Abraxas - Coffee
Perennial Artisan Ales

 

L - Black with mahogany highlights with a creamy tan head that dissipates somewhat slowly with no real lacing
S - milk chocolate, sweet chilies, roasted coffee, dark fruit
T - milk chocolate, roasted coffee, and chilies intermixed and throughout with caramel and dark fruit on the backend. Some cinnamon in there as well.
F - full bodied with light to moderate carbonation. Soft.
O - a pretty solid variant to a great stout

 

 

10.5% 2025 bottle

Pours a pure black liquid with a large, fluffy mocha head. The retention is almost eternal, leaving some splotchy lacing around the glass. The head settles into a creamy blanket.

Aroma has strong notes of chocolate, cinnamon, and chili peppers. Very spicy upfront. Some lighter notes of french vanilla ice cream and roasted coffee. Faintly nutty throughout.

The flavor is pure decadence in a glass, but the roasted coffee keeps the dessert sweetness in check. Lots of chocolate and vanilla swirl ice cream, with light notes of cinnamon spice. The chili peppers hide in the back but come out a bit as the beer warms. Wish there was a bit more spicy character from the peppers but otherwise this is a very nice, well balanced pastry stout.

Full-bodied with lower carbonation. Pillowy soft and creamy, almost chewy. Alcohol is present but only just.

While my 2025 bottle of OG Abraxas was a potentially oxidized disappointment, this version is just about everything I look for in a big stout. It's not overly sweet like a lot of stouts these days are, and you get a nice showcase of every adjunct the brewer uses without anything sticking out like a sore thumb. Excellent beer all-around.

Pours deep dark coffee with faint khaki brown crown that sticks to tulip glass on draught at Churchkey DC (amazing craft ale pub that has some of the best craft brews on draft.).

This stout is pure LOVE in craft art brew with silky smooth notes of sweet coffee, chocolate and vanilla with ancho chili and cinnamon finishing notes. Served cool (not cold) which highlighted the soft flavor and warming effect of a top craft stout on a cold DC day. Amazing!

Drank from a 750ml 1pt 9.4fl oz bottle purchased on Tavour
2024 vintage
Served in a tulip

The beer poured an oily and dense, total pitch black and was topped by a thin, bubbly, caramel colored film. Some spotty droplets of lacing trickled down the sides of the glass.

The aroma was interesting but more subtle initially than I anticipated. Spice notes came through strongest. Cinnamon was most apparent. Ancho chili was noticeable as well. Touch of smokiness. Good dose of light cocoa powder too. Roasty coffee notes were also detectable, but the coffee was less punchy than I expected. Fresh vanilla bean emerged as the beer warmed. Sweet, boozy notes were also apparent. Later, the cinnamon, ancho chili and cocoa notes intensified.

The flavor profile was similar to the nose but slightly more roast forward. Malty and robust up front. Roasted malts came through strongest. Bit of sweet caramel malt character as well. Big roasty coffee notes appeared as the beer moved along the palate. Hint of creamy lactose and vanilla too. A spice presence was also noticeable here, but it was slightly more subtle than in the nose. Cinnamon and ancho chili specifically. Boozy notes and some alcohol heat came through on the back end and carried into the finish. More lingering roasted malt character and smoke after the swallow.

The mouthfeel was medium-full bodied. A touch thinner than I anticipated but also super creamy, slick and smooth. The liquid contained a finer beard, zippy effervescence that fluffed up really nicely on the palate.

The coffee adds a nice element to this Mexican chocolate inspired favorite from Perennial, and the ancho chili was perfectly understated. Compared to many of the behemoth stouts out there today, this 11.5% ABV example was surprisingly easy to put down.

 

750 ml bottle, 2024 vintage, label says 10.5% ABV. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head that stuck around for a pretty long time. Good amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like coffee, chili peppers, vanilla, roasted malt, cinnamon and some chocolate. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some dark bready and burnt/charred malt flavors. All the flavors are noticeable, but I do think the coffee stands out compared to the others. Mouthfeel/body is full, it's smooth, creamy and has a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a pretty good overall brew but recommend it more to people who like coffee beers. Definitely worth trying if you get the chance!

Jet black, with a small tan head. A clear smell of coffee that isn’t overpowering like some coffee stouts, a smoooooth taste of coffee and chocolate, and a hint of chile at the end. So well balanced and easy to drink. And even though the coffee isn’t strong, it does something to the flavor that makes me enjoy this just a bit more than the original Abraxas.

Pretty smooth. Coffee is not bitter. Still has all the regular abraxas characteristics, particularly the spiciness. ABV is well hidden. This was nice

12oz draft pour at BeerShop Oak Park, poured into a 12oz tumbler glass. Enjoyed on 06.21.2025, reviewed from Tasting Journal.

The beer pours a nice jet black color, thick and viscous, thin khaki ahead, minimal retention and lacing. The aroma is very pleasant, rich chocolate, chili pepper, light smoke, rich roasted coffee, toasted dark breads, lingering vanilla. The flavors are great, warm boozy Mexican hot chocolate, rich, spicy pepper that offers some great earthiness without being vegetal, dry cinnamon, chocolate, light roasted coffee, acidic and fruity with lingering vanilla. The mouthfeel is great, coating and lively medium body, smooth and soft finish, a little weak.

Verdict: A very nice adjunct stout and a fun twist on Abraxas. The coffee plays very well with the chili pepper and the beer is very balanced, works nicely.

Pretty good, especially when served closer to fridge temp. The coffee, though, doesn't really add much to the base beer, other than cutting through the sweetness somewhat

83/100

 

2024

Appearance: Pours pitch black with a 1/4 inch mocha head that slowly fades away; webby lacing

Smell: The coffee aromatics remain strong one year in, with dark chocolate, with fruity Ancho chile, vanilla and cinnamon tones

Taste: The Ancho chile and coffee are right out front on the flavor parade, bringing complexity rather than heat; the rest of the flavors unfold with the swallow - chocolate and cinnamon; the vanilla asserts in the finish

Mouthfeel: Full bodied with low to moderate carbonation; with 10.5% ABV, the alcohol is not that present

Overall: An interesting use of coffee and the "Mexican spice" elements

2024 release. Poured at 66° into a tumbler. It is nearly ink black and it sports a big, fluffy, light mocha-colored head and thick lacing. There is less coffee on the nose than expected. The primary smells are dark chocolate, burnt nuts, earthy char, and a whiff of tobacco smoke. But its taste leads with strong, acidic coffee and semi-sweet chocolate. I'm also tasting vanilla bean, cinnamon, and a nice hint of chili pepper. The latter is delicate and not distracting - perhaps due to the bottle being over a year old. It is more spicy than bitter and there is a solid, earthy base. The flavors blend very nicely. This Stout has a creamy, viscous feel with low carbonation, and the 11.5% ABV is hardly noticeable. Overall, this is a fine variant of Abraxis. I'm glad Perennial handled the chili peppers with care.