Darktober

Darktober 19: Harvest Pumpkin Ale

~ lobablanca

Brewer: Blue Moon Brewing Company
Location: Golden, Colorado
Type: Pumpkin Ale
ABV: 5.7%

Slipping backward in our eastbound trek, once more to Colorado, for this week’s seasonal brew. Remember, in my Red Banshee review, how I said I wasn’t going to take a swipe at Colorado’s Mega-Beer…right now?

Welcome to “right now.”

So, one of the other universally present, universally recognized American beermakers is MillerCoors. It used to be just Miller and just Coors, with one in Wisconsin and one in Colorado. It’s a long, convoluted story about how it evolved into now Chicago-based MillerCoors, but this company now encompasses lots of recognizable North American beers, including the Miller and Coors products (der), Canada’s Molson products, Keystone, Pabst, Schlitz, Stroh, National Bohemian, Zima (dear prophets, do they still make Zima?)…and Blue Moon.

That’s right, Blue Moon Brewing Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of MillerCoors, brought in under the Coors umbrella. The parent company almost never associates itself with Blue Moon, claiming they want the company to stand on its own merits. Personally, I’ve always felt that it’s because they want people to believe that Blue Moon is just a regular old craft brewery whose eerily reaching global presence is attributable to the wildly tasty beers they make.

Can you tell that I’m not really a disciple of any of these notions?

Do I think that Blue Moon is a terrible brewer? No. Do I think they’re good enough to be so globally accessible as a “craft brewery”? Mmm, not really. No matter how hush-hush MillerCoors is to the general public about their affiliation with Blue Moon, the affiliation still exists. And Blue Moon definitely benefits in ways that real craft breweries do not. Does this make me biased against them because they have special access to “Daddy’s money” and accompanying resources?

Yes. Yes, it does. What can I say? I’m always one to root for the underdogs rather than the pampered purebreds.

So, anyway, Blue Moon. “Craft brewers.” With a really big backer. They do tend to enjoy dabbling in a diverse line of flavored beers, including specialty releases like Agave Blonde, Caramel Apple Spiced, Valencia Amber, Raspberry Cream, and Peanut Butter ales. Never tried any of those, but I’ve had their Summer Honey Wheat, Winter Abbey, and Belgian White ales. I bet you can automatically tell what one of my other issues is with them, can’t you? Lots and lots of light-colored beers…not necessarily heavily hopped, but definitely not the PANTONE chip I seek in my beer color wheel. Again, not terrible beers, just not to my liking.

However, I was offered a single of their Harvest Pumpkin Ale, which I happily accepted…because I’m sometimes not a total hard-ass in my dismissal of things based on previous experiences.

Sometimes.

Gorgeous pumpkin-colored pour topped by a satisfying dollop of creamy foam form an instant and lovely visual association, and allow a clear view of the constant chains of effervescence linking ever upward through the body of this beer. The nose and taste offer hints of cinnamon, clove, and all-spice, but are ultimately overwhelmed by an incredible nutmeg presence.

Seriously, this is one nutmeg-worshipping brew. I don’t mind nutmeg in small doses, especially when paired with the other traditional pumpkin pie spices, but I definitely consider it to be a spice to be used sparingly. Otherwise, it’s way too intense, almost to the point of painful. Kind of like the taste of this ale. A little dab’ll do ya, indeed.

Blue Moon would do well to keep this fact in mind the next time they brew a batch of this seasonal beer.

Darktober 18: Big Eddy Baltic Porter

~ LobaBlanca

Brewer: Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company
Location: Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Type: Baltic Porter
ABV: 8.5%

Let’s stick in the Central Zone a bit longer, shall we? And let’s have a call-back to the Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager collaboration between Louisiana and Wisconsin breweries by trailing upward from Louisiana’s Abita to Wisconsin’s Leinenkugel Brewing Company.

CRAZY DARKTOBER PRE-PLANNING IS CRAZY.

So Leinenkugel. I’ve actually had a bit of experience with this brewer thanks to an introduction to their Summer Shandy by my cousin with the mad culinary skills. The idea of beer brewed with lemonade wouldn’t have been a natural selection for me, but I trust her flavor choices enough that I was willing to venture outside my comfort zone. It’s a delightfully light and refreshing beer, surprisingly non-cloying, and perfect for an outdoor barbecue on a bright, cloudless summer day.

[Loba Tangent: I’m getting the sneaking suspicion from these Darktober reviews that I’m more of a fruit-flavored beer fan than I thought. This slightly disturbs me.]

This level of satisfaction was all I needed to give further consideration to other Leinenkugel offerings. Finding a Baltic porter from this brewer was a pleasant surprise…probably because I’ve only seen their lighter offerings. Their Summer Shandy, Honey Weiss, and Berry Weiss beers are always in ample supply, but I’d never seen one of their darker offerings until this year. That’s when I met Big Eddy.

Actually, “Big Eddy” is the name of their special series of beers brewed with water from nearby Big Eddy Spring, once dubbed “the purest water in the world” (although they don’t say who dubbed it that). The series comprises mostly dark offerings that all sound like exactly my kind of collection.

Baltic porters, like Imperial stouts, are meant to be bigger, bolder flavors than their everyday counterparts. Big Eddy’s take is, indeed, a Superman to the average Clark Kent porters (damn, I’m just hitting all the dorky planning jokes!). The nose is large and intensely fragrant, even if the head barely made an effort to appear for the pouring of this thick, dark brew. What surprised me about this one, however, is the truth behind the bottle’s description:

A rich, malty brew with toffee, port, and chocolate notes and a dark fruit finish.

Most of the time, I kind of feel like my taste buds are broken, because I just don’t seem to taste whatever the brewers (or copy writers) are tasting. This time? Not so sure on the toffee, but if I had to ping this porter as borrowing its intense flavors from some other alcoholic offering? It would absolutely be port. I was astonished, in fact, by how heavily inspired by traditional port flavors this beer is. There are also strong notes of dried figs and a slightly harsh, pungent undercurrent that I couldn’t quite identify as any particular flavor…just the subtlest suggestion of a piquant darkness flowing beneath it all.

The flavors need a bit of settling into before you feel truly comfortable with Big Eddy, but they do become agreeable after a time. Warmth emboldens the flavors, so letting this one set for a while isn’t necessarily a bad idea. However, the strange astringent edge of this porter sharpens as well.

I’m not sure if I would seek out this particular Big Eddy brew again, but I also wouldn’t pass it over if I ever found it on tap. I bet it’s a beast when it’s fresh. I’m also definitely interested enough that I will be keeping my eyes open for more Big Eddy offerings, or even one of Leinenkugel’s other dark beers.

Darktober 17: TURBODOG

~ lobablanca

Brewer: Abita Brewing Company
Location: Abita Springs, Louisiana
Type: English Brown Ale
ABV: 5.6%

From Mountain to Central, and back once more to Louisiana. I strongly debated whether or not to review this beer since I have had it several times before and I am trying to get in as many new beer experiences as possible this month. However, I simply couldn’t resist sharing my joy, not only over this particular beer but also over this particular brewery. Besides, the beer is definitely dark and was part of one of my recent single-beer shopping sprees. It qualifies, dammit!

So it is that I present to you Abita’s TURBODOG. You all know me well enough by this point that I’m not even going to lie on this one: I originally chose this beer for the name. Sucker for a dog-themed beer, indeed. Truthfully, though, one does not not choose an Abita beer at some point when one is in New Orleans. Talk about universal presence! In this instance, however, Abita is deserving of a healthy dose of Big Easy Love. Their beers have always been fresh, flavorful, full-bodied, and more than able to hold their own when paired with the boldness of Nawlins cuisine.

My first exposure to TURBODOG in the Crescent City, in fact, came about when I ordered it along with a half-dozen chargrilled oysters and a some chicken and andouille gumbo at ACME Oyster House. TURBODOG’s chocolate, chicory sensuality paired beautifully with the buttery smoked herbal notes of the oysters as well as the spiced elegance of the gumbo.

On its own, however, is a slightly different experience. A coffee-colored pour with ruby highlights and butterscotch foam, take your first whiff and? Willamette hops, my friends. Yes, that’s right. Willamette hops. I think I might have been even more inclined to notice their presence because of yesterday’s full-on exposure to them. However, I have always noted a hoppy hint to TURBODOG. Thankfully, though, it is indeed only a hint. Strong enough to detect it if you’re sensitive to the taste or smell, but mild enough that it doesn’t impede the malted sweetness or dark bread, roasted cacao, or nutty sibilance of other flavors.

It’s really not until Abita’s 25th Anniversary Vanilla Double Dog that the hops take a more central appearance in the flavor profile, which was definitely a disappointment for me. However, other Abita beers I have tried, including their raspberry and strawberry beers, have been surprising winners. I’ve mentioned before that fruit-flavored beers are a sticky wicket for me. However, I must say that Abita’s strawberry seasonal brew in particular was jaw-droppingly delicious (and on a sultry afternoon pairs beautifully with a fresh shrimp Po Boy). Right now is the season for Abita’s pecan harvest ale, which I wouldn’t mind tracking down at all.

Back to TURBODOG. With a mellow mouth feel and pleasing palate, this is quite an easy brew to drink. For me, though, this is definitely another beer that begs to be paired with food, rather than drunk alone. Then again, maybe this is just me speaking from my pleasant Abita and food pairing experiences in New Orleans. I do know, however, that I was surprised by how subdued my response was to TURBODOG when finally drinking it on its own. Guess this means another reason to return to New Orleans. Gotta feed my TURBODOG love…

Darktober 16: Red Banshee

~ lobablanca

Brewer: The Fort Collins Brewery
Location: Fort Collins, Colorado
Type: American Amber/Red Lager
ABV: 5.3%

Shifting time zones from Pacific to Mountain, we journey to Colorado. I know what some of you are thinking right now, but, no, I’m not going to take a swipe at that other Mega-Beer conglomerate the way I’ve been doing with Anheuser-Busch.

At least not right now.

Today, it’s all about The Fort Collins Brewery. Actually, though, there are quite a few awesome craft breweries located in Colorado, including the ever-more-omnipresent New Belgium, Breckenridge, and (one of my personal favorites) Left Hand Brewing. In fact, if I still had that bottle-aged milk stout from Left Hand in my reserve, this review would be all about that. Damn that too-tasty-to-resist-any-longer beer.

Instead, I give you the Red Banshee. For full disclosure, I originally purchased this beer because of the name. Really, though, how could I not? It’s like it was named specifically for me (or after me, depending on whom you ask)! Sometimes, I truly am a slave to marketing.

Pouring the Red Banshee into my Green Lantern glass (because sometimes I’m also really this silly in my planning) revealed a color more similar to a rusty carmine, with a fallow head that left a rather intense lacing down the inside of the glass.

[Loba Tangent: Ah, this is one that I haven’t mentioned yet this Darktober: lacing. It’s what beer nerds call the residue that the frothy head leaves along the inside of the glass as you drink your beer. I haven’t really dwelt on this term before now because it hasn’t really been a noteworthy thing with the other beers I’ve reviewed. However, Red Banshee’s tightly packed cushion of bubbles left an amazing trail of lacing all over this glass. Thus, this tangent.]

The moment the bouquet hit me, I knew that I was probably about to make a mistake in drinking or reviewing this beer. Recusing myself would have been the better option. Why? I could smell the hops…and very little else. Heavy hops presence is like kryptonite to me, and it’s probably one of the primary things that kept me from exploring the beer scene sooner. I’m not really sure what I find so unpleasant about heavy-handed hoppiness, but it’s probably the flip side of the response that non-dark fans have to those bitter, heavy brews I cherish so much.

Red Banshee simply glows with hoppy aromas. It’s by no means the hoppiest beer I’ve ever had…in fact I’m sure that hops fans would probably consider this a very mild contender. This red lager is brewed with Willamette hops, which is a variety grown in Oregon’s Willamette Valley (and you thought we’d left Oregon). and possesses a distinctly floral profile overtop the expected botanical bitterness.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t really pick up on any other flavors beyond these floral ones, but I can say that this was surprisingly smooth in its hoppy impact. I’ve had some hoppy beers that have fairly felt like the hops were leaving behind a trail of taste bud devastation. Red Banshee is a graceful, more refined tartness that is easy to adjust to as your taste buds get acquainted to her somewhat pungent presence.

I wish I could provide a more detailed review for Red Banshee, but as a non-disciple of Hopism, I’m afraid I’m a bit out of my league. However, I do think that it’s a beer worth giving a try if you are a true believer. As for me, I’ve seen a couple other Fort Collins offerings, including a chocolate stout, a double chocolate stout, and a double chocolate coffee Imperial stout, that I most definitely would not mind trying. Maybe next time, I’ll look a little further than the beer name before making my purchase 😉

Darktober 15: Mocha Porter

~ LobaBlanca

Brewer: Rogue Ales
Location: Newport, Oregon
Type: American Porter
ABV: 5.1%

Welcome,denizens, to a new week of my continuing exploration into the darkest depths of our beer-heavy refrigerator. Welcome to Darktober, Week 3.

First, this week’s theme: I realized in my latest batch of purchases that I had a group of beers that trailed a relatively nice path from one coast of the United States to the other (minus one or two…or most states, of course). So this week and part of next will be dedicated to making the journey across the country, one randomly located beer at a time.

We start on the West Coast with today’s beer. In my last review, I sort of took some potshots at the “King of Beers,” for being a producer of blandly ubiquitous mega-beer offerings. Are there such breweries in the craft beer business? By no means are there any on the same mass-produced level as an Anheuser-Busch product, but there are definitely several instantly recognizable brands within the craft beer fandom. I would point to today’s brewery as evidence to support this fact.

Oregon’s Rogue Ales brewery has been around since 1988, churning out an enviably large array of beers into the craft market. They were definitely one of the earliest craft brewers I remember noticing as my interest in beer began to grow. It’s kind of difficult to miss their legion of 750 ml bottles, all bedecked with the single-star Rogue logo and similarly posed caricatures, fisting the air with inebriated enthusiasm.

[Loba Tangent: From an artistic standpoint, I’ve always found these caricatures a little off-putting. The heads rarely look proportionate to the bodies, which give me a bit of a no feeling whenever I look at them. Does this impact the taste of the beer though? No, not really. Just something I felt the need to whiny hate about.]

A couple of key ways in which Rogue differs from a mainstream monster like Anheuser-Busch: They produce an impressive and constantly updating array of types and flavors, showing that they are not in any way trying to rest on their laurels. They also sometimes come out with rather odd or just downright crazy flavors, to show that they have no intention of losing their edge. The latest example to which I can point is, of course, their team-up with equally famous Oregon staple, Voodoo Doughnut, for their Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale. Some of you might have even heard me babble about these pink-bottled beauties, shown here:

Some of you may have even been turned into my personal taster guinea pigs on this adventure 🙂 My final thoughts on this particular brew, if you’ll indulge me with this mini review, is as follows:

Definitely way more bacon-y than I was expecting it to be. I’ve had other bacon-based products (bacon latte?!? YES PLEASE) that sort of copped out on the bacon level. Rogue definitely did not do this. Bacon all the way through, almost to the point of drowning out the maple syrup flavor, which really didn’t hit you until the very end. Almost like an afterthought, really.

I definitely would have liked this beer more if there had been more of a balance to the two flavors. As it was, it was just a little bit too much bacon. I’d read reviews that compared this beer to drinking bacon grease. It’s not *that* bad, but it’s also not something that I would want to drink on a regular basis. Definitely a limited-release experience to be shared. Watching everyone’s reactions was probably more fun than the actual tasting 🙂

In some ways, their more daring offerings remind me a bit of the daring behind Dogfish Head’s always intriguing line-up. Beyond their crazy flavor ideas and their eye-catching bottle designs, however, my general reaction to Rogue’s mainstay beers is probably what’s fueling my mental comparison to a large-scale bland beer maker. My reaction, to be blunt, is typically meh. Their standard brews, to me, taste rather subdued and “one-note.” And so it went with my first taste of their Mocha Porter.

Rather flat and practically headless, even with my ongoing attempts at more vigorous pouring, this leather-tinted brew presented a uniform blandness: Both the nose and the taste were decidedly singular in their similarity to the smell and taste of a strong cup of coffee. The disappointment of this fact doesn’t even really stem from how one flavor overpowers anything else. It’s the fact that the “strong” coffee notes weren’t indicative of a fresh, properly made cup of joe. More like a cup left for a few hours on the burner before finally poured. Bitter, acidic, and burnt, with an aftertaste like the last cup of coffee from the office carafe (you know the one…the cup that sat in the pot for HOURS because no one wanted to be the one to pour it and then have to make a fresh pot).

Because of the impressive number of beers that Rogue is able to offer, I can’t say that my personal impression of them is in any way all-encompassing. Truth is, I’ve only tried about eight of their different flavors, and I remember that a couple (Hazelnut Brown Nectar and Chocolate Stout) were quite enjoyable. However, my general impression is such that they would more than likely only be my “preferred choice” if they happened to be the only dark brew on tap that night. Similarly, I will tend to pass right by their section when perusing liquor store shelves for new taste experiences (minus when they produce something in a saucy pink Pepto Bismol bottle stamped with the words BACON MAPLE and DOUGHNUT).

Bottom line is this: According to industry estimates quoted by the ever-reliable Wikipedia oracle, Oregon is home to the nation’s fourth largest tally of craft breweries. Whether or not this is actually true, the list of craft breweries generated by a search on craftbeer.com generated a hella amazing list. Rogue is just one of many that Oregon has to offer. I’m not saying that it’s not worth it to give Rogue a go. Only you can figure out what suits your palate best. Don’t be fooled by ubiquity though. Just because it’s everywhere, doesn’t mean it’s the best. Look at how many Starbucks and McDonald’s are out there…

Darktober 13: Dark Truth Stout

~ LobaBlanca

Brewer: Boulevard Brewing Company
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Type: American Double/Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.7%

What, might you ask, is the Dark Truth of this particular beer?

It is the truth that beer of character, complexity, quality, and flavor is not brought to you by Clydesdales.

Okay, I’m obviously ripping on Anheuser-Busch right now, which is kind of like kicking a three-legged puppy, since they’re probably still reeling from their acquisition by InBev. Honestly, even I was a bit stunned by that, and I’m by no means a fan of their products. Still, they kind of do meet the criteria of “American Institution,” having been doing the brewing since 1852

Darktober 12: Boxcar Pumpkin Porter

~ lobablanca

Brewer: Starr Hill Brewing Company
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Type: English Porter
ABV: 5.2%

Time to end our work-inspired travel tour and bring it back home for this week’s seasonal brew. Remember how I said, in my review of Dark Starr Stout, that Starr Hill would be making a return appearance this Darktober? Welcome to the return: Boxcar Pumpkin Porter.

Warm autumnal scents of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, and allspice over the pungent trace of star anise rise from the depths of this midnight-tinted brew. The taste, however, is…incongruous.

Boxcar dropkicks your palate with a full-frontal bitter blast. It’s actually quite jarring, especially considering the “comfort food” nose that precedes it. You wouldn’t be wrong to expect a rush of flavors reminiscent of a warm slice of fresh pumpkin pie.

Instead, this porter’s flavor is more like the truest essence of cooked pumpkin

Darktober 11: St. Charles Porter and Nut Brown Ale

~ LobaBlanca

Brewer: Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Type: American Porter and English Brown Ale
ABV: 5.8% and 5.6%

Well, that’s a sad photo to the right, isn’t it? Empty pint glass for a beer review? What gives, Loba?

Here’s the thing: First, yes, I am reviewing two beers in one review, but, no, I don’t actually have the beers in my possession at the moment. Keeping with this week’s theme of reviewing beers that I have discovered during various work-related trips, these two beers were my most recent happy discoveries from my latest travels.

A whirlwind assignment found me on my very first journey to Nashville, Tennessee. I know very little about Nashville. It’s the home of country music. It’s not where Elvis lived. It’s not where Elvis died. There is, however, a cupcake place that makes Elvis-inspired cupcakes. Bet you can guess the flavor.

I was only there for a day, and most of the time was reserved for work, so I knew that I wasn’t really going to see anything of Nashville beyond the hotel and where I needed to report. But I knew…I knew I had to have some barbecue. One does not go to Tennessee without at least trying to find some tasty charred meat.

Thanks to the hotel’s free wi-fi and some snooping around on Yelp, I found a place in walking distance that not only fulfilled this requirement but also presented me with the unexpected joy of being a craft brewery as well!

Excellent.

Blackstone’s is a lovely little place, not quite small enough to be considered a “neighborhood dive” but not close enough to the downtown hustle to be considered a big contender. It’s kind of tucked away in a part of town that looks like it might have seen better times. Then again, Blackstone’s looks like it might have seen better times as well. Not to say that it looked run down or lacking in curbside appeal. It’s a tidy, decent-sized place, equal parts sports bar, restaurant, and brewery, but both times we went there (yes, I said both times) there weren’t a whole lot of people there. Maybe it was just off times. Is Sunday evening an off time for restaurants? Monday afternoon? I don’t know.

It’s a shame, though, because I had two exquisite experiences here. Both days, we had the same waitress (I think her name was Anna, but I could be incorrect on that one). She remembered us the second day, was incredibly congenial, chatty but by no means annoyingly so, very attentive, and just really excellent at taking care of us. This included making sure we got ample opportunities to try several of the beers on tap.

Obviously, I treated myself to Blackstone’s two darkest offerings. However, I did give their Chaser Pale Ale a chaser of a chance and was incredibly surprised by how delicious it was. Brewed in the German Kolsch style, it was a bright perfect balance between honey smooth and citrusy sweet, with just the slightest hint of a hoppy tingle.

On to the main attractions. My first choice from Blackstone’s tap lineup was their St. Charles Porter. It had to be done, since I was also ordering a half slab of their baby back ribs, cooked in said dark brew. What a delicious pairing! This porter sidesteps saccharine pitfalls while delivering clean dry porter flavors of dark chocolate, chicory, espresso, and subtle smokiness, making it a perfect accompaniment for Blackstone’s sweet and savory ribs and their fall-off-the-bone barbecue goodness.

P.S.: Blackstone’s ribs are nothing short of miraculous.

For dessert, I opted for their Nut Brown Ale (it says right here it’s a dessert wine beer!). A gorgeous golden cherry in contrast to the somber mahogany of St. Charles Porter, it still holds its own in flavor, with notes of caramel and a savory sweetness like molasses on toast. Both beers are incredibly easy on the palate, making it quite easy to wile away several pre-flight hours chatting and enjoying such other wonderful (and immensely beer-friendly) brewpub offerings as wood-fired oven-baked pretzels and succulent steak and biscuits au jus.

(Remember, I did state that I went here twice, denizens.)

I loved these beers and the overall Blackstone experience so much that I decided to commemorate the occasion with my very first beer-centric pint glass ever purchased. How’s that for praise?

Draft suits both these brews quite well, but I do wonder what they taste like from the bottle. For scientific reasons only, of course. Hopefully, Blackstone will reach this far north and I will get my chance to continue my very relevant research. And hopefully, one day I’ll get a chance to return to Blackstone’s brewpub. If I could have packed this place up in my carry-on and toted it home with me, I would have. Lovely digs, awesome waitress, delicious food, and wonderful brews always flowing from their taps.

Darktober 10: Blackened Voodoo Lager

~ lobablanca

Brewer: Dixie Brewing Company (currently brewed by Joseph Huber Brewing Company)
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana (currently Monroe, Wisconsin)
Type: Schwarzbier
ABV: 5%

Many, many moons ago, my very first official business trip took me to the Big Easy, itself: New Orleans. It’s been a love-love relationship ever since. In fact, I do believe that New Orleans holds pride of place as my favorite visited U.S. city to date (San Francisco is close on its heels, but still so very far away). I’ve been there three times now. If I was given the chance right now to go again, this entry would be left unfinished at this very line.

I’ve already tried to capture my feelings about this beautiful city (and only come marginally close). I won’t try again. At least not for this review. Instead, I’d like to introduce you to the very first Nawlins beer I ever had: Dixie’s Blackened Voodoo Lager.

It was my first night in the Big Easy and I was itching to try it all

Darktober 9: KoKo Brown

~ LobaBlanca

Brewer: Kona Brewing Company
Location: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Type: American Brown Ale
ABV: 5.5%

Ah, Hawaii. It’s such a lovely place and takes such a long time to reach from the East Coast, that I’ve decided to stay a little bit longer. You don’t mind, right?

I’ve also decided to stick with a coconut theme, since it’s such a delightful notion to me, this coconut and beer combination. I’m typically not a big fan of fruit-flavored beers, liking only a select number from the ones I have tried. This, however, works for me, for some completely strange reason. Guess that’s why I was so willing to give another coconut beer a try. This time we’re going from porter to ale with Kona Brewing Company’s KoKo Brown.

Cinnamon oak colors catch light easily through a diaphanous gilding of ecru foam. This is not a heavily carbonated beer by any means. It also possesses a predominantly coconut nose, a strong indication that this time around, coconut will not be sharing its screen time.

To this end, KoKo Brown is a far more divisive flavor than yesterday’s CoCoNuT PorTeR, because it possesses a far more distinct coconut flavor. Whereas yesterday’s brew mixes its toasted coconut with those tried-and-true porter flavors in a practically perfect elixir of cheer, KoKo Brown showcases its coconut center stage. You can smell it in each waft, taste it in each sip, detect it long after the last swallow slips into memory only. For these reasons, I suspect that many will not even consider this as a future beer option. No worries. More for me 😉

I’d like to point out at this point that what I’m tasting in this particular bottle of KoKo Brown is different from what I’ve tasted in previous exposures to this beer. This ale came from my (admittedly small) collection of beers currently being bottle-aged. True, this was a relatively young selection; I’d only been aging it for about a year. However, I can tell you that it was showing delightful progress. One of the things that I noticed when I first tried KoKo Brown was the surprisingly muted status of the flavors. A year served to embolden those flavors, giving this ale a much fuller body and a lush tropical flavor profile.

Actually, this experience has made me once more mourn the fact that Maui Brewing only uses cans for their beers. I can only imagine how amazing a well-aged CoCoNut PorTeR could taste. Diabolically delicious, I’m sure.

Oh, and in case you’re curious about what I’m blathering on about with this whole “bottle aging” hoo ha, here’s a little extra reading material on the subject.

All in all, this is another beer I’m very happy to have discovered, from a decidedly impressive brewer. Even if you choose not to try their KoKo Brown, I’d invite you to give some of their other offerings a try, including their Longboard Lager and an amazing seasonal offering called Pipeline Porter. It’s brewed with Kona coffee. Do I really need to say any more?

And thus the sun descends upon our final moments with Hawaii’s coconut beer offerings. Aloha, denizens, until our next beery destination.