Too Much Coffee Man | Gigantic Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Gigantic Brewing Company
Oregon, United States
giganticbrewing.com
Style: Belgian Saison
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 8.00%
Availability: Limited (brewed once)
Notes / Commercial Description:
None provided.
This beer is retired; no longer brewed.
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Reviews: 12
| Ratings: 89
3.92/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Unique bottle label data: none noted
Dark, opaque brown body with a one-finger thick, creamy, light tan head. Aroma combines elements of cocoa and coffee grounds.with deeply roasted grains; mocha. The flavors reflect the smell with some additional hop and coffee bitterness; mild astringency. Medium body; slightly sweet finish yet with a dry edge.
This beer could easily pass for a coffee stout. It presents many of the same elements across the beer sensory spectrum. At first, I thought it was rather weak and muddled, but the more I sipped, the more its depth and complexity opened up. The grains and coffee reign supreme and the alcohol remains well-hidden in the background. Well-balanced and delicious.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Unique bottle label data: none noted
Dark, opaque brown body with a one-finger thick, creamy, light tan head. Aroma combines elements of cocoa and coffee grounds.with deeply roasted grains; mocha. The flavors reflect the smell with some additional hop and coffee bitterness; mild astringency. Medium body; slightly sweet finish yet with a dry edge.
This beer could easily pass for a coffee stout. It presents many of the same elements across the beer sensory spectrum. At first, I thought it was rather weak and muddled, but the more I sipped, the more its depth and complexity opened up. The grains and coffee reign supreme and the alcohol remains well-hidden in the background. Well-balanced and delicious.
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3.5/5 rDev -6.9%
This one didn't work for me. Too much coffee. Smells like coffee and the flavor is dominated by that. The back end with the black ale added a weirdness to it. Overall was not a fan.
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This one didn't work for me. Too much coffee. Smells like coffee and the flavor is dominated by that. The back end with the black ale added a weirdness to it. Overall was not a fan.
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3.9/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Undated bomber at 40 degrees into imperial pint glass
Aroma of coffee
Head small (1 cm), light brown, frothy, rapidly diminishing to 2 mm ring and broken layer
Lacing poor – rare small island of tiny bubbles
Body dark brown/black, opaque
Flavor coffee, coffee, coffee; no yeast phenolics, no hops, no malt, no alcohol, no diacetyl
Palate light to medium, watery, soft carbonation
Appearance 3.5, Aroma 4, Flavor 4, Palate 3.75, Overall 3.8125
Can’t tell that this is an ale – tastes like iced coffee. That’s OK in itself but why should I drink a beer I can’t taste when I can buy an iced coffee at Micky D. and add some vodka or absolute alcohol to get the same flavor?
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look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Undated bomber at 40 degrees into imperial pint glass
Aroma of coffee
Head small (1 cm), light brown, frothy, rapidly diminishing to 2 mm ring and broken layer
Lacing poor – rare small island of tiny bubbles
Body dark brown/black, opaque
Flavor coffee, coffee, coffee; no yeast phenolics, no hops, no malt, no alcohol, no diacetyl
Palate light to medium, watery, soft carbonation
Appearance 3.5, Aroma 4, Flavor 4, Palate 3.75, Overall 3.8125
Can’t tell that this is an ale – tastes like iced coffee. That’s OK in itself but why should I drink a beer I can’t taste when I can buy an iced coffee at Micky D. and add some vodka or absolute alcohol to get the same flavor?
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3.18/5 rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
this one is a mix of styles that never really gels or gets resolved, and the overall beer here is not all the way appealing. medium dark brown with a short tan head, the nose here is bitter leftover drip coffee and a funny saison yeast thats fruity esters are not congruent with the intese earthiness of the java. the flavor is mostly coffee up front, with a really thin wheat malt base that carries a little bitterness of its own. i just dont think the yeast here works with the coffee, not that it couldnt, but ive never had a coffee saison before that was too good. the body seems a little thin, and while its not funky, there is a real tickly spice to the yeast too, which again, is strikingly out of place with the bitterness of the coffee. i guess i like it because its different, but i would never buy this one.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
this one is a mix of styles that never really gels or gets resolved, and the overall beer here is not all the way appealing. medium dark brown with a short tan head, the nose here is bitter leftover drip coffee and a funny saison yeast thats fruity esters are not congruent with the intese earthiness of the java. the flavor is mostly coffee up front, with a really thin wheat malt base that carries a little bitterness of its own. i just dont think the yeast here works with the coffee, not that it couldnt, but ive never had a coffee saison before that was too good. the body seems a little thin, and while its not funky, there is a real tickly spice to the yeast too, which again, is strikingly out of place with the bitterness of the coffee. i guess i like it because its different, but i would never buy this one.
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3.87/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Reviewed from notes. Twenty-two ounce bottle.
A: Pours black with dark brown and reddish highlights under a 1/4" mocha head which fades to the rim and leaves spots of lace.
N: Roasted fresh-pressed coffee, nutty, fruity, vanilla notes.
T: Grainy, faint Saison yeast, mellow coffee with a slight roast.
M: Semi-full body and semi-medium carbonation. Roast coffee finish.
O: Not a lot of farmhouse since the coffee overpowers the yeast. Enjoyed.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Reviewed from notes. Twenty-two ounce bottle.
A: Pours black with dark brown and reddish highlights under a 1/4" mocha head which fades to the rim and leaves spots of lace.
N: Roasted fresh-pressed coffee, nutty, fruity, vanilla notes.
T: Grainy, faint Saison yeast, mellow coffee with a slight roast.
M: Semi-full body and semi-medium carbonation. Roast coffee finish.
O: Not a lot of farmhouse since the coffee overpowers the yeast. Enjoyed.
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3.49/5 rDev -7.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Skuter for sharing this one at his tasting.
Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, char, cocoa, earth, and coffee ground aromas. Taste is much the same with burnt cocoa and coffee flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of roast bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with an interesting base beer to go along with the coffee addition.
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look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Thanks to Skuter for sharing this one at his tasting.
Pours an opaque black with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace slowly drip into the remaining beer on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, char, cocoa, earth, and coffee ground aromas. Taste is much the same with burnt cocoa and coffee flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of roast bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer with an interesting base beer to go along with the coffee addition.
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3.9/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
22oz bottle. Crazy, dancing and buzzed in two different ways, er, 'coffee cup dude' amusingly depicted on the label, and I just got the meaning of the lack of a comma in the name.
This beer pours a solid black, with some loose basal cola highlights, and one finger of bubbly, weakly foamy, and kind of soapy beige head, which leaves a few minor instances of coral reef lace around the glass as it gently subsides.
It smells of bitter, medium roast coffee, a weirdly distinct further gritty char, caramel and grainy wheat malt, subtle earthy yeast, baker's chocolate, and mild bruised banana. The taste is more well-creamed coffee, bittersweet cocoa, mixed-up caramel and wheat malt, banana pudding cups, ethereally peppery yeast, a tame oily nuttiness, and the barest hint of cold, steely alcohol, er, warming?
The bubbles are more or less easygoing in their no-nonsense frothiness, the body a sturdy medium weight, generally smooth, with a burgeoning creaminess as it warms. It finishes on the sweet side, the creamy nature of the coffee colliding with the unfortunately underappreciated maltiness, and the other lesser players still just that.
An interesting take on more than a few base styles, and what mashing them together might look like. I'm getting much more of a coffee porter, with a bit of Belgian yeast tossed in for shits and giggles, than what I imagine a 'Coffee Imperial Black Saison' to be. At any rate, this is tasty enough, the coffee and chocolate character much more prominent than anything from the confounding complexity of the saison world.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
22oz bottle. Crazy, dancing and buzzed in two different ways, er, 'coffee cup dude' amusingly depicted on the label, and I just got the meaning of the lack of a comma in the name.
This beer pours a solid black, with some loose basal cola highlights, and one finger of bubbly, weakly foamy, and kind of soapy beige head, which leaves a few minor instances of coral reef lace around the glass as it gently subsides.
It smells of bitter, medium roast coffee, a weirdly distinct further gritty char, caramel and grainy wheat malt, subtle earthy yeast, baker's chocolate, and mild bruised banana. The taste is more well-creamed coffee, bittersweet cocoa, mixed-up caramel and wheat malt, banana pudding cups, ethereally peppery yeast, a tame oily nuttiness, and the barest hint of cold, steely alcohol, er, warming?
The bubbles are more or less easygoing in their no-nonsense frothiness, the body a sturdy medium weight, generally smooth, with a burgeoning creaminess as it warms. It finishes on the sweet side, the creamy nature of the coffee colliding with the unfortunately underappreciated maltiness, and the other lesser players still just that.
An interesting take on more than a few base styles, and what mashing them together might look like. I'm getting much more of a coffee porter, with a bit of Belgian yeast tossed in for shits and giggles, than what I imagine a 'Coffee Imperial Black Saison' to be. At any rate, this is tasty enough, the coffee and chocolate character much more prominent than anything from the confounding complexity of the saison world.
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4.09/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very dark and thick pour. Almost black, just some shades of brown at the edges. The head holds the beer from a higher score. Brown bubbles form, but there's no retention whatsoever. Each movement of the glass brings about more bubbles, but again, they're immediately gone.
I like the scent of dark malts, chocolate, and coffee. Very malty with the hops completely muted.
For someone who doesn't drink coffee, I still love the taste of it in a dark beer. This is no exception. Smokey, bittersweet chocolatey, coffee.
A split second of sweet followed by smoke and bittersweet before giving way to bitter. Caramels malts do their best to provide sweet to temper the bitter, but the bitter overwhelms for a pleasing mostly bitter finish. Medium bodied and bittersweet defined in liquid form.
Overall, this is a really good beer. You can really taste the coffee. The ABV is high enough to let you know it's a beer but subtle enough that you can enjoy it.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very dark and thick pour. Almost black, just some shades of brown at the edges. The head holds the beer from a higher score. Brown bubbles form, but there's no retention whatsoever. Each movement of the glass brings about more bubbles, but again, they're immediately gone.
I like the scent of dark malts, chocolate, and coffee. Very malty with the hops completely muted.
For someone who doesn't drink coffee, I still love the taste of it in a dark beer. This is no exception. Smokey, bittersweet chocolatey, coffee.
A split second of sweet followed by smoke and bittersweet before giving way to bitter. Caramels malts do their best to provide sweet to temper the bitter, but the bitter overwhelms for a pleasing mostly bitter finish. Medium bodied and bittersweet defined in liquid form.
Overall, this is a really good beer. You can really taste the coffee. The ABV is high enough to let you know it's a beer but subtle enough that you can enjoy it.
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3.87/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottle opened on 4.16.14
A - Pours a dark brown with a small light tan head that fades to the edges slowly.
S - Lots of coffee and roasted malts.
T - Nice coffee and a sweet malt finish. Solid, with a nice after taste.
D - Good carbonation with a medium to light body.
O - Coffee saison and it works for me. Enought sweetness to balance the coffee.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bottle opened on 4.16.14
A - Pours a dark brown with a small light tan head that fades to the edges slowly.
S - Lots of coffee and roasted malts.
T - Nice coffee and a sweet malt finish. Solid, with a nice after taste.
D - Good carbonation with a medium to light body.
O - Coffee saison and it works for me. Enought sweetness to balance the coffee.
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3.78/5 rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle. Pours pours dark brown with a medium creamy tan head that goes to a thin film that leaves some lacing.
The aroma is roast coffee, with some sweet chocolate with a little underlying Belgian yeast.
The flavor is sweet malts, Belgian yeast, chocolate and roast coffee. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation.
Overall, interesting - tastes like a dark Belgian strong ale with coffee and chocolate.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
22 oz bottle. Pours pours dark brown with a medium creamy tan head that goes to a thin film that leaves some lacing.
The aroma is roast coffee, with some sweet chocolate with a little underlying Belgian yeast.
The flavor is sweet malts, Belgian yeast, chocolate and roast coffee. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with low carbonation.
Overall, interesting - tastes like a dark Belgian strong ale with coffee and chocolate.
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3.85/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
Very dark oily black with brown hue. light brown head which is very thin, almost non existent, dissipated into a tiny ring but does not stick to the glass. Smells like hazelnut. Tastes like coffee, hazelnut with an after taste that reminds me of unsweetened almond milk. Will probably buy this again before it's not on the shelves anymore.
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look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75
Very dark oily black with brown hue. light brown head which is very thin, almost non existent, dissipated into a tiny ring but does not stick to the glass. Smells like hazelnut. Tastes like coffee, hazelnut with an after taste that reminds me of unsweetened almond milk. Will probably buy this again before it's not on the shelves anymore.
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3.96/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured into a Dogfish Head pint glass. Pours a very dark mahogany brown with little light transmission. Thick light brown head dissipates to a thin film and ring around the glass. Aroma of sweet dark malt with light toastiness, espresso coffee, cocoa. Flavor is coffee forward, lightly sweet, nuts, dark malt and a light grassy hops finish. The Belgian and/or saison yeasts are not detectable through the coffee and nut flavors. Medium bodied with mild creaminess. A very nicely balanced coffee ale; the yeast and malt are completely subsumed into the sweet coffee drink flavors, but support them well and all the flavors play well with each other. More and more coffee ales are showing up and seem to be getting mastered by breweries. This is a very nice one and distinct, much better than some of the standard lager yeast based ones from few years ago. Gigantic could be on to something with the pairing of this saison yeast and coffee. Quality coffee; I liked this a lot.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured into a Dogfish Head pint glass. Pours a very dark mahogany brown with little light transmission. Thick light brown head dissipates to a thin film and ring around the glass. Aroma of sweet dark malt with light toastiness, espresso coffee, cocoa. Flavor is coffee forward, lightly sweet, nuts, dark malt and a light grassy hops finish. The Belgian and/or saison yeasts are not detectable through the coffee and nut flavors. Medium bodied with mild creaminess. A very nicely balanced coffee ale; the yeast and malt are completely subsumed into the sweet coffee drink flavors, but support them well and all the flavors play well with each other. More and more coffee ales are showing up and seem to be getting mastered by breweries. This is a very nice one and distinct, much better than some of the standard lager yeast based ones from few years ago. Gigantic could be on to something with the pairing of this saison yeast and coffee. Quality coffee; I liked this a lot.
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Too Much Coffee Man from Gigantic Brewing Company
Beer rating:
3.76 out of
5 with
89 ratings
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