coffee presence, but its actually quite subtle. Good try if you can get it, but regular cake will work just fine if you can't.

Jul 05, 2017

fireazzi from Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

very unique variant, coffee cake name makes sense
look is very dark brown, nice body
smell is vanilla and lots of cinnamon
taste is coffee cake stout nice cinnamon
feel nice thickness and cinnamon lasts

May 02, 2017

ragnar3 from Iowa

4.25/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2016 vintage, poured into a taster. Solid but unspectacular, was blown away by Coffee Abraxas on a side-by-side. Drank approximately six months after bottling, would like to revisit super fresh.

May 01, 2017

Slack from Virginia

4.48/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

5/27/16
22 oz
$?

Deep brown to black with a brown colored head that slowly settles to just a nice ring. A minor bit of lacing.

Nose is coffee, booze, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Taste is similar to the nose with a mix of malt, coffee, chocolate, minor cinnamon, minor hot peppers, minor nutmeg, mine Vanilla, and booze.

Mouth is medium, creamy, and nicely bodied. Carbonation is average to slightly above average. Finish is semi dry.

The coffee cake variety is awesome. Would love to see this in a bourbon barrel. Definitely seek this out.

Feb 20, 2017

jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A - Dark black with a thin toffee colored lacing ring.

S - Coffee, dark chocolate, some spicy cinnamon heat, sticky on the sides of the glass, and lots of legs.

T - Dark chocolate roast, chocolate coffee, cinnamon spicy heat and pepper warmth.

M - Medium body and silky in texture.

O - An overall fantastic beer.

Dec 15, 2016

Lochnessmonster from Florida

4.67/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Well this was a nice surprise at a recent bottle share. A fantastic variant on their already delicious Mexican Cake. The only probably is trying to decide if I like this better, or the base...it's close, but honestly I think I prefer the regular Mexican Cake. It's already just about perfect.

Nov 25, 2016

cvm4 from Mississippi

4.42/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2016 vintage

L - Has the normal thick black poor with a one finger espresso colored head. Swirl around the glass and it's leaves oily legs. Definitely an awesome look to it.

S - Cinnamon and peppers with coffee grounds at the back of the smell. Definitely an enticing aroma that brings a new flavor forward with each smell.

T - Cinnamon, vanilla and coffee at first, midway the peppers hit then the coffee along with cocoa nibs come out at the ending.

F - A little bit under medium bodied and low carbonation. A smooth body with well hidden abv.

O - The coffee just adds another layer of depth to an already great beer. Did not disappoint!

Sep 16, 2016

avalon07 from South Carolina

4.62/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

L: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a black color and a thick consistency. There was a small amount of tan-colored, foamy head that quickly dissipated. Not a whole lot of lacing.

S: A big, enticing aroma of coffee, spices, and a lot of chocolate.

T: Tasted of a bit of dark chocolate, cinnamon, habanero peppers, a little nutmeg, coffee (less than you would have expected), vanilla, and some roasted malt. Basically the flavor is Mexican Cake with coffee, but even more dynamic. Incredibly complex and flavorful.

F: A fair amount of carbonation with an extremely smooth finish. Full-bodied.

O: Mexican Coffee Cake is an excellent stout that's incredibly easy to drink. Well made and drinkable.

Jul 28, 2016

HopBomb515 from New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pitch black and viscous with a small dark tan head and nice lace. Big aromas on this. Notes of huge coffee, cinnamon, vanilla, slight pepper heat, toffee, lightly burnt sugar and malt. Thick, creamy and slightly dry but coating. Fantastic stout that lives up to the hype for me.

Jul 25, 2016

Huhzubendah from District of Columbia

4.27/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Thanks Matthew!

Near black body with a small, beige collar. Coffee dominates the aroma. While the scent is certainly pleasant and alluring, I feel that the more subtle aspects of what Mexican Cake has to offer are buried under the dominant coffee character. This holds true for the flavor profile as well. Still, a tasty beverage, though I prefer the standard version.

Jun 27, 2016