El Jefe
4 Noses Brewing Company

This was your basic boozy stout, though I mostly got the cinnamon flavor over the chocolate. There was a bit of the chocolate on the back end, but the cinnamon and the stout-ness stood out most. I'm sure they can crank this one up over 10% with some barrel aging, and I'd be game to try that at some point this winter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12oz can. Poured out an opaque, jet-black color with a small, light brown head of foam. It smelled of coffee, cinnamon and roasted malt. Lots of cinnamon with coffee, chocolate and toffee.

 

Appearance: Arrives opaque and fudge colored with a one finger beige head; spotty lacing

Smell: Chocolate, cinnamon and lactose, some roast and coffee

Taste: Roast, chocolate and lactose forward with the coffee and cinnamon developing; the coffee is prominent in the finish with some cinnamon burn

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation; somewhat creamy

Overall: A decent adjunct stout

 

 

 

 

$ 4.47 (Including shipping)/12 oz can ($ 0.372) from Tavour, Seattle, WA. Reviewed 2/5/19.
“Canned On” stamped on bottom rim and then no date appeared – Tavour said 12/12/18 so maybe it was on the bulk container. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 54 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 4.
Body – Dark brown/black, opaque. When held to the light, still opaque.
Head – Large (Maximum four cm, aggressive center pour), dark khaki, dense with rocks, average retention, diminishing to a two to five mm ring and a thin complete layer with rocky islands.
Lacing – Good. Moderately wide bands of tiny to small bubbles with an occasional prominence, connected to the next layer by squat columns.
First pour – Dark brown, clear.
Aroma – 3.75 – Weak coffee with a hint of cinnamon.
Flavor – 3.5 – Begins with weak coffee and no cinnamon. However, the cinnamon makes a halting appearance at the end. No alcohol (7.4% ABV) flavor. No diacetyl, no dimethylsulfide.
Palate – 3 – Medium, watery, soft carbonation.
Impression and interpretation – 3.5 - The cinnamon saves this from being a very average coffee stout. More cinnamon would be an improvement.

I've never had a beer with cinnamon that wasn't obnoxiously sweet, so I was a little apprehensive about picking this up, but another shopper told me it had a balanced sweetness, and Four Noses hasn't disappointed me yet, so I decided to give this a taste.

L: Pours with an opaque dark body—almost black, but with some reddish brown tint. Excellent head retention. Most of the head is latte foam colored, but bright speckles of golden orange amber decorate the foam and the lacing in places.

S: Lactose sweetness and cinnamon are both prominent immediately, with a bit of coffee acidity lurking in the background. I don't get nearly as much roastiness as I'd like to be smelling in a coffee stout. A touch of molasses adds some complexity. The bready aroma is reminiscent of oats.

T: Oats is much more clear on the palate. The roast is a little more notable here as well, but it could use significantly more roasty coffee in the recipe, in my humble opinion. The aftertaste is like coffee with way too much milk that has been sitting in the fridge all afternoon.

F: Rich and creamy. I love that Four Noses doesn't filter any of their beers. Despite the clingy tartness that doesn't really make sense in a coffee stout, it drinks pretty smooth.

O: Not the worst beer I've ever paid $3 a can for, but not exactly the cinnamon stout of my dreams either. Oh well.

2018-11-21
12oz can served in a little Cantillon glass. No date that I see on the can. Don't remember where I got it. Can says it's the "Ad Hoc Series El Jefe Imperial Stout with Coffee and Cinnamon" -- this appears to be the closest listing. The can also doesn't seem to have ABV on it anywhere.

Pours black with little head. Not much carbonation. Smell is cinnamon and coffee, maybe a little chocolate or something else vaguely sweet.

Taste is too much cinnamon, and not enough coffee or roasty stout.

Mouthfeel is light and smooth. overall...it's not a bad beer. If you like screaming cinnamon, then it might appeal to you more than me. Personally, I find it OK.

 

Pitch black pour with a dense, creamy, dark tan head that persists forever and leaves excellent lacing. The aroma is dominated by the cinnamon. The taste adds a layer of chocolate followed by a blast of coffee. It really is reminiscent of having a slice of coffee cake with a cup of coffee. Medium bodied and silky smooth with a slightly bitter finish.