Coconut Strut
Crux Fermentation Project

Canned on: 12-30-24
Many thx to muchloveforhops3 for this can!

A - Pours a pitch black with a light, cream Carmel colored lacing ring and some viscosity on the sides of the glass.

S - Chocolate char, baked chocolate, and light coconut.

T - Light Chocolate brownie, delicate char, some delicate cream, coconut, and lingering chocolate char on the back side.

M - Medium body with gentle carbonation and a tad thin around the edges. Leaves a slight "gravel" feel on the top of the tongue with some chocolate sweetness around the tongue.

O - Very easy drinking.

Pours an effervescent mahogany with a thumb+ of tight mocha colored head. Below average head retention & lacing

S: Iron, cocoa, toasted coconut, some vanilla cola

T: Follows the nose. toasty, dry, a hint of vanilla & molasses up front. More toasted coconut & dryness, a little woody & leafy hop, and a touch of toffee as this beer warms up. Finishes dry, toasty with plenty of coconut, plus some woody hops

MF: Medium body, fairly assertive carbonation

Not bad, carbonation seems too much, pretty drinkable, but had more potential

Courtesy of @muchloveforhops3

Pours pitch black with 2-3 fingers of foamy, creamy head that persists. Smell is roasted malt, slight smoke, and faint coconut. Taste is malty, somewhat smokey, hints of cream, and complimentary coconut (and I say this from the standpoint that I do not like coconut in my beers as it comes off as artificial and sunscreenish). Mouthfeel is moderately carbonated and creamy. Finish is tame, roasted malt. This IMHO is how coconut should be, not overwhelming, but there, in moderation. Good beer.

Pouring a cellar temp 16 oz can into my snifter. Can is date stamped 12/30/2024. the beer pours a rich dark coffee brown color with no light passing through my glass. a dense creamy beige head of 2 cm foams up and sticks around as a sturdy surface covering. Also give dense lattice when I swirl or take a sip. Foam remains through entire sampling.
Aroma is roasted malts and some slightly sweet chocolate. I get mild coconut on the nose, but its not bold for sure. No hop character here and it is not boozy either.
First sip reveals a medium body with smooth creamy texture and very fine tingly carbonation. beer almost feels like its on nitro. Flavor is roasted malts and chocolate with a bit of coffee grounds, sort of a lightly sweetened mocha. the sweetness could be coconut, its not overly bold and not candy like, but does add a sweet hint on each swallow. No hop character anywhere on this beer and the ABV is well hidden through out. An enjoyable porter for sure. More coconut makes me like it even more. Glad to try this one, seems like Crux is a brewery I should visit if ever in Oregon!

 

BOD 10-25-2023. This beer pours a dark brown with a minimal head. The aroma is definitely coconut and chocolate. It has a nice creamy mouthfeel. But what turned me off was too much coffee flavor, which you notice about halfway through the sip. In my opinion if it had less coffee flavor it would be great. Rated 12-8-2023

 

From a 4-pack picked up at Costco in Missoula, MT
16oz can poured into a Unibroue tulip

P black w/ a 1-2f tan head; med-heavy active carb; good retention; heavy creamy lace
N soft coconut sweetness
T sweet coconut, coffee, cream, and light roast; really nice profile- delicious and cohesive
Mf creamy; light-med bodied w/ med to med-high carb
O miles above my last experience with this brew- so good; amazing drinkability to boot; will definitely grab more when I see it!

Review date: 03.02.25
Can date: not captured

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Initial rating: 3.75 across the board (small draft pour at the Crux taproom in Bend, OR; November 2023)

Canned 12/24/23
Very dark pour, no light except on the edges. Wisp of a head, sticky lacing. Very light aroma, Taste is a dry roasted grains, with background sweetness from the coconut. The use of chocolate malts builds a nice background flavor with no cloying aftertaste. They have built a very sound Porter here and the coconut round out the flavor very well. 6% ABV with 24 IBUs. Recommended.

 

Dark body from with ample khaki head from the tap pour in Boise ID; lots of coconut and milk chocolate on the nose and also the palate...sweet and balanced with some roasty character...hints of coffee, vanilla, tobacco. Good stuff.

boy this is good. these guys have sneakily been making awesome dark beer for a long time, but its not what seems to get the most attention. this is predictably excellent, its coconut forward but really not sweet at all, super authentic on the coconut, and with the right amount of body and length, very nice recipe and execution, real drinkable for a flavored beer, the low alcohol helps with that. a pretty brew, mid shine black with an inch or so of frothed up tan to medium brown head, nice retention, looks slightly oily at the top suggesting real coconut, which can be fatty and slick at times, no problem with that at all! the nose is awesome, somewhat subtle, although the coconut is obvious too, bitter roast, even slightly ashy, without a ton of richer middle malt character, coffee, a cocoa nib earthiness, and the coconut, which hits both raw and toasted to me, pretty nuanced without being super intense, really appealing and somewhat different from what many others are doing in this space. the flavor is great, dark chocolate and natural coconut together, very adult, not sugary ever, even in the middle, and it has mellow tobacco and espresso notes without being over flavored. smooth, evolves and warms up very well, the coconut is so well integrated, and it does indeed have a little of that greasy decadence to it. the base porter is wonderful, and i think this hits in a unique way, like this is flavored beer for the true porter nerd, not the pastry beer guys, which is a welcomed change of pace from an influential brewery like this. very good, perfect for this time of year!

Lovely and smooth with a roasted coconut undertone. Hints of chocolate and very easy to slurp down. Looks great in the glass with good carbonation, it didn't last long enough to see if it improved as it warmed up!