Drip Line
Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project

The pour is that of a strong coffee, with a short beige head.
The taste certainly leads with coffee and has the basic qualities of a stout, but seems to fall short in its flavors. Odd, really. Not bad at all, just not awesome.
The feel is light and almost crisp; this could easily be slammed on a hot day and be refreshing.
OA, glad to have tried it, but likely won’t buy more after this 6 pack is done.

Like others who reviewed this beer, I'm underwhelmed, especially given Crooked Stave's track record with me on other beers. This beer isn't in the same class as other coffee stouts, especially Santa Fe Java Stout, which I always pick up on my regular visits to Colorado.

That said, hey, this is a perfectly OK coffee beer. It's got a medium coffee aroma, and pretty good coffee flavor. The body is light, almost thin. It's got quite a bit of carbonation, more than usual for a stout. There's never any info on caffeine level in coffee stouts, but my impression is that this has quite a kick. I didn't sleep so well, after having one of these in the evening.

Notice that I called this a "coffee beer." It's not so much a stout. The underlying beer doesn't have the body or the flavors that I associate with stouts.

I'd be happy to have this again, but probably won't look for it.

12 oz can, dated 11/18/20. Pours dark brown with a medium creamy tan head that quickly goes to a light dusting that leaves some lacing.

The aroma is roasted malt with some chocolate and coffee.

The flavor is acidic heavily roasted malts with some stale coffee notes. Some chocolate comes out as it warms. The mouthfeel is a bit light and watery.

Overall, just OK, I remember a lot more coffee on tap.

A: Pours an opaque yet still clear jet black in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising along the edges of the glass and very faint dark chestnut brown + dark cola brown colored highlights. The beer has a two finger tall dense foamy dark beige head that slowly reduces to a large patch of medium thick film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Slightly stronger than moderate aromas of light roast coffee with moderate amounts of earthiness and a hint of citrus/lemon zest. Underneath that is a moderate aroma of roasted + toasted malts with a very minimal amount of caramel sweetness. Light aromas of grassy + herbal hops.

T: Upfront there are moderate flavors of roasted + toasted malts with a very minimal amount of caramel sweetness. That is followed by slightly stronger than moderate flavors of light roast high quality coffee with moderate amounts of earthiness and a hint of citrus/lemon zest. Finally there are light flavors of grassy + herbal hops which impart a depth to the roasty flavors. Light to moderate amounts of lingering roasty bitterness.

M: Medium bodied with slightly heavier than moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth.

O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol and a lighter mouthfeel. Enjoyable with really excellent coffee flavors and aromas - well balanced and not overly bitter nor sweet. I could very easily have a few of these - reminds me of a cold brew coffee.

Look: very dark brown. Sparse mocha head.
Smell: coffee and roasted malt, pretty thin.
Taste: like the nose. Not bad, but not much happening. Again, not bad, but with all the great stouts available, unlikely I’ll look for this again.

smells of coffee and malt nice american stout - some what on the light side

Poured from a can. Dark in color with a good sized tan head and lacing. Smells of coffee, roasted grain and vanilla. Flavor follows the smell but isn't as present as it should be. I wouldn't turn this down but wouldn't buy it either.

12 fl oz CAN from a sixer:

"Coffee stout brewed with artisan coffee beans." 5.0% ABV. "Huck Huckleberry Roasters."

Served cold into a snifter.

Remarkably thin texturally, which gives it a limp weak feel on the palate despite its apt carbonation.

Coffee flavour is mediocre, tending towards the fruitier lighter roast end of the coffee spectrum; usually, earthier roastier bolder coffees work better in coffee stouts in my experience. I guess based on the buzzwords thrown on the orange neck of the can, they're trying for a "tropical citrus" sort of coffee flavour; well, they failed - but that idea isn't a great one for a coffee stout anyway.

Has the usual dark malt sweetness and some specialty chocolate malt. No roasted barley is present - to its detriment.

A shallow simplistic coffee stout that can't hold a candle to Founder's Breakfast Stout (which is available in the Colorado market this is trying to compete in).

I see no need to buy this ever again, but it's a decent basic no-frills coffee stout. I think we all expect better from Crooked Stave...this tastes like the kind of coffee stout I'd get in a Boston Beer Co. variety box.

Low C / AVERAGE

Enjoyed the nose, but the taste wasn't nearly as dynamic and a bit mute. Also it was too thin for me for a stout. I'd try again if gifted, but won't spend money to purchase.

 

L:. Pours a nice black color with a small tan head and no lacing on the glass.

S:. Roasted malt and earthy coffee, but the aroma is fairly light. I expected a little stronger.

T:. Light coffee, slick roasted malt, a touch of acid, this is really bland taste.

F:. Medium slick body.

O:. This is a very bland coffee stout, the taste leaves a lot to be desired.

12oz can. Poured out an opaque, jet-black color with a small, khaki-colored head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass. It smelled of coffee and roasted malt. Not much else. It tasted of coffee flavor but not really roasted fresh coffee. Some chocolate and toffee, too.

 

 

Pours black with a finger and a half of khaki-caramel foam. Head retention is moderately dense, but bubbles away quickly, leaving behind a ring of khaki-biege foam. Aroma is roasted coffee right at the onset. Coffee is mild in profile, delivering a roasty kiss while remaining well removed from charred. Outside of the coffee is roasty and toasty malts with just a dash of grassy, herbal hops for depth. Focal point is coffee, and good coffee at that. Flavor profile follows along in the same path, although with some notable differences in dynamics. First, the malts hit the tongue first, delivering roasty, toasty and bready malts. Just past the malts is coffee, and while it's smooth and concise - reminiscent of a pour over cup of coffee - it is less pronounced and forward than the coffee that led off the aroma. Toffee and herbal hops come in at the end, leaving a little smoldering malt taste on the tongue. Mouth feel is medium in thickness, with a very middle-of-the-road stout texture. That is to say, not noteworthy for being exceptionally thick, nor does it come across as water or thin, carrying a little more body and presence with each sip than a cup of coffee would otherwise. Overall, comparing this one closely with coffee as that's the namesake. Coffee notes here are great, coming across strong (appropriately so) in the nose, and a little less strong in the flavor profile. It's otherwise a very well balanced stout.

Served in a 15.5oz Speigalau tulip from a 12oz can.