Cinnamon Coffee Mountain Man
Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project

 

i have liked pretty much all the beers i have had from these guys, but this is far and away the most ambitious of their beers i have tried. it sounds like a lot, a strong ale with coffee and cinnamon, but it really comes together nicely in all of its complexity. the cinnamon is really forward in this dark red to medium brown colored brew, clear and lively, frothy, lighter looking than it tastes or feels, thats for sure. strong cinnamon aroma, but the coffee is right there too. both of these are strong and obvious in both nose and flavor, but there is a nice caramelly toasted malt presence that makes this seem like beer first, boozy at 11.5% abv, but nicely warming with the java and the spice. i get a little vanilla whiskey on this but not wood, not sure about the barrel process, but it seems minimally invasive to this sturdy ale, at least in my opinion, an accent at the most. smooth and not too heavy, but obviously strong. i like the coffee and the cinnamon together, its not too much, and there is a natural synergy with the grain. some of the best verboten beer i have had, and some of the best colorado made strong ale in general i have had in awhile. majorly delicious and unique! did this get bottled? im sure it will age really nicely as well!