Shorts Cuppa Joe (Coffee Creme Stout)

What is beer? A beverage to enjoy alone or with friends. A passage into adulthood. A religious and social mechanism which has fueled governments and wars. A study into history and sociology. A pinnacle of creativity, imagination, and skill. A beacon of peace and brotherly love.

Imagine the quantity of coffee beans it requires to brew a batch of said-infused stout, and even Starbucks would be put to shame. I would never advocate irresponsibility or over-indulgence because too much of anything is never a good thing, but come some sunny morning, as the eggs are frying on the griddle and toast is warming in the oven, crack open that Cuppa Joe Java Cream Stout from Shorts Brewing and rediscover the pleasures of breakfast.

Rich, viscous, and blacker then freshly brewed coffee, my Cuppa Joe would light up anyone’s morning, though I happen to be enjoying him later in the evening. Very little head to speak of which quickly sinks into the looming darkness below. His nose is a beautiful one-two punch of dry and dark crumbly bitter chocolates as a river of coffee rips and roars through it all. Vanilla bean, licorice, wood, and fresh notes of cream are carried away like helpless victims. On nose alone I feel a ripple of energy and alertness start to spread throughout my being. Purportedly, Short’s Brewing used whole bags of coffee beans to create this veritable tome of stout and coffee heaven; I can believe it. A very clean and smooth mouthfeel which isn’t at all heavy. Considering the weight of flavor, an additional weight of body would have served to bog down this easy quaffing pick-me-up. Skim milk, bitter dry dark chocolates, crunchy chocolate covered espresso beans, freshly brewed coffee and a gentle undercurrent of vanilla tinged wood washes over my tastebuds with joyous abandon. My palate starts to slowly dry as licorice, charred malts, and dry espresso grinds give the palate a brisk finish. Again, I am amazed at how clean and light the body is which makes my evening Cuppa Joe far too easy to drink.

As I wrap up my night, and yet another amazing tasting, I can’t recall a single beer which didn’t wow, dazzle, and mystify. One, maybe two were good and not great, but even good is better than a face-wrenching drain-pour any day. Short’s Brewing is a small brewery which offers some of their beers in growlers-to-go which is how I enjoyed their Cuppa Joe Java Cream Stout. I hope the frisky folks at Short’s aren’t brewing in only their shorts, but if that is what it takes to create magic, then I’m ok with that.

Sample from a growler @ DLD09. Pours black with a small creamy tan head. The aroma is strong roasted coffee and chocolate. Flavor is more strong roasted coffee, chocolate, caramel, and some bitterness in the finish. Smooth throughout and enjoyable.

On tap at the Great Taste of the Midwest (8/9/08): Pours a nearly opaque rich dark mahogany with a creamy tan head. Has a nice fresh coffee nose and sweet dark caramel malty notes. Body starts with good fullness and smooth sweet dark malts and great coffee balance before a very drinkable roasty finish. A nice coffee stout.

Black color with a thin brown head. Great aroma - fresh coffee grounds, light roast and nuttiness, but very clean. Mild bitter roast taste, nice coffee character comes out on the back end.

4/25/2009: Shorts Cuppa Joe "Jittery Joe" is a black beer that is deep and rich. It has a great blend of coffee and chocolate. They definitely used quality coffee in this beer! Solid brew (both the beer AND the coffee) all around!

Sample from growler at Dark Lord Day 2009. Rating #45 for this beer.

Growler at DLD as Jittery joe, an acidental double dose of coffee...Deep black ... HUGE coffeee nose ... big big coffee ... decent roast ... very bitter.

From growler pour at DLD poured a hazy brown with tan head aromas of coffee and roasted malts taste is of coffee,chocolates,and cream maybe this one should be a sweet stout but has a slightly bitter finish

Draft Brewery 3/28/09-Pours pitch black with a small tan head. Aroma of coffee. Flavors of coffee, chocolate, burnt malt, and some bitterness. This full bodied brew is a great tasting stout and is well balanced.