Speedway Stout - Chire Natural Coffee
AleSmith Brewing Company

 

a special edition of speedway that was on tap at the brewery when we visited, an ethiopian varietal but not called ethiopian speedway, and different from the mokasida edition, rather identified by the specific coffee here. this is quite unique, but i will start by saying that we had this in a flight of other speedway variants, and it really paled in comparison for all of us next to the jamaican blue mountain coffee edition, which just seemed so much more robust than this. this one does impart a cool fruitiness, dried blueberry and blackberry maybe like some natural process coffees have in their espresso form, but the beer seems to overwhelm it just a little here, so its finest nuance is a bit washed out, which wasnt the case with the jamaican at all. it is smooth though, and the seemingly lighter roast lets it be earthy without being bitter. some mellow acidity lightens it up a little too, and the flavor is still very complex and delicious, coffee focused, fruity in a complimentary way, almost delicate for what it is. i think its awesome that even after all the success this beer has had that they continue to play around with different coffees and flavor combinations, its a brilliant series of beer and its part of what makes alesmith special. i would love to taste this coffee on its own to better appreciate its unique contribution to this beer...