Junie Goes Coconuts
Transient Artisan Ales

 

 

growler filled a few days ago from Armsby Abbey, thanks to rudzud for picking it up
Pours a brown colored foamy frothy med head with good retention, nice messy lacing, decent legs, jet black beer

Nose brings some darkness, toasted coconut, toasted grains and a bit of roast, lots of cocoa and milk chocolate, some baking spices and cookie dough, some caramel and toasty aromas, caramel really ramps as it warms, into a little marshmallow, and some black cherry and fig fruity notes as it warms

Taste brings thick lush beer, dark chocolate, cocoa, into big coconut, both fresh and toasted coconut, as well as some caramel although not a ton, salted caramel notes, with toasty flavors and grainy malt leading to a bit of spicy rye bread, a bit of roast but light, with a hint of coffee, more cookie dough and a little nougat, baking spices, and even a touch of vanilla, touch of fruity notes late, and actually gets more fruity raisiny and a little cherry as it warms, a hint of smooth alcohol flavor on the finish with a littel bitterness mixed from the roast and the mild spicy hops, sticky sweet finish

Mouth is super thick lush creamy velvety, no alcohol warmth, med-lighter foamy carb

Overall this was enjoyable beer, coconut started like it was going to be strong then kinda faded out, caramel was about the same, but it let the RIS come through nicely, and wasn't too roasty or burnt, rye poked its head out a bit, a nice complex enjoyable beer

Picked up a 16oz growler of this from the Armsby Abbey today ($18) before they close for a few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as due to loss of business they cannot justify keeping the doors open.

A - Poured into my Duvel tulip a nice dark brown nearly black with an almost one finger dark mocha head that faded relatively quickly to leave a fizzy halo and some light wisps. Legs are decent enough.

S - Aromas of, well, not really oxidation but it almost smells old even though this is probably a keg from November. Some lighter rye, raisins, dark fruits, leather, almost a bit of char/smoke, little bit of licorice as well. Some dark rye bread as well. Smells more like a RIS. Little bit of caramel sauce, and I suppose I get a bit of salted caramel like aroma. Unfortunately I don't really get any coconut.

T - Taste is not really similar to the nose, and I suppose that's a good thing. Rich creamy chocolate, not overly dark chocolate forward, big time fudge brownies with ribbons of caramel running through it. The caramel isn't overly sweet, which is good, and there is just a flash of salinity. The coconut though finally comes through on the taste. It's not aggressive or in your face but balanced and well rounded. It's impossible to miss but it's not exactly assertive. Finish has some lingering bitterness and roast.

M - Mouthfeel is very, very nicely carbonated. Medium heavy body, thick, creamy, heavy. Only knock here is the ABV flashes a little bit on the back end as it warms.

O - Overall this was a really enjoyable beer. The nose was incredibly unfortunate but the taste is really solid, though I do wish there was more coconut flavour for my tastes. The mouthfeel though is just stellar. If not for that ABV flash this would be creme de la creme, liquid velour as JLindros would say. That stellar mouthfeel alone is enough to make me want to have this beer again!

Serving Type: Growler

500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled in 11/2019. Pours dense dark brown/black color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy tan head with great retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Some coconut floaties around as well. Aromas of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toasted coconut, roasted nuts, fudge, and dark/rye bread; with lighter notes of molasses, toffee, licorice, raisin, fig, date, smoke, char, herbal, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Minimal booze in the aromas as it warms. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/rye/bready malts, coconut, caramel, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of big milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toasted coconut, roasted nuts, fudge, and dark/rye bread; with lighter notes of molasses, toffee, licorice, raisin, fig, date, smoke, char, herbal, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal, grassy, peppery, woody, roast, charred bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk/dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, toasted coconut, roasted nuts, fudge, dark/rye bread, toffee, dark fruit, smoke, char, herbal, wood, grass, pepper, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/rye/bready malts, coconut, caramel, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying/acrid/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering hop/char bitterness. Medium carbonation and very full body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety/bready, and lightly slick/sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Mild increasing warmth of 12.5%, with minimal lingering booze after the finish. Overall this is an awesome flavored imperial stout. All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/rye/bready malts, coconut, caramel, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and dangerously easy to sip on for the huge ABV, with the mildly bitter/drying finish; great soft/silky feel. Awesome balance of super rich malts, caramel, and coconut flavors; with mild earthy hops and restrained fruity yeast. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and impressive style example. Just a bit better than the Transient Neckbeard Nectar I reviewed last week. This was less fruity/boozy for the same ABV.

 

 

 

 

Midnight black with a finger of brown and lazy lacing. Rye, caramel, whiskey bitters, smoke, coconut, and brownie aromas. Taste capitalizes on these by leading with the coconut and then crescendoing with the fudge brownies before the other flavors cascade down to the palate softly. Feel is fudgy, thick, smooth and earthy.

 

 

 

Appearance - The beer poured a vicious black color with a dark tan colored head crowning the glass.

Smell - The nose was very sweet with notes of toasted coconut.

Taste - my initial impression is a taste of coconut and chocolate syrup. It seems as though someone emptIed bottles upon bottles of chocolate syrup into this out. There was a little rum impression but I really wasn’t getting the caramel. The overall profile bordered on being too sweet.

Mouthfeel - While the profile was viscously thick, it allowed the sweetness to hang around for too long.

Overall - While I normally enjoy coconut stouts, this beer may have suffered from too many adjuncts. It was just too sweet.

 

 

 

Pours jet black, with a dark tan cap on top. The first thing I notice on the nose is booze, which is a bit surprising, and there’s also a strong cocoa component and caramel notes, too.

The booze is completely absent on the taste, and so is the coconut referenced on the label, but the cocoa and caramel are present to the 10th degree. A really nice dessert stout, IMHO.