Pisgah Valdez - Pisgah Brewing Co.

largadeer

California

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle from mikesgroove, thanks Mike! Bottled in September '08.

Appearance: Into a wide-mouthed goblet, no coffee mug on hand unfortunately. A pitch black body with two fingers of dark tan foam. Head retention is great, leaving rings of lace as my glass empties. Great looking stuff.

Smell: Smells like a bag of freshly roasted coffee. There's a bit of roasted malt in there as well, but not much gets past the coffee aroma. I might be getting a hint of caramel as it warms, but maybe I'm trying too hard.

Taste & mouthfeel: Coffee. Pretty much just coffee. This doesn't so much taste like a coffee stout as it tastes like a cup of coffee with a little beer in it. Malt is faintly present, but this is very dry stuff. Fortunately for this beer it's got a great coffee character, like a freshly brewed shot of espresso, not overly bitter or acidic. The coffee flavor even lingers on throughout the dry finish, it's the first thing tasted and also the last. Is it one-dimensional? Maybe. Is it good? Definitely. I'm sure some people won't enjoy this, it really depends on how much you enjoy coffee. As for myself, I could drink a ton of this stuff and not get sick of it.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2008 00:28:47 | More by largadeer

CrellMoset

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from Bruisin' Ales in Asheville, NC. Poured into a 22 oz. Terrapin snifter.

Appearance: This beer looks like coffee. A nice head of froth - latte-esque, fine-bubbled, beige, tan, chocolate, creamy, milky, frothy, foamy - settles and sticks around for quite some time.

Aroma: Perhaps the most authentic freshly ground coffee smell I've ever gotten out of a beer. It's the perfect medium-to-full roast, but that's not all there is. There's sweet, milky chocolate notes, hints of

Taste: I think I detect a hint of coffee in this beer. But seriously, wow. A really great, strong earthy coffee note - no, not a note, a really great, strong earthy coffee backbone, foundation, basis. There're grassy notes, light citrus notes, and tons of roast, dirt, and light smoke. "Coffee-tastic." Pungent, too - I could smell it halfway across the room.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied, oily, milky, creamy, smooth, medium-bubbled. A little too big-bodied and fluffy, perhaps, but it works well with the light, delicate nature of the taste and the low alcohol content. Not cloying, sticky, or filmy, but very clean and crisp.

Drinkability: A fantastic all-around coffee beer, and the low abv% makes it even more drinkable. It's crisp, fresh, tasty, refreshing, AND it's organic ... what's not to love? Seriously though, it's one of the most authentic smelling/tasting coffee beers I've ever had the privilege of, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys their morning coffee strong with a half cream/half sugar. Very well made and very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2008 05:37:42 | More by CrellMoset

gford217

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

750mL corked and caged bottle poured into a tulip.

A: Pours dark, dark brown out of the bottle and settles pitch black in the glass with a massive three-finger tan head that shows great retention and lacing.

S: Coffee, coffee and more coffee. There is more than a hint of dark roasted malts underlying the coffee but the aroma of freshly ground coffee steals the shows in the this one.

T: The taste is also big on the coffee, but with a very slight bitterness in the finish. The dark malts are more evident than in the aroma, but the sweet roasted coffee shine through again. If you like coffee, you'll love this stuff.

M: Creamy and medium bodied mouthfeel with tons of carbonation that just leaves your mouth tingling with that cup-of-joe taste throughout.

D: If reviewing this beer as a imperial stout, it may be the most drinkable I've ever had in the style. I tend to think of it more of a stout and a half instead of a double, but it's damn fine stuff either way. Highly recommended!

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2008 02:27:19 | More by gford217

nflmvp

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is the second time I've had this beer. The first time was out of a two week old growler and THAT was awesome.

This sample exhibited more head...three fingers worth. Slow to subside, it eventually came down to a creamy coffee film with some mild lacing down the glass.

Smell was very definitely java but I also get a good dose of cocoa out of this. Very enticing.

Taste was more coffee and dark chocolate along with some vanilla and wood.

Mouthfeel starts out a little prickly but as the beer warms and mellows, it mellows to a creaminess that isn't initially expected.

Drinkability is very nice as as this beer is not too big. It's a very enjoyable 750ml of jo.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2008 03:30:36 | More by nflmvp

kkipple

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

After all the hype I thought I'd better throw in my two bits. Fresh outta Pisgah in new 750ml bottle form, I grabbed a few of these the day they hit shelves in Asheville and drank one a few days later.

A. The bottle disgorges a fat, 2 finger tall frothy tan head and a jet-black, opaque brew. Looks like, well, coffee. You'll tire of hearing that word by the end of the review, trust me. Over time the head subsides down to a few centimeters and leaves a few tidbits of lace behind. Lots of white yeast globs settle to the bottom of my glass. A bottle conditioned coffee stout?
Yes please!

S. Just... coffee. Rich, yet restrained and non-acidic coffee. Char, earth, cocoa, roasted malt and java. Some malt sweetness comes through but this is coffee all the way. Intense and clean, this is a real winner.

T. Coffee delight. Sweet and roasty and dare I say, mellow. Exceptionally well done, but rather one-note. If you like your morning joe you'll LOVE this.

M. Fantastic. Zesty, fluffy carbonation tingles the tongue and the lush beer fills the mouth with creamy bubbles. The finish is pure mocha and lingers long. Simply outstanding!

D. Quite high for what it is. Valdez is light (at only 6.8%) and avoids the harsh espresso / burnt roast character that many coffee Imperial stouts boast. Instead, this is a flavorful, yet medium bodied coffee stout that remains terribly drinkable. Reminded me a great deal of Allagash Black in that it was purposely subdued to great effect.

Valdez is another hit from the mad brewers at Pisgah. This is one of the best coffee beers I've had, ever. Seek it out if you're a devotee of the noble bean!

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2008 04:04:57 | More by kkipple

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.9/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Have to make note here of the bottle from Batch number three that I was able to enjoy a few times already in the last couple of days. THis maybe my all time favorite beer. Just has literally everything you could ask for and more. Rich decadent looking dessert, deep dark chcolate color with a towering head of fine tan. Slight reduction with time still elaves a copious amount of spider like side glass lace and lots of rocky crown.

The aroma is simply wonderful. A drop dead, drag out coffee knockout. Rich notes of sweet coffee are just all over this. It really is the best of both worlds here. Nice touches of sweet molasses in the finish that starts to become bitter and leaves you with more coffee then beer taste as you go through.

Having had the chance now to try this one each time it comes out from various different sources, I am thrilled to see this one go back to the roots. THis is like liquid heaven to me. I would honestly take this over pretty much any other beer I have ever had, and the fact that it is now bottled, just makes it even easier. Kudos to Dave and Jason for this one again, I know they get sick of hearing it from me, but this one is my crack. This is the reason I drink beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2008 01:50:29 | More by mikesgroove

goindownsouth

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks to mikesgroove for allowing me to take part in this bomber.

Jet black in colour, effervescent head that died quickly with essentially no lacing throughout. Aromas strong of roasted coffee and some malt tones. Not much else. The coffee flavor was pretty dominant. Not a bad thing. But there really was little else. Slight roasted flavor to play with the coffee notes, but not much else.

A decent brew, overall.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2008 13:12:52 | More by goindownsouth

Sponan

Tennessee

3.85/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewing based on notes from a prior tasting.

A - Black with a fair head spoiled by overfilling. Retention is good.

S - Overpowering coffee/espresso. Hard to get much else, although some chocolate and berry appears as it warms.

T - Very similar to iced coffee. Not much else is apparent. The bitterness is well balanced.

M - Carbonation is good, but I like my stouts thicker. This one is a bit thin.

D - Pretty easy to drink for a stout, seems a little light on the ABV for an 'Imperial', aiding the drinkability a bit. The balance aids as well.

This definitely has more 'coffee' to it than most other stouts I have had. This is good, but strikes me as a one trick pony kind of beer. Personally I would prefer a little more complexity.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2008 22:31:22 | More by Sponan

Deuane

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A-Black with dark brown highlights with a dark tan head. Left decent lacing.

S-ok, this is simple COFFEE! Fresh, ground and brewed quality COFFEE! Can I give a number higher than 5?

T-Ready...this is not a trick question, COFFEE! How can you make a beer that tastes nothing like anything other then COFFEE? No hop bite...and who cares?

M-Full bodied but not heavy. Round. Not quite as creamy as I would have thought...more crisp than I expected.

D-If I told you I drank at least one pint (at least) of these all four days I was in Asheville plus I bought and hauled 4 growlers back to PA with me how could I not give this anything but a 5!

Easily the best straight up coffee brew I have EVER had! Sheer genius by the mad scientists at Pisgah...keep up the FANTASTIC work guys!

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2008 00:43:01 | More by Deuane

SierraGS

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I had this on tap at Pisgah and again at Barley's (and I bought a growler for later.) It is pitch black in color with a long-lasting tan head, and it is full of aroma from freshly dark-roasted coffee beans. If I could rate aroma at a 6.5 on the scale of 1-5, I would.

On each sip, coffee flavors fill the mouth. There is very little hop bitterness, nor is there much in the way of creamy sweetness. It really is the epitome of coffee beer, balanced in such a way that it is a session beer for any coffee lover.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2008 04:50:24 | More by SierraGS

MuenchenerKindl

Germany

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the tap at Barley's Taproom in Asheville, NC to a pint glass. The liquid is a dark brown to black with good carbonation. The head was a big 2+ fingers but our bar tender toped it off to give a most generous pour. The head when delivered was 1 thick finger of off white creamy foam it had good retention and left good lace.

The smell was like Coffee in a nice stout. The medium roast coffee smell was great, melded with some classic stout aromas like chocolate and light char.

The taste followed well, big coffee flavor, this is easy in the top 5 coffee beers I have had. Must not have had too much alcohol as I had 2 pints and not a buzz, could be 5-6 %. That says something, 43 taps and I have 2 of the same. LOL Other flavors include mild char & light chocolate.

The mouthfeel was good, better then medium body, and nice carbonation.

The drinkability was great, I sampled 5-6 different brews before asking for another of this same. I was told the brewer only did 5 barrels, so if Coffee Stout is your thing get it while you can.

Prosit und Zum Wohl. MK

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 22:25:24 | More by MuenchenerKindl