When just a coffee, or just a beer won't do.....
Written: Jul 26 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Novelty, unique and interesting flavors.
Cons: ?
The Bottom Line: Most stouts carry a coffee-like flavor, this one goes a little further by adding real coffee to the mix. Worth trying for its novelty and a must for stout fans.
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| andaryl's Full Review: Redhook Double Black Stout |
The mixtures of coffee and beer will be nothing unusual to a stout fan, as most stouts show some kind of coffee like flavor. Redhook actually went a step further with their Doubleblack Stout and added real coffee to the mix. The beer originally used Starbuck’s coffee but as the website states, “we moved to a coffee source that is efficient to procure in the small quantities that we need to keep the beer fresh”. In other words Starbuck’s coffee was too expensive.
Brewed since 1995, the beer claims to be the “only beer of its kind in the world”. Pyramid Espresso Stout achieves its flavors through the use of dark malts and highly roasted barley, although I do believe that Rogue and Lakefront both now have stouts containing coffee.
Specifications
Grain Variety: Roasted Barley, black malt, chocolate malt, Carapils, Carastan 30/37, Wheat
Hop Variety: Chinook, Northern Brewer
Alcohol: 5.4 % ABW, 7% ABV
Calories: 228/12oz, (about 50% more than a US lager)
Availability: 22 oz. bottle
Silver Medal, Great American Beer Festival 1997
Tasting Notes
What would you expect from a beer called double black, than a black pour? It’s actually what stout drinkers call opaque, fairly thick, with a dense, confident head of foam.
The initial aromas are of fresh, dark, roasted coffee, almost like walking into a Starbuck’s store early in the morning. It gets even more appealing than that first cup of coffee in the morning when you detect that there’s a slight hop presence too.
This is a stout pretty full in body, almost chewable, holding a good firmness and passing over the palate with an extremely pleasing smoothness.
You get dry coffee flavors throughout the tasting, definitely roasty, while there’s a balancing almond nuttiness, and a mildly detectable creaminess and honey sweetness. There are also signs of alcohol throughout which make me think of Frangelico. The finish throws in a slight hop with the very briefest of tangs, but the most convincing part is the espresso like dryness.
The dry, roasted flavors linger long into the aftertaste remaining pretty full and robust, while a little hop tempers the stronger coffee flavors making for a nice subtle balance.
Verdict
Most stouts carry some kind of coffee-like flavor, and all this beer does is enhance that character. I like the way that the slight hop fruitiness at the back mildens things down a little, creating a characteristic (not flavor) similar to an espresso with a lemon twist. I do think the alcohol was a little too obvious, pushing this close to an Imperial Stout, and not entirely all that necessary. I did read that this beer was originally 5% ABV, so maybe they increased the alcohol in response to a few sleepless nights caused by late caffeine consumption.
So does it benefit from the coffee? This probably wouldn’t be my first choice of stout, but there’s certainly something interesting and unique, giving this beer full marks for what it achieves in its novelty. It’s definitely one for the curious and certainly worth a try for stout fans.
Food
Most stouts pair well with a chocolaty dessert or cheesecake and I’d go along with this to a certain extent. Some even suggest pouring this beer over chocolate ice cream. Personally I think they just put a little too much alcohol in it for food and would make this an after dinner drink and one for cigar smokers.
I also think it would make a good nightcap. One bottle contains caffeine equivalent to a 5oz cup of coffee, but I’m the kind of person that can still fall asleep after 3 or 4 coffees. Maybe there will be a decaf version some day.
Availability
Redhook now has three breweries (two in Washington and one in New Hampshire) and 738 distributors, so there shouldn't be too much problem finding this beer.
Recommended:
Yes
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andaryl
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Member: Andrew Smith
Location: California via Yorkshire
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