Zellige Moroccan Coffee Stout
4 Hands Brewing Co.

 

Very nice spiced stout. Opens with traditional chocolate coffee stout characteristics, but very quickly transitions with ginger, allspice, and a tiny bit of heat all taking the baton. Nice full body for this ABV range. Like the ginger and spice coating the palette and hanging on. 4 Hands always solid, love the Moroccan coffee theme on this one.

 

 

 

Many thanks to Harrison8 for this can.

A - Pitch black pour with toffee colored lacing.

S - Coffee bean, anise, ginger, and strong cinnamon on the nose.

T - Dark chocolate and coffee roast, cinnamon, ginger (with some lime), and lingering chocolate roast sweetness and mild coffee bitterness. Citrus, clove, allspice, lemon, and lingering chocolate, ginger, and cardamon.

M - Big medium body with some thinness around the edges.

O - This is a solid Stout.

 

 

 

 

 

Large initial beige head, eventually it settles to a thin film of minute bubbles. Moderate blanketing lace. The color is very black, but light does pass through the edge.

Very spicy aroma of lavender, black pepper, and ginger. In the background, I also get some cinnamon, nutmeg, and (perhaps) lemon. Lavender is the strongest piece.

The flavor is similar to the smell except with a very strong coffee presence. This is very interesting and very different. It works. Think coffee-lavender on the tongue. It's dry and for a stout, relatively rich. The effervescence is low. The aftertaste is complex. The finish is similar to a flavored coffee. Again, the lavender is the strongest element to me.

 

This was a fun one. In 2018 you don't encounter a lot of regular american stouts, let alone one that is not aged in some sort of barrel. And yet Zellige has a fascinating depth of creamy sweet flavors to accent the powerful tones of spice. Bold and has a clear vision of what it is meant to be, this beer reminds me of simpler times while rewarding the drinker with modern flavors.

 

 

 

I loved the over the top spiciness! I need to take some home.

 

Honestly, this is one of the worst beers I've ever had. The ginger is overwhelming and the spices are just kind of mucked together for this rancid sour bomb on your pallet. It's truly - just gross. And one of the few beers I've ever been unable to finish. I love 4 Hands, but this was a sour (literally) disappointment.