CoCoNut Porter - Maui Brewing Co.

jtd1969

North Carolina

4.53/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A - dark brownish black with a light brown or light tanish head.

S - Coconut and coffee, chocolate

T - Sweet roasty malts with coconut and a rich coffee taste. Hops on the end are really well balanced.

M - Smooth, good carbonation, nice rich body that is a little thinner than medium body, but definitely not light bodied. Rich tasting but a smooth light swallow

O - Such a tasty porter. I would drink this often if I could get my hands on it regularly. I recommend it.

Serving type: can

09-11-2012 00:54:47 | More by jtd1969

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz can into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours a nice black color with a nice 1.5 finger brown foam head that leaves nice lacing down the glass. A very aromatic brew with lots of smell of rich chocolate and some coffee taste. A little blander than I was expecting given the aroma, nice dark malt taste, but little chocolate smell in the taste. This light bodied beer is very drinkable with a nice level of carbonation, but not overly so. Overall, a very good beer.

Serving type: can

09-01-2012 20:44:12 | More by cyclonece09

IvoryFoxhole

Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce can into tulip glass

A) Slow pour leads to moderate light brown foamy head that slowly disappers into a very low cap with light lacing. Beer is a very dark brown.

S) You catch the sweet roasted malts, sweet coffee, some coconut, a little bit of alcohol

T) Nice mix of sweet and bitter - lots of roasted coffee, some coconut. No alcohol evident in taste. Moderately carbonated.

M) Pretty consistent with taste, not too thin. A little bit of carbonation, finish not too dry at all.

O) I can see why Washington Post tasters loved this; while a bit of a gimmick beer it's really quite good and a definite change of pace. Not a traditional porter, but very tasty.

Serving type: can

08-30-2012 23:15:17 | More by IvoryFoxhole

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

An even porter. The coconut tones seem mild and subdued. I think I was expecting more. It's consistent though. Fairly hearty. I was just expecting some...coconut. Or at least a clearly notable bit of it. I think in this instance, it's more an accent than a feature. And that's alright. The oily nature of this porter works well with it.

Serving type: can

08-30-2012 16:43:59 | More by RblWthACoz

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.68/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served from the can into a nonic pint glass

A- Poured almost black with a frothy dark mocha colored head that left droppy lace

S- Pretty sweet aroma, lots of vanilla, some cocoa, and a smell that is coconut like.

T- Big dominant roasted malt flavors, roasted coffee, some unique sweetness that does taste a little coconut like

M- Very smooth, lighter to medium body, very drinkable, goes down like water, finishes semi-dry

O- This beer has great drinkability with great roasted malt flavors although I didn't really get any coconut flavor

Serving type: can

08-17-2012 03:19:33 | More by Hoptometrist

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can served in a pint glass.

pours a dark, cola brown while yielding a healthy 1" head; decent retention and lacing. nose offers a lot of your usual suspects - roasted malt, coffee, a hint of chocolate - but is distinguished by a prevailing coconut presence.

flavor largely follows the aroma with roasted malt, coffee, coconut and bitter chocolate being the primary players. maybe a touch of smoke in the background. medium bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall this is a very nice porter. tasty and distinguishable by the coconut character, which sets it apart. not world class territory but very enjoyable.

Serving type: can

08-15-2012 22:56:22 | More by BostonHops

AtrumAnimus

Texas

5/5  rDev +25%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This porter was an amazing surprise. When I first noticed it in the store I saw that it was made with Coconut and was also a World Beer Cup Gold Award winner. This seemed completely counter intuitive to me since I am a cook and home brewer I am able to imagine tastes combinations before combining very accurately. This one was not connecting my head. Therefore I had to try it, regardless of the $10 for 4 cans price.

Now that I have tasted it, I would have paid $20! One of the best beers I have ever tasted and now, officially my absolute favorite porter.

The beer pours a wrongfully rich dark black that is impenetrable to a 100 watt light bulb. The head is incredibly thick, rich and long lived with a perfect tan coloring. The lacing is thick rick and slow to settle down the sides.

The nose is wonderful sweet malt, chocolate, nutmeg, roasted coconut, fresh cut grass and hints of the fragrant perfume orchid. It is a sweet floral nose with earthy undertones that is just fantastic.

The taste, the greatest surprise, is very much not overwhelmed by coconut. Even if you hate coconut, you will not hate this. There are notes of savory, sweet bitter and the subtle yet satisfying level of bitterness from the hops. The beer is perfectly balanced flavors that have a combination of bitter dark chocolate, some coffee, bread, heavy cream and rolls over the palate from savory sweet to bitter with almost no after taste. The mouthfeel is rich, creamy and super smooth.

I absolutely love this beer and it will become a staple for me. I rarely give 5 out of 5 for any beer. This is rare and wonderful treat. I just recommend letting it warm to about 54 degrees to get the complexity of the flavors. I took my from the fridge and let it set for about 20 minutes before pouring.

Serving type: can

08-10-2012 03:06:40 | More by AtrumAnimus

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.48/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pint glass.

The beer is a dark cola black with brown coming through the light on the edges. A frothy oatmeal colored head recedes to a bubbly wisp with a thicker ring, and loads of sticky lacing at the top of the glass.

Coconut aromas tickle the nose, in a sweet subtle way. This is not like sticking your face into some suntan lotion, it's not -- it's more in an around about sort of way. A touch of roasted malts and bitter chocolates as well.

Taste profile is again, not in-your-face. This is definitely a porter first and not a dessert. Roasted malts and the bitter chocolate profile comes out, but there's that whole coconut thing going on. It's just perfectly infused into the malt sweetness that it tastes natural. There's a small bitter hop finish as well.

The mouthfeel is sharp and dry.

Overall, if there's such a thing as a "refreshing" porter, then this is it. There's coconut here, but it's not as cloying and sweet as you may think. I think this beer is done just right, and very interesting.

Serving type: can

08-05-2012 03:38:37 | More by JuicesFlowing

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.35/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Review from 8/2010 notes. Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. Pours a dark, dark brown with an enormous long lasting dark tan head. Nice lacing. Interesting porter aromas of dark malt and something pleasant that doesn't smell like coconut, but must be. Nice porter flavors with roasted malts, cocoa and a hint of coconut. This is the best low ABV porter I've ever had. Nicely done.

Serving type: can

08-02-2012 18:24:19 | More by LiquidAmber

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.6/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

a very brown/black pour with 2 fingers of frothy tan head which quickly dissipated. sudden nutty smells once i popped the can open.. smell of roasted coffee, roasted grains, and overall smokyness followed. a toasty, yet sweet overall taste. the coconut seems to act like lactose in sweet stouts, but does have that coconut taste as well which makes this beer fantastic. usual suspects are there too (roasted grains, tobacco flavor, coffee beans). its' medium body does not take away from the silky smoothness one bit.. it's slightly creamy yet balanced perfectly with the amount of carbonation that it just goes down extremely smooth.

overall, this has got to be one of the best porters/dark beers in general i've ever had. i tip my hat to the brewers at maui, this is a damn fine beer.

Serving type: can

07-31-2012 02:27:52 | More by facundoCNB

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

4.08/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz can poured into a tumbler pint glass.

A: Pours a very dark brown color with little light coming through. The head is a weakly textured, one finger offwhite color that fades away to a thin film quickly.

S: Oh wow, this is nice and strong. Roasted malts, chocolate, hints of cream, and of course, coconut. I love how this smells - let's see if the taste stacks up.

T: It's not quite as amazing here, but that's damning it too much, because it's still a great tasting porter either way. Initial flavors are strongly roasted malts and coffee, before giving way to bittersweet baker's chocolate, nuts, and coconut. Not the most complex, but nicely flavored; a light vegetal note on the finish is the only flaw here.

M: Textbook porter - light bodied, slightly astringent, and quite dry, with low residual sugar and a bittersweet finish. The carbonation is fairly powerful too, perhaps even a bit flabby. Still, it's very hard to fault overall drinkability.

O: A damn nice porter with a slight twist...if it were just a touch cheaper, this would be among my regular beers. Definitely a repeat purchase, though.

Serving type: can

07-29-2012 21:58:55 | More by ThisWangsChung

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

CoCoNut Porter
Maui Brewing Co.
Style: American Porter
ABV: 6.00 %

Brewed with toasted coconuts. (thanks to FrothyBeverage for the sample)

LOOK: Dark brown colored brew with an off white brownish head. Leaves plenty of lace on the glass. There was a small amount of sediment.

SMELL: Roasted malts, brown sugar, coconut milk, and coffee all emerge from the glass.

TASTE: This coconut porter has a robustly malty flavor profile, with alot of charcoal, coffee, smoke, and chocolate notes. The espresso flavors work well with the brew and contributes to a balancing bitterness. There is some vanilla/caramel like note from the coconut used in brewing, lending a milk sugar cream sweetness to the black coffee flavor profile.

FEEL: Medium to full bodied and well carbonated, leaving a sweet malty taste in the finish.

OVERALL: A fine use of coconut in brewing, this is a world class porter with considerable character. Delicious beer from a remote location.

Serving type: can

07-28-2012 20:28:31 | More by Stinkypuss

beergoot

Colorado

3.9/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Rich, dark brown, opaque body. Thick, creamy, chunky tan head that reduces in size quickly, leaving a thin film. Smell emits slightly charred grains, hop bitterness, mocha and cocoa. Lightly burnt toast and a bit of milk chocolate, coupled with a nice bitterness make up the taste; a bit of espresso. Mouthfeel is light, smooth, clean.

A distinctive and enjoyable addition to the porter beer family. Would have liked the head to hang in there. The real draw is the taste -- a pleasing, coffee-like roasted flavor, smoothed out nicely with the roasted coconut sweetness. Good stuff...

Serving type: can

07-27-2012 23:48:14 | More by beergoot

Dankuel

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a can into a brandy snifter glass. Ok head on first pour, however nice residual left behind once it settles. Smells strongly of milk and coconut up front with a slight hint roasted malts in the background. Taste upfront is analogous to the aroma; milk and coconut upfront, with the bitter roasted malt taste following soon after. Has a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, I really enjoy this beer. The coconut really tames the porter and blends nicely. I am curious to how this would taste on tap.

Serving type: can

07-23-2012 23:09:23 | More by Dankuel

shigg85

Japan

4.1/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap in a pint glass at Vivo! in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Completely different from the tap compared to the can. Loved it this time! Pitch black, chocolatey looking with a thin dark head. Sweet Kona coffee flavor with a bit of bitter chocolate in the aftertaste. Foams up nicely when you spin it, releasing some macademia nut scents.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2012 07:34:40 | More by shigg85

davey101

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Canned on 9/12/2011. Pours a dark brown body with a one finger high khaki head. Aroma is pretty standard for a porter. Roasted malts, light chocolate and coffee. Just a touch of the coconut. Flavor is kind of a let down. Bitter roasted malts with some dirty coffee. Almost no coconut presence. I know this wasn’t fresh, but I was excited to find this on a road trip. Pretty weak.

Serving type: can

07-15-2012 02:08:48 | More by davey101

Grohnke

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -20%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

(BA / BJCP)

Very dark brown. Creamy cola colored head forms and lasts quite long. Spotted etching remains, along with a scattered film.
(5 / 3)

Heavy chocolate, medium coconut, medium-light roast, light caramel. Very light herbal hop, and very light fruity esters.
(4 / 10)

Moderate roasted malt. Medium-light nuttiness. Light chocolate. High hop bitterness. Light acidity from the roast. Light herbal hop. Light vegetal characteristic starts on the finish and continues throughout the aftertaste. Stale-like qualities.
(3 / 12)

Medium-light body, medium-high carbonation. Moderate astringency.
(3 / 3)

The aroma gave me the initial impression that this beer was going to be stellar. However, the complex, beautifully balanced aroma did not carry through to the taste. The flavor was messy and had some off-flavors. Where is the taste of coconut?
(2.5 / 5)

(3.2 / 33)

Serving type: can

07-12-2012 00:21:32 | More by Grohnke

Uncle_Jimmy

California

4.08/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- DArk Nearly opaque grainy brown head, head doesn't linger

S- Coffee roasty, Malty and Bread. Slight coconut

T- dark and roasty coconut undertones mixed with toffee and molasses

M-Flat on the tongue towards the back, A little like coffee, no creamyness at all

O- This is a great tasting beer, I think it would compliment fish and fruit very nicely. I could hold its own with some spicy stuff I think, Thai Spicy not Mexican Spicy. Tasty. The Coconut does get lost a little in the beer but I would have another!

Serving type: can

06-30-2012 16:41:36 | More by Uncle_Jimmy

FreshHawk

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Absolutely gorgeous pour. Pitch black color with a very large, sticky, foamy, thick, pillowy, off-white head. Amazing retention that leaves a sticky lacing.

S - Coffee and cocoa/dark chocolate are the strongest. Some burnt malt and a subtle sweetness that I can't quite figure out (I assume it's the coconut but I'm not positive). A slight astringent aroma as well. A little on the faint side, but nice.

T - A lot of coffee/mocha flavors. Some dark chocolate and cocoa nibs. Slight astringency that gets less noticeable as I drink. A subtle sweetness with faint hints of vanilla and some coconut. Coconut isn't very strong but there is a hint of it in the sweetness. Slight burnt/charred malt and molasses throughout in the background.

M - Medium body with average carbonation. Quite slick and smooth feel.

D - It went down easy and was tasty but there was nothing that particularly jumped out or made me want to drink more. Nice balance of burnt flavors and sweetness.

Notes: Good porter but nothing outstanding. Coconut was pretty hidden with only a hint of sweet coconut. A nice balanced porter but it isn't really a spice/herb/flavored type beer. Nothing special to seek out, but a nice porter if it is around.

Serving type: can

06-20-2012 05:24:09 | More by FreshHawk

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle picked up in AZ by CE, much thanks
Canned 11/28/2011
Poured into a standard US pint glass

Maui's coconut porter is a great idea that, unfortunately, doesn't present itself well in execution. The toasted coconut had great potential, but is unfortunately subsumed under several other flavors, most notably an overabundant sweetness. I would be willing to give this another shot if I could find a fresher can, but since it's not locally available, I probably won't seek this out again.

Pours a very tall head (>3cm) out of the can, tan in color, and composed of large and medium-sized bubbles on top, smaller ones on the bottom: the result is something like the foam atop a root beer float. Retention is very good, the head lasting several minutes as it sinks down to a ring around the glass with a few small islands of residual foam; lacing is also very good, with large swaths and clumps along the glass' side. Body is an opaque dark brown to black color, but I'm still able to see the carbonation float up from the bottom of the glass.

Aroma is mostly of pleasant milk chocolate and baked chocolate cake with a hint of roasted malt and watery coconut juice behind it all. Not bad, but not very emphatic with its scents.

The front of the palate begins tasting roasted malts, milk chocolate, and a bit of stale sourness found in some porters: so good, so far. Mid-palate picks up continued roasted malt, milk chocolate, and a hint of lightly toasted coconut. Back of the tongue picks up sweetness, a twinge of ethanol, and noticeable toasted coconut in the closing moments of tasting. The sweetness is actually a bit too much for the beer at this point; I'm not sure what the cause is, but instead of the roasted or chocolate malt, or the toasted coconut, taking priority, it seems like the malt's sweetness takes center stage at the back of the palate, and continues through the aftertaste. Aftertaste is of roasted malt, a bit of chocolate, and an amount of sweetness that's bordering on cloying to me. More roasted flavor or coconut would have been a better lingering flavor.

Beer is medium-bodied with noticeable, but "soft" carbonation, causing this to foam up slightly on the palate and have an overall mouthfeel of smoothness. A bit watery around the edges and in the closing moments, a bit of a disappointment there. Closes out dry and satisfying.

Serving type: can

06-19-2012 03:35:44 | More by falloutsnow

rudzud

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Received this as an extra in a trade. Poured into my Duvel tulip.

A - Pours a nice deep dark brown with a good two finger mocha head that slumped to leave a nice thick blanket with very nice light side lacing.

S - Good roasted malts and coffee. Not much coconut.

T - Like the nose there are good roasted malts and coffee. There is some light coconut. Light chocolate, almost like a mounds bar.

M - Mouthfeel is a bit thin and watery but translates well with the flavour.

O - Overall there are some really nice flavours and appearance but perhaps this was an old can as the aroma and mouthfeel were both rather lacking.

Serving type: can

06-13-2012 18:06:33 | More by rudzud

strongaf

Washington

3.93/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked up a can at PCC.

Overall, this was a pretty solid porter. The coconut shows up in the nose, along with some coffee. The coconut didn't really show up in the taste, however. The beer ended up being a little thin, but I definitely liked it overall.

Serving type: can

06-11-2012 07:11:03 | More by strongaf

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: light black bodied beer with 2 fingers of tan colored head. Lacing clings to side of glass then slides down the side and dissappears into the thin cap.

Smell: roast coffee, cocoa / bakers cocoa and fresh coconuts!

Taste: starts things off with a mild bitterness and moderate roastiness that tastes like coffee. Milk chocolates and coconut make this beer have a pleasantly sweet finish. Simple yet effective!

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Really smooth and easy drinking porter. This beer would be better if it was a little thicker porter, but I am always saying that!

Overall: I have drank this beer many times and I thought that I had already reviewed it, but I didnt. I love craft beer in a can and its a tasty beer as well! If you like your porters the coconut in this beer gives this beer a nice unique twist that you must try!

Serving type: can

06-08-2012 03:37:23 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

Sean9689

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks again to Big Grocery for the can at Perennial!

A - Pours a dark brown color, tan head, thin collar, spotty lace.

S - Whole cream, light chocolate, light coconut, roasted malts. Not quite as much coconut as I was expecting, but still good.

T - Roasted dark chocolate, cream, coconut, malts, toasted bready notes. Very creamy and a good amount of chocolate and roast. Finish is dark chocolate and malts.

M - Medium body, good carbonation, creamy finish.

O - A nice porter, but I was actually hoping for more. That said, I would drink this often if it was available in cans around my area. I love Porter's, and the coconuts are just about the perfect level (perhaps a tad more would be nice). Good stuff.

Serving type: can

06-06-2012 17:55:02 | More by Sean9689

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a two finger khaki head that fades to thin layer, leaving some lace. Black color, no highlights. Light carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Smell: hints of chocolate and flavor is burnt chocolate and coconut. $5.50 for a 12oz can on Norwegian Cruise Line Pride of America off Hawaii. From my notes 5/30.

Serving type: can

06-04-2012 22:48:47 | More by jdhilt