Brooklyn Intensified Coffee Stout

Brewed by Brooklyn Brewery
Style: Imperial Stout
Brooklyn, New York USA

Pours black and tastes of chocolate covered espresso beans. I also noticed very slight banana undertones, probably from the yeast.

Mornings are not pretty, especially pre-coffee. Long before I ever fell in love with beer, coffee was my main elixir of life and vitality. Any one of my close friends and family can attest to the horrors of a morning Kristyn before she sups on her morning cup of Joe. Now pairing my love for coffee with my even greater love for beer, the trumpets have trumpeted, angels have sung, and heaven on earth can be found. Brooklyn Brewery and Garrett Oliver excel in creating classic beers with great precision and finesse. Flying high at the top of their beers is the keg-only Brewmasters Reserve series. The most recent Brewmasters Reserve that I was able to sup on was their Intensified Coffee Stout. Liquid nirvana, I tell you and far better than any morning cup of coffee could ever hope to be.

Poured a bit on the thin side but black as the coffee I brew every night before bedtime. Yes, I like my coffee cold in the morning, and after having stewed overnight in my fridge, I get to blast the gunk out of my eyes each morning with extra-concentrated iced coffee perkiness, hold the cream please. What I have here now in the wee hours of the afternoon is my morning bliss taken to expansive new heights. A roiling tan head burbles and bubbles, percolating down to a tan blanket of perfection. Eyes closed, I can smell the coffee beans being freshly ground and then, a few moments later, the soothing smell of fresh coffee being brewed. Crunchy, cooked espressos beans take me back once more to another culinary delight of my youth: chocolate covered espresso beans. Black, dark, and crunchy with dry roasted perfection, a hint of tobacco smoke wafts by as I prepare to sup on my morning cup of Intensified Coffee Stout. Soft, smooth, clean and creamy all at once. Many a stout go for the burnt espresso and crema palate pleasers, but this is freshly brewed coffee indulgence. Coffee in the front, middle, and back, my mouth is all smiles. Fresh vanilla bean mingles amidst her slightly darker, more espresso-like notes while tobacco esters continue to ground her palate. Definitely a sipper to enjoy after a slow period of “warming up”. The further I delve into her black coffee depths, the more my palate starts to enjoy a dry, scorched finish reminiscent of smoked cigars and burnt coffee. Rinse and refresh, the Intensified Coffee Stout is exactly just that: an intense coffee stout of exquisitely executed proportions.

If there were ever a Brewmasters Reserve for which I would commit questionable acts to have bottled, this one would be top at the list. Anyone who scoffs at the idea of stouts being refreshing obviously hasn’t tried this one.

On tap at Capital Ale House - Downtown on 06/15/2009. Dark brown body with a small frothy light brown head. Big coffee and roast aroma with some light chocolate. Sweet coffee and roast flavor with some light chocolate and some faint hops in the background. Medium light body with moderate carbonation.

On tap at Ebenezers. Black pour with nice tan head. Aroma is chocolate, bitter roast and a distinct creamyness. Flavor is loaded with coffee and baking chocolate with creamy and roasty characters evident. Sweetness creates a great balance against the bitter roast. Palate is thick and a bit dry.

Growler. Poured black with a medium sized tan head. The aroma and flavor had very nice notes of coffe and chcolate. It thankfully did not have ash that I don’t care for in my stouts. Sweet roasted malt flavor. Medium bodied. Very drinkable.

Smells like cold espresso. Flavor is more coffee and some cocoa notes. Palate is a bit thin but the flavor is right on.

Location: On tap at the Brewery, 7/18/09

Aroma: Coffee (Shocking, right?), roasted, malty
Appearance: Dark color, creamy brown head
Flavor: Strong coffee flavor to this one (I know, again, shocking!), not a lot of really heavy flavors here, sweet coffee, roasted start, and a light hop finish
Palate: Medium body, not a particularly heavy stout, but not thin either
Overall Impression: It’s a beer that will wake you up for sure, enjoyed drinking this one at the Brewery after our "tour."

Tap at Copenhagen Beer Festival 2009. Black color, nice tan head. Aroma is coffee and sweetness. Flavor is coffee and very fine balanced sweetness. Bitter finish.