Coconut Joy Porter
New England Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a dark, dark brown color with a finger of khaki head. Leaves a fair amount of lacing as the head dissipates.

The aroma brings tons of dark malts, vanilla, and roasted chocolate. Barely any coconut can be detected.

The vanilla just takes over the flavor. There's some chocolate and maybe a slight hint of toasted coconut, but it's all drowning in a vat of pure vanilla. Way too sweet.

The feel is light bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth, but a bit watery.

Overall, an overly sweet porter that just doesn't do much for me. If you like extremely decadent beer with a ton of vanilla you'll love this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

32oz growler into a Gandhi-Bot tulip. Thanks Matt!

A: Black body, clear brown highlights. A straight, steady pour easily produces a two-finger head of dense khaki foam that resides slowly and leaves abundant lace. Gorgeous.

S: Delicate. Cocoa powder, vanilla, roasted malt, and a hint of earthiness. Not much coconut presence at all, unfortunately, but a very nice aroma for a session porter.

T: Opens with light roast - a bit of coffee, solid dark chocolate. Midway through it gets a bit sweeter, with vanilla and cocoa giving it a bit of a malted chocolate milkshake flavor. The finish is clean and crisp, with some light bitterness and a lingering (and delicious) vanilla overtone. I'm still not seeing the coconut, but I'm loving everything else about this beer.

M: Soft medium-light body. Appropriate for the style.

O: I was disappointed not to find the particular flavor promised by the name, but once I stopped fixating on the coconut and started enjoying it more simply as a well-crafted porter I was hooked. This is both drinkable and flavorful, exactly what I look for in a dark low-ABV brew. Always a pleasure to try a new NEBCO offering!

Cheers!