Mocha Machine
Beachwood BBQ & Brewing

RyanK252 from California

4.3/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

Can poured into a Founders Brewing Co snifter

A: Pours nearly black with a frothy tan head that settles to a light layer and laces nicely.

S: Roasty, bold coffee, dark chocolate, char, and a hint of smoke, earthy, spicy herbal notes, faint pine, caramel toffee sweetness, and just a touch of alcohol can poke through as it warms.

T: Roasty goodness, milk and dark chocolate followed by a nice hit of coffee, earthy, a touch of char, spicy, piney, and herbal undertones, caramel, toffee, and almost lactose like sweetness.

M: Full body, mild carbonation, creamy smooth. Damn near perfect.

O: We've seen more Beachwood stuff roll into my area in the last couple years, all delicious, so I've become a big fan of theirs. Been wanting to try this one, hoping it would show up, so when I saw a can in the beer cave at my local shop I snapped it up. Definitely lives up to expectations. There's a little more sweetness in the taste than the nose would let on, but overall it's a really nice chocolate coffee imperial porter.

Jul 22, 2020

BucannonXC5 from California

4.34/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Type: 12-oz. can
Reviewed as: American Porter
Glass: Ball 16-oz. mason jar
Price: $12.39 for a 4-pack
From: Windmill Farms in Del Cerro (San Diego), Calif.
Purchased: Jan. 31, 2020
Consumed: Jan. 31, 2020
Misc.: Canned on Jan. 8, 2020

I’m pretty sure this is the first time I’ve seen this in a can (or a bottle), but went to Windmill Farms looking for a stout or porter and this fit the bill. Had this three times before, giving it a 4.25 on Untappd on Aug. 3, 2016 (“Had high hopes and this delivered. Imperial Chocolate Coffee Porter, but you can take away chocolate and porter. Delicious.”), Oct. 17, 2017 (“Jesus. Solid Air Force. Almost a 4.50.”), and March 8, 2019 (“Always so good. So close to a 4.5. Setting up a court date now.”) Here’s the court date. Beer Advocate description read, “Mocha machine is a well-engineered endeavor in massive aromatics and rich flavors. Brewed with an array of British and German malts, this burly brew is infused with masterfully roasted coffee from Portola Coffee lab in Costa Mesa, CA. It is then aged on cacao nibs from Ecuador, adding an awesomely deep dimension of fudge.”

Poured a pitch black color with one finger of khaki tan frothy-to-fizzy head. Could see some bubble streams creeping up along the sides of the glass. Outstanding spotty lacing. Outstanding retention. (Sight - 4.00)

Smelled mocha, roasted dark coffee malts, cacao, bitter dark chocolate, ashtray, semi-char wood, anise, molasses and cocoa. (Smell - 4.25)

Tasted better than the nose. First thing I thought was that it was so much smoother than the nose. In order got mocha, roasted coffee malts, cacao, ashtray, charwood, anise, molasses, bitter dark chocolate, cocoa powder, baker’s chocolate and roasted barley. Excellent taste and that 9.2 pct. is well hidden. (Taste - 4.50)

Full body. Sticky-to-slick texture. Average carbonation. Long, roasty finish. (Feel - 4.25)

Excellent. Glad I got to have this in cans and got the chance to review it. (Overall - 4.25)

4.34 | 96 | A

Apr 12, 2020

zonker17 from Texas

4.21/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bought bottle 2017. Near black with beige head, light retention, no lacing. Big chocolate, smooth. Roast malt compliments or adds to chocolate character. Body above average, could be a bit bigger. Overall tasty ale.

Jan 25, 2020

johnnyboy76 from Oregon

3.77/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Smelled great. Taste was true to the title, but way too thin. This needs some body. Especially for an imperial. More like the body of a standard porter but more abv. Not impressed

Dec 19, 2019

augustgarage from California

4.42/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Packaged on January 7th, enjoyed on February 2nd - poured from a 12oz can into my Bruery tulip.

Seal brown liquid, nearly opaque, but clear with a faint auburn highlights and a lasting finger of almond stiff peaks, dusted with small pools of deeper tan foam. Rich sudsy lacing, sticky panes of tears, good retention.

Coffee and complex roasted malt appear in equal measure in the nose with a low cocoa note around the edges. A touch of citrus (orange) and strawberry perhaps from the hops emerges as well.

Rich, luxurious palate entry, bittersweet but refined, the chocolate and coffee both very smooth, the latter occasionally bright with a hint of citrus. Deeply malty, slightly grainy, yet clean if not fully attenuated. Lacks the roasted barley or char of many stouts, so this is clearly a big porter. Medium finish, a little sweet but not cloying. Big pleasant flavors abound - although with mild bitterness and barely discernible hop presence.

Chewy, medium-full bodied with a touch of alcohol warmth.

One of the best "breakfast" beers I've had - an excellent value, well worth tracking down.

Feb 02, 2019

RaulMondesi from California

4.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Darker than a Joseph Conrad novel, I’m into this. On the nose is luscious coffee and chocolate like Willy Wonka vacationing in Costa Rica. Then what greets my tongue should almost be illegal; those chocolate and coffee flavors are more robust than A Stormy Daniels interview - it almost makes Raul feel kind of kinky.

Just get this, my children. If you can, get this.

Mar 26, 2018

SoCal_Matt from California

4.41/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

12 oz can poured into a snifter. Pours a beautiful, deep dark brown with two fingers of khaki head. Aroma is dominated by chocolate and coffee that has a hint of spice to it. The taste follows the nose as chocolate and roasted coffee continue to be the main characteristics of the beer. It strikes a good balance of being a little sweet but also bitter at the same time. As with the aroma, the coffee flavor has a bit of spice to it which is something that makes a great coffee stout in my opinion. The feel is average to slightly thin for the style but the carbonation is absolutely perfect. Overall, this is an excellent coffee stout that fans of the style will most certainly enjoy. Beachwood moving this beer from bombers to cans means that I will definitely purchase it more often.

Mar 23, 2018

ArrogantB from Colorado

4/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle dates July of 2017. This held up really well for being six months old. Lots of coffee and chocolate in the flavor. Some coffee in the aroma. Alcohol was well masked. good beer.

Jan 26, 2018

jakecattleco from California

4.34/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle dated 02-15-17 into a tulip glass.

L: Pours jet black with 1 finger of medium density tan head that had good retention and left mixed lacing.

S: Nose starts dominated by chocolate and roasted malt, coffee is subtle initially but grows in intensity as it warms and eventually dominates.

T: Follows nose mostly with strong contribution from the coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, and slight nuttiness take back seat. Finishes with moderate bitterness, lingers a bit on the palate.

F: Medium bodied with lower carbonation, slightly chewy, tongue tingles a bit from slight ABV burn.

O: Very good coffee porter, would love to try again fresh.

Nov 19, 2017

Benish from Wisconsin

4.32/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: beer appeared thin while pouring. In the glass it's black with a beige head.

Aroma: picked up mocha coffee that is nutty with hints of chocolate. Also notes of chocolate peanut butter cup and cola.

Taste: very coffee forward, nutty with notes of caramel. Very sweet throughout, like added coffee creamer plus a little acidity from the coffee. At the finish, the coffee lingers around in the mouth, leaving that roasted character.

Mouthfeel: very silky and creamy. Medium bodied.

Overall: very easy beer to drink with a excellent creamy mouthfeel. Whatever it is they did, the coffee was outstanding.

Sep 13, 2017

jooler from California

4.12/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

look is black
smell is a lot of coffee
taste is loads of coffee with a slight boozy taste. finish is alittle lacking
overall, not bad but i wouldn't drop $14 on a bomber

Jul 19, 2017

darktronica from Indiana

4.22/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Updating with notes from a can dated October 15. Super smooth mouthfeel lives up to the billing promised by the super-fluffy head, quite reminiscent of crema on a freshly-pulled shot of espresso but lighter in color. Rich chocolate and earthy coffee notes make for a decadent combination, but with a short, clean finish. Very well done.

Jul 06, 2017

SawDog505 from New Hampshire

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured near room temperature into a 16 oz Magnify Snulip glass not sure when it was bottled. Pours a very attractive slick black with a massive 3 finger sticky tan head that leaves behind thin wisps of lace, and slowly settles into a thin layer of tan bubbles.

Smell is dry expresso beans, vanilla bean, dark chocolate, molasses, and hints of warming alcohol.

Taste follows roasty expresso, oaked vanilla, deep dark chocolate, pipe tobacco, and little alcohol in the finish.

Mouthfeel is a big medium, moderate carbonation as it should be, a touch dry as it should be, and excellent drinkability for its size.

Overall this is a treat, so tasty, creamy, and drinkable. Thanks @Lingenbrau for this incredible dessert beer.

Jun 05, 2017

SomethingClever from Ohio

3.66/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

22 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Small creamy lightly brown white head. Body us a dark brown almost black body with
light escaping the edges.

S: Coffee hits strong, then some chocolate, and you can lightly pick out some roasted malts.

T: Tons of coffee, chocolate follows closely, a little bit of bitterness from the coffee. Nice chocolate and coffee.

M: Watery body higher carbonation

O: The coffee and chocolate are huge in this beer, but that is about it. I wish this beer had more depth.

May 20, 2017

Treyliff from West Virginia

4.22/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle poured into a snifter

A- pours jet black in color with a creamy dark tan head that has good retention

S- smells of roasted malt and char up front, followed by fresh espresso, dark chocolate, caramel and fig

T- charred smoky malt gives way to earthy/herbal coffee, followed by dark chocolate, molasses and fig. The finish gives more char that leaves more coffee and mocha on the linger

M- medium body with moderate carbonation leads to a creamy mouthfeel that continues into a silky slightly warming finish

O- the coffee and mocha make their presence known throughout, the only complaint is that it was a bit to char-like at times

May 09, 2017

lordofthewiens from New Mexico

4.15/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This beer was black in color with a large dark tan head.
Wonderful aroma of dark and sweet chocolate, as well as coffee.
Dense chocolate taste, a little coffee.
Heavier bodied than I would have expected.
Great beer!

Mar 29, 2017

pants678 from California

3.23/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Black, foam lace.

Coffee, roasted malt.

Bitter coffee toward dark fruit, no sweetness if there is indeed lactose. Needs more chocolate character. Alcohol's hidden, though.

Thin.

Mar 10, 2017

stakem from Pennsylvania

3.72/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Bomber into a tulip appears black in color with a khaki head.

Aroma of raison, chocolate, earth and coffee.

Tastes of chocolate, raison, earthy to char-like bitterness.

Medium in body with modest carbonation, decent.

Feb 15, 2017

KevSal from California

4.04/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Got my hands on some beachwood, love visiting them down south it's nice to see some selections trickle north. been wanting to try this one for a while, has gotten a lot of praise

22 into a perfect stout glass

looks fantastic! huge khaki head! super dark brown to the edges.

nose is also fantastic! coffee and chocolate upfront. not so fudgey as the label states, more toasty chocolate coffee.

flavor is solid. not quite as good as the nose but all the componants are there. coffee comes first than chocolate and roast. nicely done

body is good, on the light side of thick, would do well with a nitro treatment.
good carb and no alch at all

overall this is tasty, comes together well, worth trying once but the high price tag, $13, keeps me from purchasing again. definitly a better than average beer tho. would actually do really well on pepper heat!

Feb 03, 2017

Brolo75 from California

4.49/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 ounce bomber poured into a snifter

A: Pours black with some light coming through around the edges, tan colored head, lots of lacing, head dissipated into a thin soap tan colored head.

A: Big notes of dark freshly roasted espresso, chocolate, roasted malts, very pungent, alcohol is pretty well hidden.

T: Incredibly smooth, like the nose dark roasted espresso notes with a touch of cocoa, moderate amount of coffee bitterness in the middle, finishes incredibly smooth with more coffee and chocolate lingering in the aftertaste.

M: Medium bodied, good amount of carbonation, incredibly smooth and creamy mouthfeel does not drink like a high ABV beer.

O: Very impressed, loads of flavor and aroma, incredibly smooth and creamy mouthfeel, amazing drinkability. If you like coffee and porters/stouts, then this beer is for you. Six-packs please.

Jan 27, 2017

GreesyFizeek from New York

4.14/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Bottle purchased at Beachwood BBQ and Brewing in Long Beach, CA.

This one pours a dark burnt brown, almost black, with a small foamy head, and a bit of lacing.

This smells exactly like you'd expect, with chocolate and coffee being the dominant force.

The chocolate is more dominant, I'd say, with a wonderful sweet fudgy aroma. The coffee is roasty, but not overly so, and adds some more sweetness. There's some slight roasted malt, and a bit of vanilla cream as well.

This is super creamy, and almost feels like cold and thick hot chocolate.

I'd like a bit more complexity in the bitter spectrum, but this is still quite good, and shows how talented the brewers at Beachwood are.

Jan 25, 2017

Jeffo from Netherlands

3.8/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this one from vanlingleipa in a recent swap. Cheers!

From a bomber into a snifter
Porter with Portola coffee and Ecuadorian cacao nibs added

APPEARANCE: Clear light brown pour yields a 2+ finger, medium, creamy looking light tan head with great retention. Clear bistre brown body with minimal carbonation evident. Head slowly fades to a full wisp and clings to the sides of the glass. Splotchy wisp remains leaving some decent lacing down the glass. Good looking porter.

SMELL: Lightly roasted coffee, cacao nibs, light cream and hints of roasted malts on the nose. Bold enough.

TASTE: Some lightly roasted coffee up front with hints of cacao and sweet cream flavors. Some bitter notes at the swallow with a medium but lingering finish of sweet cream, lightly roasted coffee, cacao flavors, chocolate, and some roasted bitterness. Nice stuff and well put together.

PALATE: Medium body and medium levels of carbonation. Creamy enough on the palate, goes down smooth and finishes a touch mouth-coating. Some bitterness lingers.

OVERALL: Solid stuff overall. Some good coffee and cacao character here and the look and feel are worth the price of admission. Not quite as epic as their System of a Stout, but then again, this is a strong porter and not an imperial stout. Nevertheless, this is a top-notch brew with lots of the good stuff. Well worth checking out and I was glad to have had the chance. Thanks again, vanlingleipa!

Jan 08, 2017

rodbeermunch from Nevada

4.48/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Had this for the first time at the Sierra Nevada 1st wet & wild hop festival. It was the best beer at the festival, which I found ironic, being that this isn't exactly a hoppy beer.

Anyways, pours black, standard fare, tan head 2/5" deep. Aroma was massively coffee and chocolate, owes nothing to anyone in that department.

Taste, wow, I kept coming back to this one all day. Luscious, deep baker's chocolate, not sweet, ample coffee, ample body, good heft without getting into the need to be Midwest pours because its so viscous. This is something you can dome to yourself, but you probably shouldn't given its high ABV that you can't tell in the mouth feel.

Would bang this again, and often. Dumb bomber format though.

Dec 12, 2016

Lingenbrau from Oregon

4.66/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

I don't know what you can ask more of from a coffee and chocolate imperial Porter. Awesome deepest color of brown bordering black, slightly opaque with a nice frothy khaki head.

Smells of chocolate and a huge dose of high quality coffee, backed by a sweet and toasty undertones.

Taste follows with a ton of chocolate, but not too sweet, with the coffee playing backup.

The texture us impeccable. Velvety, creamy, smooth and easy to guzzle if you can't control yourself.

Overall, I could drink this all day everyday if I were in the mood, or the weather permitted for porters. Get this if you see it. Cheers!

Dec 12, 2016

billshmeinke from California

4.47/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Impenetrably black, frothy couple fingers of almost mocha head. Lots of lacing left behind with plenty of oily legs. Head lasts and lasts.

Malt chocolate, unsweetened whoppers, grainy bread fragrance, a bit of a charbroiled meat, and freshly ground espresso. Smell is both sweet and savory.

Chocolatey malts and whoopers without the sugar come through with big roasty coffee notes, and hints of caramelized meat. Think cocoa powder and cocoa nibs with just a touch of malted milk added, quite rich and savory actually. Some coffee and vanilla. And finish is slightly acidic and quite roasty.

Somewhat lively carbonation with a creamy medium bodied feel, that ends with a slight smack of acidic bite. Carbonation is fine and smooth, fairly silky.

I'm very happy with this beer, not as sweet as many coffee/chocolate porters (or stouts for that matter). Grill some dark meat with this bad boy. Better yet, do yourself a favor and figure out how to make an espresso rubbed porter house with some oven or pan roasted brussel sprouts, and maybe some mashed potatoes. This beer will absolutely crush it with roasted or grilled meats. Also would work as a desert beer or with pungent blue cheese. One of the better porters out there for sure.

Dec 04, 2016