Peak Organic Espresso Amber Ale - Peak Organic Brewing Company

Chris_Mac

New Hampshire

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Pours a beautiful rich amber, with a darkness lurking beneath. Thick soft foam meets the liquid component. Rich expresso beans smell freshly ground. Mild lacing apparent after the first sip, which is refreshingly light. Lacing becomes more apparent and layered with subsequent sips. Taste of the alcohol and malts are in the backgrounds, with mild carbonation. A very enjoyable beer, well crafted. Although I don't think the sum is greater than the parts, and am unsure if there is an ideal situation for an expresso amber, I will be trying it again to find that situation.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 00:03:49 | More by Chris_Mac

TappaKeggaBrew

Ohio

3/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Clear, medium-dark red-brown liquid. An aggressive pour yields 2-plus fingers of light tan head that starts to fade fairly quickly, although a thin layer lingers a long time; delicate lacing was tenacious all the way down.

S: Toasted grain and floral hops are the dominant aromas at first whiff. Then the coffee takes over and there's nothing else to smell after that. Sadly, it's not the rich smell of fresh-brewed coffee -- it's more like the cold coffee grounds you dump out of the filter from the previous day's last brewing.

T: There is a fleeting moment of grainy malt sweetness when it touches the tongue, but the coffee jumps up quickly and knocks the malt aside. The coffee is rich and acidic for a short time, and tart fruit makes a brief showing as well, but then it's all bitter, cold coffee in the finish (and it lasts...)

M: Moist, a little chewier that I expected from such a clear brew, and moderately crisp and carbonated. Just a hint of dryness in the finish.

O: Not my cup of tea... er, coffee. I think that the marriage of the strong flavor of espresso with an amber ale just didn't work -- it's potent flavor needs the strength of a porter or stout to balance it (or it needs to be added in more conservative measure), as well as the creaminess of the darker brews to take that bitter edge off. It's not bad, but it's certainly not good (especially compared to some other coffee flavored brews I've sampled in the past). I won't be going back for seconds...

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 02:28:37 | More by TappaKeggaBrew

bigkingken

Virginia

4.06/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

If you're looking for a beer to deliver a great coffee taste without the heaviness of a porter or stout, this is the beer for you. It's got a pungent yet sweet coffee aroma, followed up by a true espresso flavor with a solid malt backbone and just enough hops to balance it out. It has a nice drawn out finish, leaving the palette wanting more of that delicious coffee on the tastebuds. Only drawbacks are that the mouthfeel is a bit thin, leading to the sensation of over-carbonation.

All-in-all, I'd say it's a solid offering and a pretty decent beer. I still prefer my coffee with some thick stout, however, so I doubt I'll be taking another one of these off the shelf.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 20:06:56 | More by bigkingken

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Coffee amber ale. Interesting.

Pours and amber/copper color, with an off white colored head. The aroma has a nice coffee note, caramel, nuttiness, sweet malts and a tinge of chocolate. The taste has alight coffee bitterness, caramel maltiness, slight citrus fruits, herbs, grass and cocoa.

Creamy feel on the palate, light to medium body, light carbonation. Ever so slight hop/coffee bitterness linger.

I love trying unusual coffee beers and this is a nice one one nothing phenomenal. Very glad to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 02:57:03 | More by EgadBananas

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

2.94/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Pours a deep slightly hazy amber/orange with a huge frothy tan head that takes forever to recede. I can smell the coffee as soon as I pop the top off this bad boy. Holy coffee Batman the closer my nose gets the more intense the aroma. I can find little in the nose other than Java. If only the flavor followed the nose more closely. Lots of coffee flavor but also a bitter buttery earthy mineral flavor kicks in. Medium to thin body with a moderate level of carbonation and a slick watery mouthfeel. Sadly this brew is not for me. I generally enjoy the peak products, but not this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 05:28:47 | More by johnnnniee

SawDog505

New Hampshire

2.95/5  rDev -22%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass not sure when it was bottled. Pours a cloudy amber with a two inch off white head that leaves some lace. Smell is huge roasted coffee and faint piney hops, very unusual smell. Taste is lots of coffee, carmel, dark chocolate, and vanilla, very odd beer. Body is thin for these flavors, plenty of carbonation, a little dry, and goes down easy enough. Hard to describe this beer style, with these flavors.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 18:55:58 | More by SawDog505

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Organic, fair trade, local coffee shop hippie beer.

Dark stained cherrywood color with a dirty, pocked beige head. Healthy sheen of retention wraps splashy lace around my glass.

Smells like stale coffee that's been sittin' in the pot for awhile. Caramel and maple syrup blend with the coffee and it's a really odd combo. A sweet tooth breakfast beer.

Bold, old gas station coffee and toffee candy flavor. Very munich-y. I believe there are two ways of coffee infusion: warm and cold, and it's the cold infusion that makes coffee beer taste like old gas station coffee. I prefer warm infusion. I could also be completely ass backwards on the cold infusion thing.

Well executed just not my type of mash up.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 13:01:48 | More by donkeyrunner

shand

Florida

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is one coffee beer that does not mess around. It pours a hazy crimson color with a small head. The taste is excellent, it's got a very strong coffee flavor over some sweet malts and a surprising amount of earthy and leafy hops. It's very good, if a little bit one-dimensional. The mouthfeel is lighter and well-carbonated - it kind of feels like a carbonated coffee would. Overall, this is a solid coffee beer that really doesn't mess around with the flavor. It's got a hell of a lot of coffee taste - nearly to the point of being grating. I love coffee, so it gets a pass. Seriously though, do not buy this if you don't like coffee.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 03:14:42 | More by shand

BrownAleMale

Wisconsin

2.63/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

22oz bomber poured into a Gulden Draak tulip glass.

Appearance- A very dark reddish brown hazy beer with a white cloud head that dissipates.

Smell- Lots of espresso with a sour hop.

Taste- Black coffee, espresso, and sour grape hop middle finish. Wallop of sourness.

Mouthful- Oh so watery.

Overall- The idea sounded neat, but the red ale mixed with stout like flavors was just a mis mash mess!

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 02:20:57 | More by BrownAleMale

Cavanaghty

Maine

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a sampler glass on tap.

Appearance: Brownish amber color with a whte head.

Smell: Coffee, all coffee. I could not smell anything else.

Mouthfeel/Taste: Smooth medium to light bodied. Taste like a good coffee stout, but being an ale it was much easier to drink in my opinion.

Overall: Glad I tried this one, great beer. I will order it again Im sure.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2012 20:04:30 | More by Cavanaghty

UCLABrewN84

California

3.6/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky light reddish-brown with a 2 inch foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of roasted malt, roasted coffee/espresso beans, biscotti, and some cocoa powder. Taste is slightly tart with some dark roasted malt, roasted coffee, and cocoa powder flavors. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that is drinkable and an interesting concept but not something I would go for again.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 03:05:56 | More by UCLABrewN84

tdm168

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - dark amber with a big, thick, dense, off white head that has great retention

S - nutty, faint coffee, caramel

T - coffee, chocolate, caramel, faint nuttiness

M - medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This is a decent beer, but it's one-dimensional. The coffee is good and welcomed, but it covers up the rest of the underlying amber. Overall, it's a good offering. I would have this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 01:55:23 | More by tdm168

nickfl

Florida

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - One and a half fingers of light tan foam on top of a slightly hazy, amber-brown body. The head settles fairly quickly and leaves nice lace.

S - Carmel and toffee malts with some spicy hops and perhaps a hint of roast.

T - Sweet malt up front with notes of caramel and toffee with some light hop notes. More of the same in the middle and a light coffee note. The beer finishes with sweet malt, lightly spicy hops and low bitterness with a lingering spicy coffee note.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - Not bad, the coffee flavor is really key to this beer as it would simply be an overly sweet amber ale without it. The coffee only really shows up as the beer warms and it is sorely needed to balance out the sweet, sugary malt. This beer, more than most, really needs to warm up to be properly judged, it was a much less enjoyable experience before the coffee woke up and joined the party.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 05:14:36 | More by nickfl

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

4.1/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a nice hazy amber, but produced only a finger high bubbly head which dissipated fast. Good lacing!
The smell is really nice coffee bean, some malt back ground.
The taste is just like. First the pure coffee notes, being met with a malty back, yet also balanced by nice mild fruity hops.
A really attractive binational of flavors, this medium bodied beer is very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 04:12:10 | More by Hopfenpeter

cjgator3

Florida

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle

A- Pours a dark brownish amber color with a creamy light tan head with good retention and lacing.

S- The aroma is sweet malt, caramel and faint hits of espresso. I was hoping for more of an espresso presence in the aroma, hopefully I can pick up more of it in the taste.

T- The taste has some sweet malt and caramel up front with smooth lingering espresso and hops in the finish. 

M- The mouthfeel is smooth and medium bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

O- Overall, I love coffee beers and this was a solid one. It would get a higher score with more espresso in the aroma, but the taste was solid. Recommended!

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 02:24:47 | More by cjgator3

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a nonic tumbler- pours a clear mahogany with two fingers of bubbly beige head, decent retention and fantastic sticky lacing. Looks really nice.

Smells exclusively of coffee.

Tastes like a lot of coffee that's been brewed too strong (has a little sour acidity), with some amber malt sweetness coming in mid-palate. An odd blend of tastes in a beer.

Mouthfeel is all right- that coffee acidity really does some damage for me. Medium body, moderate carbonation. This ones not my thing. Too much coffee.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 02:16:09 | More by Hopdaemon39

Jake351

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance-poured from a bomber into a pint glass. Amber sunset color is beautiful. Had about 2 finger-widths of foam

Smell-Smelled sweet, and it took a while of warming up before my nose picked up on the coffee bean. Quite nice.

Taste-Wow! Coffee forward. When they mean this is a beer made with coffee, the taste definitely screams espresso. The coffee flavor lasts far beyond the swallow, and lingers more than any taste-remnant of ale. A very novel taste sensation that while the mid-taste does remind me that this is a beer, the beginning and end emphasizes the coffee bean.

Mouthfeel-Carbonation is nice, and not excessive. Would have preferred a wee bit more syrupy and cloying (just a bit more), and less ephemeral, but overall very well done.

Overall-This might be one of my top 3 when I'm in a mood for a coffee-flavored drink, and an awesome alternative to ice coffee. Great sipping for a Sunday afternoon while doing some yardwork. Stimulating and relaxing at once. Well done, Peak Organic!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 16:17:42 | More by Jake351

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A-Looks mostly clear in my glass. Deep red in color. Light head. Head leaves lacing dots on the glass.

S-The nose is quite interesting. Has components of an Amber Ale but there is a big, dominant coffee scent. The coffee/espresso is the big ticket, but there is some nice underlying bread and sweetness.

T-Like the nose. This beer at its base is an Amber Ale but the infusion of espresso makes this quite unique. Behind the java is some breadiness and even a pop of hops in there too. Very unique.

M-I am used to only experiencing this much coffee flavor in beers with the bodies of Stouts and Porters. This feels like an Amber Ale. Bubbly and crisp. Cool feel. Feels like a 4.5% brew rather than a 7%er.

O/D-I didn't love the overall meshing of flavors, but this one was interesting. Worth a try. I didn't hate it but one glass was more than enough. The coffee flavor needed more backing.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 15:42:26 | More by VelvetExtract

DM1293

California

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Straight out of the bottle. Poured some into a glass that was empty to see its color.

Appearance - Looks closer to a stout than an amber. But when you thin it out, you can see the darkish red hues.

Smell - Toasty espresso with a bit of malt.

Taste - Better than what I expected; espresso hits up front, with characteristics of a stout. It finishes more like a red ale, with malts cutting the bitterness for a semi-sweet finish. There isn't much of a lingering aftertaste, which is a good thing in my book.

Mouthfeel - A little thick and smooth.

Overall - The thing about this beer is, while its overall good, there's something I can't quite place that makes this beer not a drink to sip on by itself. It'd probably pair extremely well with the proper food.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2012 02:46:23 | More by DM1293

k7sw

Washington

4.03/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured an opaque rusty brown color with a 1 finger creamy yellowish head that left a little lacing. Wasn't expecting it to be so opaque with such a light color.
Smells like a coffee drink from starbucks. A frappucino or something.
The first taste was a lovely balance of caramel and chocolate malts followed by a pleasant coffee flavor that didn't overpower and wasn't too bitter. Wasn't expecting much at this point but I was pleasantly surprised.
Could make a good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 22:20:10 | More by k7sw

scottfrie

California

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle into Old Rasptuin nonic pint glass.

A: Don’t you just love using a bottle opener to pry open a twist-top? Anyway, this beer pours a dark iced-tea color with a thick and fluffy off-white head that took forever to faded into a thick film. Great chunks of sticky lace were left down the glass.
S: Dominant notes of coffee grounds with undertones of sweeter caramel and roasted malts flavors.
T: Not as much coffee as the nose suggested but it comes up shows up nicely in the finish. Sweet malts, toffee, caramel – in other words an amber ale – is what dominates, and it’s a pretty good one at that. The finish has a note or two of vanilla and the aftertaste is that of drinking a cup of joe.
M: Moderate carbonation, medium-light body that falls off a bit in the finish. The mouthfeel is slick and on the thin side, but this beer goes down smooth.
O: I didn’t love this after the first couple of sips, but it definitely grew on me as I started drinking. It’s a solid amber ale, and the coffee compliments it well.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 18:52:19 | More by scottfrie

notown

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle.

Poured a medium amber with light white head, good lacing.

Slightly sweet, carmel and moderate coffee aroma.

Starts with a slight astringency up front, thin mouthfeel with a slightly bitter finish with a bit of a lingering astringency.

Not sure that amber and expresso are a good combination, but they certainly made a good attempt at combining the two.

I think it is worth trying if you get a chance, this would never be a go to beer for me, but I would probably give it another chance next year as I understand it is a seasonal beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 23:43:06 | More by notown

oberon

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an imperial nonic a rich deep amber with a tight formed one finger off white head that held well,the espresso coffee really stands out in the nose,it provides roast and earth,lightly sweet caramel/biscuit comes into play as well.A little thin in the mouth and a little sharp as well.Mildly sweet caramel and brown sugar to start off with flavor wise,the coffee is more toned down than in the aromas but it still plays a role.A cool concept and decent beer,me being a lover of the hop likely wouldnt search out again but in saying that its a decent brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 12:11:24 | More by oberon

BeerManDan

California

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The color when poured was a hazy medium brown. The smell was of freshly ground roasted coffee that was light to medium roast. Also, maybe a hint of spice. Now, the taste was espresso coffee that linger on the palete for quite awhile. There was also a bitter/sour/sweetness that made the flavor of coffee much more interesting and very plesant to drink

I will say, this amber ale is one of a very few that tasted coffee. It really tasted like some roasted beans of Latin American, Espresso roasted coffee beans. If you want and love coffee, this is the brew to try or drink!!!

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2011 00:03:16 | More by BeerManDan

Bung

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. Nice amber/red pour, half finger of light tan head. Recedes to not much more than a ring.

Smells like a red ale? Not really, but it smells great. Caramel, light coffee, bunch of chocolate.

Tastes like a red ale? Not really either, but it tastes great. Ton of flavor for a small abv organic brew. Good malty, caramel, cocoa and coffee. Faintest hops, lost a bit in the mocha coffee. The coffee is not completely overpowering though, the malt just has enough against it. There are hints of the standard leathery, tea, herbal hops.

Light side of medium bodied, carbonation is a nicely lively amount. One of the top 3 or 4 organic brews I've had.

Interesting, I can see polarizing. Not necessarily much of a red ale, but this is really worth trying, if you tend more toward the dark brews.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 02:31:16 | More by Bung