What are the best coffee porters (aka stouts) brewed in MN? (Don't mention Bender; that's a brown ale; don't mention Cold Press; that's a black ale).
I was a really big fan of the Mocha Porter at Enki. Had it on draft a handful of months ago, not sure if the bottle release of Creamery Reserve Mocha Porter was the same thing or not.
probably the best coffee porter from MN. cold press is my top MN coffee porter/stout/black ale though.
Town Hall Parkway Java Porter is pretty decent, and now that their beer is being brewed in MN, American Sky's American Velvet is worth a try.
Black Ale isn't a defined style by the BJCP as far as I can tell. There are Black IPA's or Cascadian Dark Ales but Cold Press is clearly not an IPA style. I would call Cold Press a stout and rank it number one on my list of MN coffee porter/stout. It's entirely possible @MNAle was being sarcastic in his original post though and wanted options outside of bender/cold press. I suck at picking up sarcasm on the internet.
Since Cold Press is somehow off the list, I'd agree with Lift Bridge's Irish Coffee Stout, but would also add Fulton's War and Peace to the mix.
I didn't mean to start a "style war"; I was taking BP at their label (black ale), which is also how BA categorizes it. But, besides that, I really like Cold Press, so what else is there that is maybe as good (or better)?
Cold Press sounds like it is miscategorized if anything since the "style" seems to be mostly about hoppy dark beers http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/style/175/ Description: Also referred to as a Black IPA (India Pale Ale) or Cascadian Dark Ale, ales of this style range from dark brown to pitch black and showcase malty and light to moderate roasty notes and are often quite hoppy generally with the use of American hops. The other site, which I find to be more accurate usually with styles, calls it a stout
I was just going to post that. The BA styles follow the BJCP guidelines with their description. Stouts are technically "ales" so calling Cold Press a black ale isn't being disingenuous I don't think, but I would call Blakkr a black ale, Cold Press I would call a stout. Maybe a mod can move it to the American Stout category.
If you want to suggest a re-categorization of the listing here, there is a button on the beer's page called "Report an Update." You guys got me checking... Cold Press is (as we know) Bent Paddle Black Ale + coffee. Here's what the brewer says about Black Ale: "Brewed to be smooth, chocolatey, semi-roasted ale that bridges the islands of porter and stout. And if you aren't a fan of bridges, there’s always the canoe. This Black Ale drinks like a porter but is opaque like a stout." (Although their credibility took a hit since they seem to think there is a real difference between a porter and a stout! )
Hayes has a really nice coffee porter that they put on from time to time. Their local coffee shop supplies the cold press coffee.
I enjoy some Morning Wood on occasion....... (waits for smart ass replies) Not the best, but still decent.
Urban Growler and Bang both have solid ones. Bang uses some kind of coffee reduction syrup and adds it to the glass before pouring the beer from the tap.
Cool Beans is a great beer (best MN coffee porter IMO) with loads of coffee flavor. Well worth tracking down!
The problem with BA categorizations are that they are chosen by the BA that adds the beer to the site. Not everyone of us knows style guidelines perfectly, and sometimes the wrong style gets accidentally checked (I know I've been guilty of both of these a couple times). There is also the fact that some of us here have no idea what we are tasting (remember the whole is it Darkness or BA Darkness thing from last fall), and, therefore, have no solid standing to connect the character of the beer to the style guidelines. So back to coffee stouts/porters. Day Block makes a really good one during the colder months.
Barring stylistic guideline, Sisyphus also makes a very nice black ale with cold pressed coffee. Very similar to what Bent Paddle does with Cold Press Black.
Try Dangerous Man Chocolate Milk Stout with a shot of Nitro Cold Press, it's an extra dollar, but damn is it good.. Not exactly what you were looking for though probably.
