Buzz Kill Java Stout
Bozeman Brewing Company

Pours an effervescent chestnut with 3 fingers of pillowy tan head. Pretty good lacing, below average head retention

S: Tons of coffee, a little cocoa

T: Coffee, roastyness, dryness up front. A little vanilla sneaks in, much dry roastyness, plus coffee as it warms. Finishes dry, roasty, with a little a little vanilla & coffee

MF: Medium body, fairly firm carbonation

A solid stout, was hoping for more body

one of the more ambitious beers i have had from these guys. surprised to hear they steeped the coffee for two weeks, that seems like a really long time to make cold brew, but i am no expert. i feel like that could explain some of the coffee harshness and textural astringency that this has, neither of which i really see as flaws or anything, i like this a lot, but its not as integrated and smooth as a lot of these have become over the years. it makes great sense as a morning beer, as some of the chaps at the bar were saying while i was checking out the brewery, it has an appreciable caffeine pop. the dark roast is nice, a little bitter with the coffee, but sturdy and wintery, while some of the lighter malts give hints of nuts, baked breads, and even tobacco for a moment. the coffee suggests dark chocolate but has a little acidity that keeps this from being as easy drinking as it otherwise might be, but i like how forward the coffee is overall, and would call this a success for sure. neat that they use organic coffee too!

12 oz can poured into pilsner glass.

A: Not much of a head what was there was a slight mocha color. The body is a brown/black with some light able to creep through the edges.

S: Smells like french press coffee lots of the ground coffee smell very strong. The coffee itself is slightly nutty and maybe a little hazelnut.

T: The coffee is there but not as prevalent as in the nose it's sweet but not much else maybe a little chocolate on the finish.

M: Higher carbonation then you would expect out of a stout. Fairly thin body as well, but for the ABV that's to be expected.

O: It's straight up coffee and little else, the name is pretty appropriate it's a buzz kill if you were expecting a dazzling beer.

 

 

 

Pours black with a low, fizzy, khaki-colored head. Not much retention save a small ring of foam clinging to the glass just atop the beer. A few strands of lacing play around the glass as the beer level depletes. Aroma is rolled and roasted malts, with an ever so slight hint of coffee. Flavor profile mashes rolled, roasted, and English pale malts. Coffee comes through as a second thought, with a bit more of a pronounced presence as the beer warms. Mouth feel has a moderate to high amount of particulate, giving the beer a grainy feel. Thickness consistency is right at medium. Overall, a solid stout, but it is on the thinner side of the spectrum. While the can carries a name advertising coffee, the namesake notes are subtle to weak, which is a bit disappointing. It makes for a pleasant daily driver of a coffee stout, but not much of an experience.

Served in a 12oz snifter.

Poured from a 12oz can into a snifter.

A-poured a dark opaque black, with 2 fingers of frothy light khaki head, that dissipates to a ring. Spotty lacing.

S-Coffee, coffee, coffee. Smells like black coffee, no sugar, no cream lol you do get some sweetness from the malts. Like a coffe float.

T-very mild compared to its smell. Sweet coffee that goes down clean. Maybe some vanilla and cream. Taste like a coffee milkshake. Very subtle, but refreshing. Most stouts with coffee are overpowering, this is just right.

M- medium bodied. Leaves more to be desired. Watery with mild carbonation.

O-caught me by surprise. Better than I was expecting. Nice clean, and refreshing. Definitely would drink again.

 

Canned 2/12/16. My favorite Montana stout. Huge coffee nose, super creamy, frothy, smooth rich and decadent. Always looking forward to this seasonal release.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from can into a pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours nearly pitch black color with a one finger head of a foamy tan color. The head of the brew has a great level of retention, slowly fading to leave a lighter level of foamy lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma of the beer is huge of a roasted coffee smell mixed with some roasted malt and a little bit of a caramel smell. Along with these smells comes some lighter notes of a more vanilla and crème smell as well as some light notes of an earthy aroma.

Taste – The taste begins with a nice roasty malt flavor with a rather strong showing of roasted coffee and a little bit of caramel sweetness. As the taste advances the coffee gets more and more potent all while a little bit of a vanilla sweetness joining the taste profile. While the vanilla comes, the caramel fades, giving a much drier flavor to the brew overall. With a newly arrived cocoa and with the coffee getting even stronger as the taste moves to the end, and with these flavors being joined by a little bit of an earthy and woody taste, one is left with a nice dark and dry roasted coffee flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the slightly thinner to average side for a stout of 6.4 % abv. with a carbonation level that is average overall. The average carbonation level was well done for the light mix of sweet, darker coffee flavors, and moderate abv. of the beer. A slightly thicker body may have better accentuated the darker notes a bit more, but overall the feel was pretty good.

Overall – A rather nice and rich coffee stout with a more respectable and drinkable abv. This was a quite nice brew overall.

Poured on tap into a tumbler at BBC

L: Beautiful coffee black, with a frothy, cream-colored head. Looks like a meal in a pint glass.

S: Fairly light on aroma, with sweeter coffee elements shining through. It's almost like a latte or cappuccino, rather than the bitter espresso-bean notes of other coffee stouts. It's a little one-note, but fortunately it's an inviting aroma.

T: Immediately I recognize that this is not an ordinary "coffee stout" ... it's smooth, creamy, and even a little milky, like a robust cup of black coffee mixed with good half-and-half. As with the smell, I'm not greeted with the sharp espresso bite I expect from a typical coffee stout -- I appreciate this new take on the style! Then the coffee notes dissipate and leave a sweet chocolate and molasses finish that lingers pleasantly on the tongue, making this an incredibly well-rounded tasting experience.

F: A good hefty body that's creamy and smooth, with light-moderate carbonation. Really complements the "milkiness" of the beer.

O: BBC is pretty widely known in this area of Montana, but hasn't made a splash beyond our borders. This is unfortunate, because they're making some of the state's best beer, and the Java Stout is no exception. This beer is incredibly drinkable, well-balanced, and just downright tasty.