Joe Coffee Porter - Philadelphia Brewing Company

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

dark brown, nearly black in color with a nice little puff on tan colored head on top. Nice lacing as it drops down the sides leaving a broken crown along the top. Aroma is solid coffee, with light notes of lactose and touches of something sweet balancing in there as well. Rich coffee notes with light touches of sugar are the way to go here. Smooth, easy sipper as each taste seems to bring more of the coffee flavor up to the forefront. Lighter feel then I would have expected but with the more the adequete carbonation

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2011 21:26:39 | More by mikesgroove

beertunes

Washington

3.15/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into 10oz glass. Poured a barely translucent black with an inch of deep tan head that had moderate retention and light lacing.

The aroma was mostly the typical roasted scent you expect, with the coffee adding a moderate balance to the beer. On the tongue however, the coffee took over and masked, rather than compliment, the flavors of the beer.

The body was fairly typical, although perhaps a touch on the light side. Drinkability was decent for a coffee beer (I hate coffee). Overall, a solid, nicely made beer. Your results will depend on how much you like coffee. Worth trying if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2011 20:50:27 | More by beertunes

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

First had: on tap at Johnny Brenda's, Philly, PA

A tasty, dry, thick (but not too heavy) porter with nice, rich coffee tones, as the name would imply. Even if you don't like coffee (e.g. me), give this a try.

Pours a dark black-brown with a pinky finger of tan head. Strong coffee in the aroma, and roasty, dark malts. Big coffee taste, with dark chocolate and roasted malts also making an appearance. Bitter/dry coffee finish. Heavy-medium mouthfeel, pretty smooth, and very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2011 17:52:13 | More by Rifugium

JerseyKirk

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pitch black with a white head. Ok lacing. Expected more from a less abv porter.

S: Dark chocolate and coffee. Roastiness is there.

T: Coffee and roastiness.

M: Thick, palate coater.

O: It's ok. I've had a lot better coffee stouts/porters. I would have liked a better coffee flavor with a tad bit of sweetness coming through.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 20:02:36 | More by JerseyKirk

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a deep brown (with some ruby coming through certain parts of the body) with a finger of rich light mocha head. This retains with a thin foaminess and a smooth cascade that settles into some rich spotty swathes of lacing. The aroma is smooth with roasted coffee character, which is flavorful but not overly biting in the nostrils. Notes of cocoa, caramel, and green citrus rounds out the back of the nose.

The taste carries over, with plenty of burnt coffee and additional bitter flavors of roast and green citric bitterness. Some tangier notes of chocolate and caramel balances the bulk of this out but the coffee stands out in the finish, with a dry and acrid feel that lingers on the tongue. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a softer and creamier feel to the carbonation on the edges but eventually lays a steady prickle down on the tongue. There’s a little bit of warmth that lingers on the backend of the feel, which is surprising to me for a 5% beer. Its’ nothing too distracting though.

This was an OK take on a Coffee Porter and while it didn’t quite live up my expectations (or better yet but others have said about it), it still offered up a decent enough quaff. I wouldn’t shy away from trying this on draft though, as I have a feeling that this has the potential to pop much more than what it did here.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 19:01:12 | More by Kegatron

bgildea

Virginia

4.22/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a dark opaque brown color with a fairly thick tan head that leaves some nice lacing.

S: As advertised, smells strongly of coffee with slight hints of chocolate in the background.

T: Nice strong taste of coffee comes across at the beginning. The flavor then moves into some sweet notes with a hint of semisweet chocolate in the background. The flavor ends with a nice lingering flavor of coffee.

M: Pretty thin beer, but has a little bit of chew towards the end.

Overall: Overall the beer was pretty good. If you are a coffee drinker, you'll like this beer. If you hate coffee, I'd advise you to probably stay away because the coffee flavor is very strong. Overall though, I found the coffee flavor to be very satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2011 23:53:10 | More by bgildea

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a cedary brown with some ruby, little to no head.

S-Roasted coffee and sweet malt, in a nice balance.

T-Nice roasted coffee and good sweet caramel malt. A bit of bitterness in the finish, perhaps even a bit of lactose that I have never noticed before. Or maybe not... Nice regardless.

M-Light to medium bodied, light carbonation.

O-A nice beer. Pleasant to drink, sessionable.

HV

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2011 01:54:53 | More by sholland119

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pure coffee smelling porter, creamy dark roasted coffee acents going on, not bad at all. Bitter coffee nose and roasts all the way through with creamy chocolate layers and earthy coffee notes going strong with each sip. What a nice flavor profile going on here, I can get down with this medium bodied texture and extremely drinkable version of a coffee beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 22:59:37 | More by WVbeergeek

sitarist

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed blind via the blind bif round 4...thanks to sholland119.

This beer pours a near opaque, deep brown with ruby highlights. A half inch of dirty tan head falls quickly to a ring, and island that leaves a few spots of lacing.

The aroma is mellow, with faint hints of vanilla, coffee with cream, and dry cured meats. Reminds me of a weak iced latte.

Like the nose the flavor is subdued. Faint hints of coffee, coco, and vanilla.

Light to medium body, with very little carbonation. Its almost like drinking water.

When I first poured this beer, and saw the deep color I was expecting a heavy sipper. Quite the contrary though. This beer is light and easy to quaff.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2011 01:42:07 | More by sitarist

thain709

Pennsylvania

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

A - The beer poured a darker shade of brown with nice ruby highlights both at the top and bottom of the beer...the head was a tan color, foamy, small, and short lived...just a few spots of lacing

S - At first the coffee porter smells like a cup of iced coffee with a lot of cream...as it warms more of the roasted malts and coffee aromas come out

T - As with the aromas, the taste profile changes as the beer warms...at first the coffee profile is pretty subdued and the cream or vanilla stands out...so it's sweet to start off...but as the beer warms again the roasted flavors come out...coffee becomes more evident but still never comes out full force...the roasted malts add a nice depth and finish the beer

M - Medium bodied...it comes across thin at times and other times it's nice and creamy

D - The idea of a coffee porter is great but I don't think this one works too well for me...the coffee was never overpowering but at times it was underwhelming...I like coffee so I would have liked more coffee flavor

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 16:03:26 | More by thain709

CHADMC3

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep black body with rich ruby hues beneath a dark tan head, creamy and densely packed with carbonation that leaves behind a sticky layer of lacing.

The rich roasted malt wafts from the glass as well as the roasted coffee and chocolate malt.

The flavor is subdued at first, but then a very nice roasted malt & coffee flavor hits the palate followed by the sweet milk chocolate. There also seems to be just of hint of earthy hops lying beneath the big roasted malt.

The mouthfeel is creamy and smooth with medium carbonation and just a soft bite with the roasted finish.

This is a pretty tasty beer. It is just what the bottle states it to be, with a nice coffee/malt balance, and is very easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2011 00:35:42 | More by CHADMC3

donniecuffs

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

At the Porter House in New Hope, PA. Poured a nice mahogany brown, with a finger of tan head, good retention, and great lacing. Smelled of cappuccino coffee, with a hint of bittersweet chocolate. The flavor was intensely cappuccino flavored, with a dry coffee bean/bittersweet finish. Smooth, and on the medium to thick side. This is a great sipping beer; tasted very similar to Berkshire Brewing Co's CoffeeHouse Porter, if you are familiar with that beer. Definitely the best of the three PBC beers I tried that day.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2010 01:16:40 | More by donniecuffs

Khazadum

Illinois

2.35/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Vision
Hmmm, it isn't exactly creamy for a cap, but it isn't bubbly. We have this almost creamy, off-white cap sitting on top. It reminds me of fine sandpaper, you can see the tiny individual particles rather than being a clean sheet of paper.

The retention time is fantastic, It always has a minimum one millimeter of cap at all times. My favorite type of lacing, solid curtains all the way down. Carbonation is definitely hidden in the dark body. It is similarly colored to soy sauce, near impenetrable to light except when viewed at the right angle with diminished volumes.

Bouquet
Exciting for me... coffee! It is a common coffee smell that I've noticed more and more beers to contain. It reminds me of day after Folgers brand coffee that went cold because you didn't drink it that morning. Minor hop presence gives it some bitter similarities to what coffee is offering. One problem exists... A sharp nature surrounds the coffee. It reminds me of organic solvents such as acetone or ethanol. More closely related to acetone mixtures than anything else.

Flavor Profile
Something went wrong in this beer. I had the gal take a sip to see if it is just me. The opening is exactly like the nose. Freeze dried coffee that you served over ice. Some sweet nature that reminds me of table sugar more than anything else.

A moment after the coffee there is an explosion of chemical natures. It is acetone, metallic, iron, copper, and hints of ethanol burn. I literally gag. I can only minimize its presence by taking minutes between drinks. I can't drink this too fast for fear of my tongue jumping out of my skull. The finish is bitter coffee notes with make-up remover splashed into it.

Oral Sensations
Thin, very very thin. This is the definition of watery. When people want to know what water tastes like, they offer this up as an example. The flavors rip and slash unwillingly, but never linger for more than a few seconds which is a blessing. It truly has no characteristics that benefit it. This feels like a lager gone soft with coffee. Least its carbonated well.

Conclusions
Perhaps this is a coffee stout or porter that has been mistreated. It has a unbelievably thin body, watery to disappointment, flavors that can't overcome the oxidation, and a vision that offered promise.

The alcohol isn't a problem, can't be more than five percent. I'd definitely not want to try this particular bottle again. I'd like to try this fresh, though. I feel it isn't a good bottle to judge this on, even though I drank about eight ounces of it... what am I judging exactly? Well that is Philadelphia Brewing Joe Coffee Porter!

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2010 06:03:41 | More by Khazadum

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark chocolate on the pour appears basic black in the glass. The head is mocha colored, about a finger in height, with a spongey like structure that is rather quick to dissipate. Lacing is a thin ring with some trials, nothing to get excited about.

S: Wasn't to impressed here, Joe coffee is a weak watered down version of folgers in a can affair. No fresh roastiness perhaps with flashes of dark fruit but the overall strength is light and leaves much to be desired, hardly raising an eyebrow with little expectations. A good coffee as well a coffee stout should deliver that fresh sense of roastiness that perks you up even before the first sip in anticipation, this did not do that.

T: Some roastedness comes about to the rescue. Flavor upgrades to Dunkin Donought status. Freshly roasted beans stays behind briefly on the tongue. Dark fruit of prunes, some alcohol and bitterness ensures on the swallow. Moderate coffee presence but starbucks it is not.

M: Decent feel, near medium consistency with a fairly viscose feel when wrestled with the tongue. Nil carbonation, but otherwise rather lackluster, again raising little awareness.

D: Joe Coffee is for the average joe coffee/porter drinker. It wont wow you over but will give you the quick fix if you in so need of it and like coffee porters middle of the road with a decent sense for repeat.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2010 23:55:35 | More by beerthulhu

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours with an unimpressive 1f tan head that fades quickly to ring, over a deep brown body with orange edges. No lacing.

Aroma is terrific - smells just like a bowl of chocolate covered espresso beans. Roasty, with lightly sweet malty quality.

Relatively thin on the palate, with flavors of chocolate malt, roasted coffee beans, bitter bark, and hint of tart citrus in the way back. Carbonation was good, but finish was just a little on the watery side.

Drinkability was pretty good - an easy drinker for a coffee porter, but not quite as smooth as what you might expect from others in the American Porter style.

I wish there was a score for "value" because this one would get a 5. This is the most affordable beer I've found in the style, and a pretty darn good representation of what you'd expect from a "coffee porter".

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2010 00:37:03 | More by BeerImmediately

pvsob

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Dark brown with a half inch tan head. Head fades very quickly and leaves some lacing. Minor highlights.

S- Deep roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, hints of smoke, and some faint fruitiness. Little to no hop aroma.

T- Charred malt and chocolate upfront followed by coffee and hops in the middle. Has a nice finish that melds coffee and malt flavors rather nicely.

M- This beer has a medium feel with moderate levels of carbonation.

D/O- Nothing really jumps out at me while drinking this beer, but then again I can't say there's anything really wrong with it either. This is a tasty little, session-able American Porter. I will definitely revisit this beer in the future. If you enjoy a little coffee with your Porter, give this beer a try. Well done PBC. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2010 21:32:01 | More by pvsob

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle obtained via Growling at the Moon from dashirey. Thanks for the opportunity.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/4" tan head over the barely translucent dark brown brew. Head fizzles (loudly) down to a skim, with average lacing. Aroma is coffee, but somewhat thinly.

Taste starts chocolate sweet, goes coffee in the middle, and fades into some lightly acrid bitterness to close. Bit of a sour note in there too. Mouthfeel is a bit slickery, and drinkability is okay as well. Not bad, but nothing real stand-out for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2010 22:38:01 | More by ppoitras

fishacura

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

OK but I have had better. Thought the carbonation was way too high, particularly for a porter. Head didn't hold well. Taste was not bad but I thought the blend was not there (seemed like two distinct flavors...coffee & beer versus a well blended flavor of the two)

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 19:50:15 | More by fishacura

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Let me begin this review by giving a full warning/disclosure. I strongly question this beers consistency. I purchased an entire case of joe coffee porter to share with friends and it has been one of the most inconsistent experiences I have ever had from one bottle to the next. Some bottles are a bit tangy with a citrus character that is almost borderline lactic. Yet other bottles seem more like a milk stout with quite a bit of residual sweetness with an addition of coffee. Quite strange how all of this is happening from a case that has been exposed to the same environmental changes. My review is based on a random bottle I choose from the middle of the case.

12oz bottle into a pint glass. Joe coffee appears a dark brown color with a finger of tan head that slowly receeds leaving legs of lace about the glass. The edges of this brew show fairly decent lighter brown colored clarity.

The aroma of this brew is mostly dominated by the scent of coffee with a slight musty touch and some roasty grain playing in the background. The hops come across with a bit of a citrus twang. There is a sugary sweetness about this brew that is borderline vinous and quite out of place for the style. As it warms there is a light touch of licorice noted.

The taste of this brew is dark roasty malt, lightly bitter with a fresh incorporation of coffee flavoring. There is a citrus hop character here that comes off as being a bit tangy. It has a dry roasted character that lingers in the mouth. As it warms, there is a bit of a vinous quality about it that tastes like fruity alcohol.

This is a medium bodied brew with a moderate level of carbonation. At times this brew comes across as being a bit chalky with the grain residing in the mouth. For 5% abv it is hidden quite well.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 23:14:51 | More by stakem

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.83/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a deep amber to black in color, with a tan head. In the aroma, small sweet malt and a hint of coffee. In the taste, roasty and sweet, almost creamy, like a milk stout, a hint of coffee and a small hop. A small hop bite and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry coffee roast in the aftertaste. More hops and roasty malt than coffee, ok, but eh! at the same time.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 19:00:29 | More by OWSLEY069

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice, a good sessionable coffee porter. There's a big, deep roasted flavor, like espresso. There are hints of dark toast, cocoa, and bitter black grains around the coffee. The beer has a bit of body to it, but I wouldn't mind having several bottles. The aroma reminds me more of fresh ground beans. While there isn't a ton of beer grain character, they did a great job of presenting the coffee. Check this out.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2010 17:52:03 | More by tempest

Soonami

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Philadelphia Brewing Company does make many beers that I particularly like, but Joe Coffee Porter is definitely the exception. This is a beer that really enjoy drinking and although it isn't the best example of an American Porter, it is an easy drinking full-flavored beer with a nice jolt of coffee. The roast and caramel flavors from the malt are well developed in the beer and complement the coffee well. If you like coffee porter/stouts, this is a beer to try.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2010 04:42:05 | More by Soonami

EStreet20

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle, 16 ounce shaker pint.

A - A nice dark porter with a tan head about a finger thick.

S - Coffee... Nice, strong coffee hits the nose.

T - Nice range of flavors here. Some chocolate malts, a nice sweetness with the coffee flavor hanging over it all. On the finish some more sweet malt kicks up before the coffee taste rounds out the finish and lingers into the aftertste.

M - Medium bodied, medium carbed.

D - A nice, easy drinking brew. Has the ABV of a brown porter with the coffee making the beer bring the robust flavors of a robust variety, along with an interesting layeer of flavor that makes me want more.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2010 02:40:15 | More by EStreet20

NittanyBeerFan

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to victory4me for hooking me up with a bottle on my way out of his house on Sunday. Poured it into my tulip glass...

Dark brown in color, the pour doesn't produce much head, but it does give a hand-pump-like cascading bubbling on a much smaller scale. No lacing at all.

The aroma is great for a coffee porter. I was struck immediately by the very natural coffee aromas that coupled in with a good roasty character. There is also an undertone of bittersweet dark chocolate. The taste follows suit closely, accentuating the roastiness of the coffee. The coffee also gives some signature coffee bitterness that goes nicely with the dark chocolate.

The mouthfeel is a bit thin, but that is really my only gripe with this beer. The carbonation is a touch low, but the texture seems to lend itself to lower levels of carbonation. Insanely drinkable due to the taste and texture, not to mention the low ABV. This could be a go-to this winter.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2010 03:05:14 | More by NittanyBeerFan

siradmiralnelson

Iowa

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into Globe glass.

A. 3+ finger head. Very good retention, and thick lacing left on glass. Color is black.

S. Smell is roasted malt, chocolate malt, chocolate, coffee. Surprisignly the coffee smell wasnt all that strong. Nice accent to the other smells going on. Has a bit of a sweet smell to it.

T. Coffee and roastedness come out in the taste. The bitter coffee flavors balance out some of the sweetness from the malt. Has a bit of a smokey quality to it. Pretty smooth.

M. I like the mouthfeel on this. It has a medium/full body to it. Bit of lingering sweetness. Medium carbonation.

D. Drinkable. This is a straightforward well balanced porter. The coffee smells and flavors don't overpower, leaving a pretty damn good porter.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2010 21:34:23 | More by siradmiralnelson