Hunter Coconut Cinnamon
18th Street Brewery - Gary Taproom

 

Canned 12/7/17, I think this is the only canning date available on this beer as it (at the moment) has only been packaged once. Pours viscous and the appearance is pretty much black. Head is a dark khaki. A sort of 'spicy' cinnamon is the first noticeable aroma followed closely by roasted malt. Coconut is not exploding, but it's there if you look for it. The flavor is much like the aroma, big cinnamon and luscious milk stout flavors, but the coconut is not really there initially. As it lingers, the coconut does make a mid-palate appearance, and it is a smooth, natural coconut flavor. Very subtle, though. The finish of this beer is mostly bitter bakers chocolate with some cinnamon sprinkled in. The mouthfeel is probably my favorite thing about this beer. It's oily and coating. I think the thing about these 18th street stouts that I like so much is that they somehow manage to be very sweet and very bitter at the same exact time. And it works so well. Yet to be disappointed by their stout game.

 

December 2017 batch, enjoyed January 2018

Canned 12/7/17; drank 1/7/18 @ the Yarchives.

Midnight black appearance.

A violent pour yielded a huge dark tan head; a thick curtain of lace.

Cream, milk chocolate, cinnamon & faint orange citrus notes in the nose.

Smooth, creamy medium thick mouthfeel.

Graham cracker, cream & milk chocolate flavors up front; mild cinnamon bite on the finish.

A bit too cinnamon forward for me, but an enjoyable sweet stout.

Appearance - Pours black with a huge mocha colored head that lasts a good while spotty lacing around the glass.

Aroma - Lots of cinnamon and coffee up front. Big cocoa light vanilla not really getting much coconut.

Taste - The taste is pretty well balanced with cinnamon, vanilla big chocolate and some light coconut. Very easy drinking.

Feel - Creamy full feel well carbonated little bite on the end with a touch of dryness.

Overall - A very well done stout even if the coconut does not come though well the cinnamon and chocolate are excellent.

 

Appearance - The poured a rich black color from the can with mocha colored bubbles crowning the glass.

Smell - The nose is dominated by deep chocolate malts.

Taste - The cinnamon came to the front in the taste with milky dark malts of Hunter. If anything, the coconut came through more in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - The lactose allows the malts to cling to the tongue closely.

Overall - The lack of a strong coconut presence makes this disappointing.