Tröegs JavaHead Stout

Brewed by Tröegs Brewing Company
Style: Stout
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USA

Bottle; pours a bubbly mocha head atop a black body with obvious viscousity. Redolent of cocoa powdern, dark roast, bittersweet chocolate, roast barley, caramel notes, hint of vanilla, slight lactose or mild cream, and a final noticeable hop note. Overall a pleasant coffee aroma. Flavor is sweet malt, caramel, then dark chocolate, bitter roasted coffee which unfortunately is not overly complex, and then a slight floral orangey hint. Palate is nicely smooth due to the oats. However there is obviously too much of a hop presence in this stout and it presents a weird juxtaposition from bitter coffee to oranges. Overall a good start for a coffee stout but I found it somewhat timid and ambivalent as to the brewers intent.

Tap at Barcade: Near opaque pour with a light brown head that retains well. Rich fruity aroma with some soft roast (more black malt than coffee) and a nice British yeast soft fruitiness. Some mild hop notes are there as well giving it a resiny edge. Fluffy carbonation- creamy body. Lots of dry roasted black malt and burnt fruit notes (raisin) giving it a mild sweetness. Nice hop character as well- the resiny bitterness meshes with the roast. A nice drinkable and balanced coffee stout that has lots of discernible base beer qualities rather than just bombarding the consumer with coffee and masking the base beer. Nice job on the balance and coffee subtlety.

(Bottled 09/10/09) Interesting aroma of citrus hops and coffee. Pours an opaque black with a full tan head. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. On the flavor side it seems a bit light, some hops, some coffee, and a touch of roast. Not a bad beer, but not one I’ll hunt down again.

Poured from a 22oz. bomber into a pint glass. Pours a very dark brown color, almost pitch black that is completely opaque even when held to a light source. I mean there isn’t even the slightest mahogany edge on this. 2.5 finger frothy tan head that has good retention, slowly fding into a lasting cap that leaves chinks of lace rings on it’s way down. Slightly roasted sweet aroma with chocolate, coffee bean, hops, caramel, oatmeal and licorice notes. I was expecting this to have much more of a coffee/espresso presence but it is pretty subtle. The flavor is more coffee forward than the aroma would leave you to believe. Pretty roasty with a nice coffee/espresso bean flavor up front which roasted chocolate malt, toffee, caramel, burnt toast and a nice bitter hop profile. Slightly more watered down than I would prefer but still has a nice silky medium body. Again, this is very hoppy for the style and it shows in the dry bitter finish. The alcohol is decently masked.

Pure black color with some killer brown head. Aroma has a coffee and pine scent with a chocolate and floral undertone. Tastes of coffee, chocolate, and toffee. Has a little more carbonation than I was expecting from a stout. Leaves a bitter coffee aftertaste. Not too bad, but not too good either.

Pours a black color with a tan head. Aroma is of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, slight citrus hops, and a hint of molasses. Flavor isn’t as good as I was hoping. Pretty much what I got on the aroma with less coffee. Slightly bitter on the finish but not what I like.

Sampled at the SFTO Brandy release. Just about black in color with a small light brown head. Aroma of chocolate, roast, some light coffee. Taste has chocolate, roast, mild coffee, some light citrusy hops. Body is medium. Some light bitter roast in the finish. A nice stout, although I would have liked more coffee.