Heavy Containment
R. Shea Brewing - Merriman Valley

This is pretty solid. I see after more research this is older than Desert List so my initial thought of "they just added coffee to a beer they already make" is completely false. This is essentially as good of a beer as that one though, the coffee is blended very nicely with the macaroon flavors and overall this is a nice imperial stout.

Bought a single pint can a year or so ago and tonight seemed like a good night for it. Pouring into a tulip produced a medium tan head over a dark brown body. Smell is really pronounced with a strong vanilla coconut presence over a coffee malt base. Taste follows the nose. Very smooth mouthfeel. Another nice stout by R. Shea for an early fall night.

Look: Very dark almost black, tan one finger head. Minimal lacing
Aroma: Coffee, toffee, chocolate, vanilla, WOW, this blend is amazing!
Taste: Complex sweet taste, the basic taste sense is almost completely overwhelmed by the flavor elements. There is just enough sweetness to make the flavor come alive.
Flavor: Just the right amount of sweetness to compliment the massive and complex flavor. It’s toffee coffee, then there’s vanilla and cinnamon and chocolate and a lot of coconut!
Feel: Full mouthfeel, soft carbonation, viscous and chewy, not boozy
Overall: A big win for R. Shea! They have been turning out amazing beers (especially stouts!) for a long time locally. This one continues a long lineage of top-notch brewing. If you are a fan of pastry stouts then you are going to LOVE this one!

 

08/06/20 can @ home

16 ounce can, canned on 06/09/20. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head that stuck around a while. Decent amount of lacing. I like the aroma, the brew smells like coconut, chocolate, coffee, vanilla and some graininess. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also the addition of a burnt/charred flavor too. Not quite as sweet tasting as the aroma would lead one to believe, but there's a nice balance between the sweet and roasty coffee flavors with it still leaning a little more towards the sweet side. Does remind me of eating a coconut macaroon! Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's a bit creamy and coating with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a pretty good brew, definitely worth picking up if you're into sweeter tasting imperial stouts! $15.99 a 4-pack.

 

This is a "Coconut Macaroon Coffee Imperial Stout". Canned on 6/9/20. 16oz can poured into a tulip. Pours almost black; small creamy khaki head that fades leaving nice retention and sticky lacing. The aromas are malt forward but really open up as it warms. Hints of coconut along with some mild spice. The aromas truly open up as it warms. The flavors really pop. Nice blend of coconut and coffee. I'm picking up a nice amount of cinnamon or some kind of spice which really takes everything to the next level. Some chocolate and vanilla. Some graham crackers in the mix. It's not too bitter and it's not too sweet. Nice balance. Solid malt backbone. Alcohol basically goes unnoticed for the most part. Mouthfeel is full-bodied with moderate to active carbonation. It's sharp, slick, slightly fluffy and smooth. This one is dangerously drinkable.

I absolutely love this stout. The flavors are incredible. I'm pretty blown away. I've had a few stouts from R. Shea recently and liked them all, but this one takes the cake. The coffee and coconut work extremely well together. The cinnamon or whatever spices I'm picking up take it to a whole other level. This beer is a winner. They have something special with this one. This one would really hit the spot during the cooler weather and/or the holiday season.

 

Coffee blackish-brown with a tall tan foam head that slowly and creamily settles to a thin ring.

Surprisingly bitter and woody, the silky but thin body is almost astringent. Coconut is clearly apparent, exhibiting a floral and potent character, eschewing that decadent or flabby addition you sometimes find in stouts. The coffee seems to contribute to the bitterness, but not in much flavor, where there's a little bit of shortbread cookie that comes out from the semi-dry finish instead.

It's a nice flavor at first blush, but there's something displeasing about it.