Big Hugs - Coffee And Vanilla
Half Acre Beer Company

 

 

 

Big Hugs from Half Acre is an aggressive stout right off the bat. This is the vanilla variant and it comes through strong but as vanilla extract. The malt is extremely roasted and almost burnt. However, the beer does come back around halfway through and begins to balance out.

IG: @firesidewithphil

Pint can - dated 11/21/19 - poured into a taster stem at fridge temp.

This beer was left in the freezer for over 7 hours the other day, so let's see how it held up to freezing.

Pours a thin, dark drown shade, sotting almost black in the glass, topped with a quarter finger of loose tan head that quickly recedes to a thin ring and some slow sparking bubbles.

Nose: Light roast is masked by coffee, and even more so bu what I'm perceiving as lactose. A whisper of toastrd barley, some oily black coffee concentrate, bakers chocolate, lactose, and a hint of white chocolate. Very tame aroma.

Palate: The beer greets the palate with gentle roast, which is a bit more pronounced than on the aroma. It also brings some dark chocolate notes, as well as its own coffee flavour. Next, there's definitely a coffee presence - oily and concentrated, like what sits in the pot for a few hours. I still think there's lactose, but if there is, it's in the background and very well balanced. A slight woodiness emerges, a whisper of caramel, and then moves quickly into the finish with more coffee, roasted barley, a touch of char, and just a whisper of earthy hops. Dries put nicely.

Mouthfeel/Body: The beer drinks on the fuller side of medium-full, and while it is rather fluid and drinkable, there is a touch of viscosity to it. Overall, by modern imperial stout standards, it is a bit thin, but it works in this case - adopting the drinkability of smaller stouts with the flavour of an imperial stout. Effervescence is naturally on the lower side, but it has what it needs.

Overall: I am not rating this as a vanilla stout because the can doesn't say vanilla, nor do I detect vanilla. For what it is - a coffee stout - it does everything I would expect it to do, with the added bonus of easier drinkability for the ABV. Even more impressive is that it survive a brief popsicle state. It's a good little imperial coffee stout, and it definitely does what you'd want it to when turning to something like this.

Picked up a single from the Craft Beer Hop Stop cooler 3-3-20 for $5.49. Canned 11-18-19; consumed 5-9-20.

Beer poured black with a nice tan head that has some nice hang time.

Nose is nice with a touch of coffee and vanilla complimenting the malt base.

Taste follows the nose which is very pleasant, large medium roasted malt base is mellowed by the vanilla with a touch of coffee astringency balancing the sweetness of the malt and vanilla.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth.

Overall the vanilla tames the roastiness and compliments the coffee. Nice beer!

 

 

 

3rd reviewer. Thrilled to be.

If you like them big, this fits the bill. Very close to coffee.
a) The beer pours the deep dark brown body, with a half finger of tan head that fades quickly to a crema and leaves a a firm ring and laces all the way down (like a good espresso).
s) The smell offers coffee, instant coffee grounds jar, char, charcoal grilled fruit, coffee grinds, and a bit of hops.
t) Taste starts with woody vanilla, spice cabinet with bitter roasted dark coffee beans, with hops, wood, char, bourbon and lots of esters. More bitter than sweet. Good see-saw battle between.
f) Smooth and syrupy with medium body, light carbonation, sticky finish.
o) Enjoyed the woody and vanilla tones and the solid kick, more coffee than most.

 

 

L: Dark brown, near black. Zero head formation but does lend supple amounts of khaki-colored lacing.
S: Molasses, coffee, chocolate malts and booze. Can't really detect vanilla on the nose.
T: A decent amount of coffee flavor, so much so that it is the dominant flavor. Finish leaves traces of vanilla and roasted malts with a nice coffee aftertaste. Mild booze flavor. I keep going between 3.75 and 4.00 for flavor, but I am happy with 4.
F: Medium in body, medium in weight. Nice heft and feel with slick consistency. Not chewy but has a nice feel. Booze is noticeable.
O: An enjoyable beer. I am glad to have tried it! Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers to FBarber for this one

Pours an effervescent hazel tinged chestnut with 2 fingers of fluffed up mocha colored head. Great head retention & lacing

S: Coffee grinds, faint booze notes, a little vanilla

T: Weak coffee, a little vanilla & roastyness up front. Mocha with vanilla hints as this warms. a touch of warming booze creeps around the edges as this warms, coffee flavors start to bulid as well, some hazel nut shows up. Finishes a little dry with some woody hops, faint coffee notes & vanilla

MF: Body seems a little thin for the style, fairly firm carbonation. Body thickens up closer to room temp, carbonation smooth out a bit,

Drinks pretty easy, nice dessert beer, just doesn't pull together as much as I hoped it would