Java Lava
Pearl Street Brewery

 

 

Got in a trade with The-Adjunct-Hippie. 12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 7/7/2017. Pours nearly opaque dark brown/black color with a 2 finger fairly dense and rocky light khaki head with amazing retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts the whole glass. Thick soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of nutty medium roast coffee, milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted brown bread; with light notes of vanilla, dark fruit, herbal, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, and light earthy hop notes; with solid strength. A bit yeasty, but not overwhelming. Flavors of big nutty medium roast coffee, milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, and toasted brown bread; with light notes of vanilla, dark fruit, herbal, grass, and roast/toasted earthiness. Very mild herbal/grassy hop and roasted coffee bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of nutty coffee, milk chocolate, cocoa, caramel, brown sugar, toasted brown bread, light vanilla/dark fruit/herbal, and roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, and light earthy hop flavors; with a great roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and zero cloying/acrid flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from hop/roast bitterness and carbonation. Medium-high carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, creamy/bsilky/bready, and slightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 5.5%. Overall this is a delicious American coffee stout. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malt, coffee, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mildly bitter/drying finish. Overcarbonated, but did not cause a problem at all for drinkability. Really great balance of fruity/nutty coffee and malt complexity. Nicely rich for the lower ABV. A very enjoyable offering.

This beer pours pitch black. Minimal head was minimal, but off white.
Some coffee on the nose, but not much else.
Taste some coffee, but really bland otherwise. Really weak.
Watery. Very watery.
Started out ok, but went downhill fast.

 

Note : This beer seems to vary from batch to batch.

Pours a dark brown with reddish tints. Head is creamy and leaves a nice skirting of lace after it recedes from its 2 finger intro.

Aroma is acidic and earthy with lots of coffee ground, and dark de-bittered black malt.

Delicious waves of coffee and mildly burnt toast, with tons of acidity and fresh coffee. No ugly green pepper, no harsh astringency. A mild chocolate note follows this up. Impeccably balanced and easy.

Feel is again, acidic, with a roasty, dry feel. No perceptible alcohol on the palate, a semi-dry finish.

Overall, a really nice, sessionable coffee stout executed impeccably. I have no regrets buying a full sixer of this, and I would have regretted it if I hadn't. Top class. Once in awhile you'll get a batch that's more burnt coffee than it is beer. Other batches are balanced nicely. Either way, it's not too much of a wager to pick up a six pack every now and again.

12oz bottle, dated 3/14/17. Pours black with a medium sized khaki head. Smells of coffee, cocoa, and roasted malt; nice coffee presence. The taste follows with cocoa, roasted malt, coffee, and a hint of lactose. Medium bitterness and light dryness. Above average carbonation and below average body. Overall, it could use more intensity, but it has a pleasant coffee smell. Decent session stout.

 

 

 

 

 

This one was bottled on 9/9/16. Poured into a pint glass, the beer is black with a brown head.

Aroma of coffee and roasted malts. No ifs ands or buts, this is a coffee beer

The taste mimics the smell, coffee, medium roasted malts, a bit of dark fruit and some bitterness from the roasted malts. Coffee stays dominant throughout the beer.

The mouth is medium, would love to see it thicker and creamier.

This is a nice beer, glad I bought a sixer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A solid session coffee stout. It dark and it has good coffee smell to it. The taste has a lot of coffee too. It does have a light feel but great drinkability. I recommend it.

 

 

this beer has a great look smell and taste. This beer has a great coffee aroma and taste that lingers through the entire taste. I HAVE had many coffee beers and this Java Lava has local coffee roasters and they know how to brew a great cup of coffee. i would look for this beer if you are in the Wisconsin/Minnesota area. Enjoy.