Pablo Escobeer
Beachwood Brewing - Huntington Beach

 

Type: 4.40-oz. draft
Glass: Clear 16-oz. tulip glass
From: Coin Haus in La Mesa, Calif.
Price: $2.86
Purchased: June 15, 2019
Consumed: June 15, 2019
Reviewed as: English Porter
Misc.: Quick review

Went over to Coin Haus to use up a $25 Groupon that I probably wasn’t going to be able to use before I went on vacation. Would be quick reviews all night with small pours, breaking my semi-rule of no reviews under six ounces. Beer Advocate had it as, “Pablo is an oatmeal porter infused with the finest coffee from Portola Coffee Lab. Served on nitro, this beer is immensely creamy and satisfying, like the perfect iced coffee.” Had tried it once before, giving a taster a 4.25 on March 23, 2018.

Poured a dark brown color with 1-to-2 fingers of khaki white frothy head. Slow moving bubbles coming up from the sides of the glass. World-class uneven lacing. Excellent retention. (Sight - 4.50)

Smelled black coffee, char wood, ashtray, dark chocolate and cacao. (Smell - 4.25)

Tasted black coffee, char wood, ashtray, dark chocolate, cacao, oats and roasty malts. (Taste - 4.25)

Full body. Creamy texture. Average carbonation. Bitter finish. (Feel - 4.00)

Excellent overall. Just as a good as I remember it. (Overall - 4.25)

4.24 | 94 | A-

 

 

Got this from RaulMondesi. 16 ounce nitro can into imperial pint glass, canned on 2/25/2019. Pours slightly hazy dark ruby red/brown color with a small dense and creamy light khaki head with fantastic retention, that lasts the whole glass. Thick creamy lacing clings down the glass. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big milk chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of vanilla, cream, molasses, toffee, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts, coffee, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of big milk chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and brown bread/crust; with lighter notes of vanilla, cream, molasses, toffee, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Very minimal herbal, grassy, roasted coffee bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, medium roast coffee, caramel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, toasted biscuit, and brown bread/crust, vanilla, cream, molasses, toffee, dark fruit, smoke, herbal, grass, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, coffee, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with a solid hop/roast bitter/sweet balance, and no cloying flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Light carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, creamy/silky/velvety, and slightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Zero warming alcohol for 6%. Overall this is an outstanding nitro English coffee porter! All around awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts, coffee, and light earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the minimally bitter/drying finish; fantastically soft nitro finish. Awesome balance between nicely rich malts and fruity/nutty coffee complexity; with mild fruity yeast and earthy hops against sweetness. A highly enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.

 

Hot damn. This thang is bangin like Tupac fresh out of tha joint n Dr Dre is ready to smash the newest single. Coffee waboom! Porter flavor like waboom! Alec Trabec says, “You have a daily double!”

Yeah, I’m into that!

Nitro version, 6.0%ABV, packaged on 2/17/2019; consumed on 3/2/2019. Poured from a tall-boy can into my Samuel Smith nonic.

Clear field drab body with auburn highlights. Two incredibly dense fingers of buff whipped cream float on top. Rich thick lacing; superior retention.

Roast coffee and barley in the nose - chocolate, malt, loam, and a touch of grassy hops emerge as the ale warms.

Taste follows the nose, but rather weaker with less complexity and with a bit of a stale tobacco note as well. Very low bitterness and a hint of cherry leads into the medium-dry earthy finish.

Lovely creamy mouthfeel thanks largely to the nitro delivery.

A nice mild coffee porter, it would be better on cask with a more characterful yeast strain, but then I may just prefer English examples of the style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ, on to the beer:

Dark brown with a hue of ruby red, this porter is poured with nitrogen, so the head forms sturdy, handsome, and creamy. The smell of coffee is admirable, not too strong or roasty, just right. With nitrogen, the taste is not too strong either. Subdued coffee makes much of the flavor with a light fruitiness and pleasant roast. With the creamy and thick mouthfeel, this coffee porter is just another fine ale out of Beachwood.