Maple Bacon Coffee Porter
Funky Buddha Brewery

12 ounce bottle poured with zeal into a shaker pint glass.
The appearance is deep brown with a dark tan foam that lingered a bit.
Aroma is.,. Mrs. Butterworth’s sweet thigh with a coffee accent, dark malt.
Taste is overtly flavored corn syrup with medium roast coffee and some char. Yeah, a little soy sauce is in there.,. artificial smoke too, but blended well. More than a bit sweet. Sticky tongue coating finish. Water please?
Medium mouthfeel with adequate carbonation.
Overall, I was at the brewery when MBCP was introduced 13 or so years ago. Delightful. This mass produced product barely resembles the original. Gone from purity to alchemy. But it’s still OK.,

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Saint Arnold Icon goblet.

L - Super dark brown and opaque, even when held up to the light. Massive, light brown head that maintains as a thick sheet and strong lacing throughout the drinking.

S - Strong coffee aroma with other interesting elements. Knowing the name of the beer, I can imagine I detect the maple aroma, but I'm not sure if I would spot it blindly. I can't identify the bacon. Instead, it strikes me as spicy and smoky, reminding me of some beers I've had that were made with roasted chipotle peppers. Either way, this aroma is a million miles deep and you want to dive in.

T - The flavors are just have just as much depth as the aromas. The coffee is there, but also sweet maple and coffee creamer and even a hint of smoke. There is also a strong, sharp note that I can't place, but again my best guess would be some kind of pepper infusion.

F - Medium to heavy body. Strong carbonation. Hops bitterness is also quite strong. Alcohol presence is very low.

O - This is a tremendously complex and interesting beer. Every aspect of this feels like an Imperial porter, but it is lacking the alcohol to be that. I'd love to see a version of this beer that had higher alcohol and cam in barrel aged editions. This would lend itself so well to that, but is it already excellent as it is.

 

Poured from bottle into tulip, good 2 plus finger dark tan head, good retention and lacing. Jet black in the glass. Big maple and smokey bacon on the nose coffee doesn't stand much of a chance. Taste goes way of roasted malt, coffee and slight smoke, with maple sweetness thru the middle. Good bitterness on the finish with residual maple and smokiness left on the palate.

This is my favorite beer. It really is unbelievable and you should definitely try it if you haven't. It appears to be seasonal as I have a hard time finding it.

 

Poured at 52°. Ruby brown body with clarity under tight khaki head; poor cap retention, no ring; some spots of lace with agitation; looks like opaque ruby-brown water. Strong maple nose; some smoke as beer warms. Sweet caramel malt and maple sugar; light smoky char; no coffee; maple candy finish. Thin watery feel; medium light body; no warmth from 6.4% abv; moderate minus carbonation. Overall a tasty take on a maple forward breakfast beer; the char almost tricks my brain into tasting bacon; did not get any coffee; on the thin side; otherwise a very good flavored porter.

2017 vintage

Carrying on with the Funky Buddha beers I recently got, I’m running through the entire series of Maple Bacon Coffee Porter. That includes this beer, the imperial version of it, and the barrel aged version of it. These have been long time wants of mine (among ny first logged on BA), and I’m very excited to start off with this one, the 2nd highest rated American Porter on BA

Pours almost completely pitch black with a finger of light tan head that slowly fades to a ring and leaves minimal lacing

Wow, this is an incredibly aromatic beer, just so much maple and coffee. I’m picking up on aromas of sweet maple, medium roast coffee, cocoa powder, vanilla bean, smoky bacon, honey, and light caramel

It’s definitely dropped off a bit in taste from where I’m sure it was in its prime, but I’m still digging it. On the front end of the sip I’m tasting light roast coffee, salty bacon, dark bread, milk chocolate, caramel, light maple, and a touch of raisin. The swallow brings notes of smoky bacon, milk chocolate, medium roast coffee, burnt caramel, vanilla, and roasted peanut

A medium body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a smooth yet sharp beer. Finishes a tad sticky at first, but the smokiness dries it out like hell over time

This one is absolutely wild. The bacon does more than I would’ve expected, but it can be a bit overpowering. I’m interested to see if the higher abv of the imperial version allows the flavors to integrate better

 

This porter looks lighter than it would taste. The maple and bacon flavor is pretty strong which makes it unique. Reminds me of a much lighter and smoother version of Founders CBS, but with no bourbon and much easier drink. Really want to get my hands on the imperial version of this!

 

 

Smells heavenly, like a refined haute take on a simple breakfast dish brewed in a can. The bacon is there as a salty after note, while the maple is done nicely and is not overwhelming. Dark black and carbonated with a tan dissipating head. As it warms up in a glass the bacon becomes more pronounced almost like spam in a can. It’s good, though I’m not sure where the line is between ingredients brewed into the beer and simply added like a soda. Either way it's a very enjoyable beer. Drank fresh from bottles in Florida.

Look: Like Coca-Cola. Mostly black with some dark amber highlights against a light. Thick foam head.
Smell: Immediate blast of maple syrup. Pleasantly sweet. Followed by vanilla. A boozy kick on the nose. Slight caramel.
I am not detecting bacon.
Feel: Very smooth porter. Light/Medium body.
Taste: Up front I get a smokey, roasted malt flavor. Then a nice taste of vanilla. The maple shines most in the smell more than the actual taste of the porter. I am still not really getting any hint of bacon but otherwise implied with the smokey taste and possibly a good pairing for a breakfast platter with bacon. Beer tastes like a mild, sweet vanilla-coffee porter as it warms up yet still retaining that strong taste of cold brew and roasted malt.
Overall: A nice porter for the sweet-tooths like myself. Can't go wrong with maple syrup and coffee!

12 oz bottle poured into a tulip

A- Black with a two finger tan head

S- Coffee, maple, dark chocolate, just enough smoke/bacon.

T- Coffee, dark chocolate, some smoke, maple, slightly earthy, touch of toffee, very well balanced.

M- Smooth, medium body.

O- Very well balanced and easy to drink. I remember tons of hype around this when it was first released and all these years later this is still a beer worth hyping.

 

L - Dark brown with a frothy mocha head.
S - Maple, coffee and dark roasted malt.
T - Maple, coffee, dark roasted malt.
F - Medium bodied.
O - What you would expect from the name of this beer. I am sure that this was revolutionaly when initially released. I bought this the first time that I saw it this week. Its a great beer. Very well crafted