Cafe Ole Espresso Porter
Due South Brewing Co.

Poured from a 12 oz can, it is what I would call a chestnut/ruby brown. It has a definite red tint to it that is very bright when you hold it up to the light. Opaque with a fairly frothy head that turns into a small ring.

Smells of expresso, vanilla, and oatmeal.

Taste very similar to a Founders Breakfast Stout in regard to the base. Significant roasted oats. The coffee is definitely the expresso type. Sweeter, smoother, and more subtle. The vanilla is good, but is almost too sweet.

I usually expect porters to be a little thinner on the body, but I think this one could be a little thicker even being a lower abv. Just as big of a knock for me in this department is the carbonation. It seems high. Gives it a crisp, sparling feel.

Overall, smells and tastes very good. The sweetness could be more balanced. Could use some work on the body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

L: Initial pour is a thick opaque earth brown, with a nice 1.5" head attenuation that is a copper beige. Decent amount of lacing.
S: the coffee notes are light, I can tell that the beans that were used have been roasted long before being put into fermentation, as well as being a blended bean batch. The subtle roasted richness from the malt of the style comes forth, accommodating burnt chocolate, hints of chickory, with just the slightest amount of ash at the end.
T: You can really get the sense of the espresso, but its not a robust acidic espresso as you would expect, but more of a light and blended with no real specific coffee notes escaping just straight forward.
F: lighter than I was expecting, which is a nice break from the recent surge of heavy american porters. Not very chewy,
O: Overall, its enjoyable, its straight forward with no real specific coffee notes lingering out. This specific style is nice refresher from the heavy amounts of big coffee beers coming in.

 

12can->DuvelGlass

Every aspect of this beer reminds me of my grandparent's coffee maker, and more-specifically the sludgey dregs at the bottom. It's black in color and smells and tastes like wet grounds. Searching for the beer you'll find oats and grain, but only sparingly.

 

 

 

12oz can, served in a snifter glass.

Pours a dark cola brown. Not black. Two finger thick offwhite head, a bit long in terms of retention, fair bit of lacing. Not black, definitely coffee brown. Smells of spicy espresso, touch of grainy roast, a little bit of dark chocolate, not too much else. Flavour is a slightly metallic, bitter espresso, not much of the base porter is still around. It mostly comes across in the aftertaste as a mild dark chocolate presence. Mouthfeel is thin, certainly not very substantial, a bit overcarbonated, not terrible with a slightly spicy and bitter finish.