Maple Bacon Coffee Porter - The Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery

Drazzamatazz

Maine

1.83/5  rDev -59.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Guess I need to review this one again...

First off, yes, this did sit in my cellar (and its a real cellar) for like three months before the chances came around to opening it.

A: Nice dark brown with ruby highlights. Good carbonation upon pouring but not much staying power.

S: Smells very much like I remember. Coffee aromas are not as intoxicating, a little more stale perhaps, but still nice. Maple is there just like before. I'd say it was a lot like the fresh growler, only significantly more muted.

T: I almost spit this out. Completely lactic. First sip was shockingly tart. To make matters worse, it still has the deeply roasted coffee flavor, some sweetness from the maple syrup, and the salt presence of bacon. This has soured, and not in a good way. Drainpour, and I hardly ever do this.

M: Much thinner than I remembered. Something is definitely in here destroying this delicious beer.

O: Was not expecting it to live up to last time, but this is in no way what I wanted. At first I tried to pretend that time had not treated this beer weel, after awhile though it became apparent that it had been infected. Too bad, was such a great beer the way it was meant to be...

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 03:26:38 | More by Drazzamatazz

anycrew

Florida

2.4/5  rDev -46.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Had the beer on draft 4/10/11
The beer is jet black and very little carbonation and no lacing on the glass.
Very strong coffee aroma. The taste of coffee overwhelms the beer.
Did not pick up roast and malt character from the grains just over-powering coffee. It tasted like drinking a cold flat cup of coffee with a hint maple syrup. The beer is a sipper, taking over an hour to get through the glass. I would not consider this beer a porter due to the lack of drinkability.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2011 13:07:54 | More by anycrew

tarheels86

California

3.3/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

651mL handbottled from the brewery with official label. Big thanks to ygtbsm94 via hopscotch for the bottle. The pour is a clear cola brown with thin, tan bubbles. No real head formation. Nose is very intense sweet coffee, hazelnut, Dunkin Donuts dunkaccino. Very rich and robust. Taste is thinner, lemon, watery, full of astringent coffee that gets a little harsh. Definitely some interesting coffee used and bound to be a big hit if ever bottled. Would like to retry with more carbonation. 5/16/2011 8/3/6/3/14=3.4

Tap at Churchkey. Unfortunately, this beer's debut at CK was a disaster. This smelled like green coffee and mega DMS. Body was super thin. Undrinkable. Will not rate.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 20:15:54 | More by tarheels86

Sean9689

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at 2nd Hunahpu's Release.

A - Pours a medium brown color, off-white head that vanishes quickly that leaves a few bubbles here and there on top with no lacing.

S - Who needs to eat breakfast when you have this? Bacon, coffee, roasted malts, smoke.

T - Lots going on here and comparable to the nose. Bacon, smoke, coffee notes, malts, some sweetness in there too.

M - Light, a bit too thin for the style, little to no carbonation.

D - Had one sample and that was enough. I wish it was a bit more thick and had a touch of carbonation. Otherwise, a very cool beer that I'd try again if given the chance.

Serving type: on-tap

03-14-2011 16:48:42 | More by Sean9689

CenCalMario

California

3.9/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle share with Dovalihops (Ryan) and phichifiji00 (Chad)... bottle courtesy of Chad, thanks!

Appearance is dark, not blackhole-ish but dark brown. Low head retention.

Smell is overpowered by coffee aroma. Deep inhales detect maple and bacon on the back end. Not a huge coffee beer fan, but this one was very strong in the aroma. Would've liked it to be more balanced with the other ingredients. Name of beer is Maple Bacon Coffee Porter, in the aroma the coffee is 95%.

Taste is coffee, but not over-the-top or overpowering like the aroma. Get maple, slight bacon - not much though. Not overly sweet, low carb in the solution.

Mouthfeel is medium, not too heavy, slightly silky.

Overall this beer was a unique experience. Lots of coffee, would've liked to have had more bacon and maple. Seems like the maple is hard to bring out in the taste for many beers and this beer is no exception. Would recommend, fun beer, would like to try again. Great beer to share, not a lot of alcohol, wouldn't mind a bit more.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 06:44:13 | More by CenCalMario

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First had: oddball bottle serving from an old bottle at Pinocchio's, Media, PA (see other review below). This review is for an actual on-tap serving at Woody's, Philly, PA.

This was much different than my sample acquired from the bottle, but strangely enough...I liked the bottle better. On tap, this beer was served in a ball-stem goblet, an opaque brown-black with a small mocha head that receded to a ringlet. I think I can definitely say that this beer's best attribute is the aroma, and in more than one way. Lots of coffee up front, some sweetness, roasty malts, unfortunately not too much in the way of bacon or maple, though the maple comes out more as it warms. As I said in my previous review, the aroma of this beers lingers on whatever it touches, whether it be your glass, your clothes, or your hands, and it not only lingers, but actually seems to get better. Hours later at home, after my wife had washed her hands with Lush soap, we could still smell the maple coffee from the beer. So we sat around and just sniffed her hands for an hour or so. But I digress.

When the beer hit the palate, it came off a bit disappointing in comparison to the aroma, but I think mainly because it wasn't as full-bodied as I expected. Coffee is the dominant factor here, lots of coffee, very roasty, and if there is any bacon or maple (anyone else stutter or perform involuntary spoonerisms when ordering this?) in there, the coffee kind of overpowers them. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it just doesn't have the balance you'd hope for. Maple comes out more as it warms, just like in the aroma. Bacon is mostly truant. Mouthfeel is heavier than medium, but not quite full.

This is a tasty coffee porter, but definitely not the best out there. It's not even the best porter from Funky Buddha, which IMO is easily the Last Snow.

Thanks go out to Ryan and FB for bringing your great beer to Philly, and also to Bella Vista, Monk's, Capone's, Woody's, Prohibition, Devil's Den, Hulmeville, and any other provider I may have missed.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2012 03:25:22 | More by Rifugium

srandycarter

California

3.98/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pretty dark, almost black. Light tan head, slow to leave, some cling.

S - Used coffee grounds, maple syrup.

T - Porterish, with smell attributes strong in taste. Not much bacon here for me. Something even seems a little corky at the end.

M - Fat, well carbed, coffee predominant, medium body, fair balance.

D - Not all that for so rare and hyped. Still pretty tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 04:24:46 | More by srandycarter

oline73

Maryland

4.05/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on-tap at Churchkey during the Funky Buddha/Cigar City event. Served in a snifter.

Appearance: Pours a dark brown color with a finger of off white head that fades to a ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell: Smooth coffee roast with some dark chocolate notes. Sweet with some maple and a nutty quality.

Taste: Very smooth with tons of coffee. Nutty and sweet with dark chocolate and some caramel. I'm getting some maple, but it doesn't slap you in the face or anything.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and an overly dry finish.

Overall: This is one of the smoothest coffee beers I have ever had. The nuttiness from the coffee and the malt was very nice as well. I didn't feel like the bacon added much. I would love to have another.

Serving type: on-tap

06-12-2012 03:10:25 | More by oline73

godfathermg57

Florida

4.08/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On Tap at hunahpu's

A: Dark dark brown with a head that went away real quick. If they actually brewed with bacon that might have affected the head retention.

S: Good lord the name is spot on. Maple syrup, bacon and coffee all waft from the glass

T: Just like the smell, the tastes blasts you with syrup, bacon, and coffee, and in that order. My one criticism would be that it was too powerful. I was completely overtaken with the taste of breakfast in a bottle, but what a great breakfast it was.

M: Thick and fitting for a beer with a name like this and taste like this.

D: I've seen others say it was highly drinkable, so I guess to each his own. I thought it was best at half a glass, splitting with someone else. The taste is too overpowering beyond that. Good sipper though. Would be a fabulous breakfast beer if it ever got bottled.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2011 16:01:46 | More by godfathermg57

chuckm

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Had this treat on a spring break and loved it. Beautiful dark head with lasting lacing came paired with an incredible aroma, almost like walking into IHOP. Taste was strong with very mild bitterness however beer was severely undercarbonated to the point of being flat.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2011 03:21:01 | More by chuckm

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

From tap to pint glass at ChurchKey DC on 6/7/12
*From notes

A: Dark cola brown. The beer is topped with a healthy quarter finger head. A solid tan collar and reasonable lacing follow.

S: This smells just like one of those microwave pancakes that have the syrup already baked in. Huh...who the hell ever thought you could get a beer to smell quite like this? As it warms, I get hints of mild and low key smoke, green and freshly roasted coffee and a little bit of Indian spice, which I've noticed on a lot the FB's brews.

T: Extremely low key. At first, I'm not really into this. Some decent flavor here, sure. But then it happens, as the more I quaff, I quickly realize the amount of complex and balanced flavor is going into such a mild ABV beer. It begins with plenty of maple, yet it's not too sweet over the top. Some hints of smoke and a pinch of curry creep onto the mid, yet it's not overly smokey or spiced. Coffee? It's here toward the finish. It's all expertly balanced and in a nutshell, is really easy to drink while packing a ton of flavor.

M: Ouch. This can't be right. It's disappointingly thin and lacking proper carbonation. A bit oily and fairly light bodied. I'm wondering if this was tapped properly, though I wouldn't be surprised if this batch (like the rest of FB's brews this evening) was simply a bit "off" in the feel department.

O: Another longtime want ticked. God damn was I stoked to get in on this one. I'll honestly say that no, it didn't live up to the insane hype that tends to surround a beer like this. But the more I drank (and I had what...three big glasses?), the more I really began seeing what this mash-up of a beer is all about. You like breakfast? You like beer? Then look no further, as this is really one of the more unique yet quaffable gimmick beers around.

Serving type: on-tap

06-18-2012 05:02:47 | More by Rhettroactive

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap, served in a tulip

The body sits an ink black with a foamy light tan head. Some clingy lace as it falls.

The smell of maple was strong with this one. Arms length, maple was permeating the immediate area. Upon closer inspection, I also get notes of smoke, fresh coffee beans, and milk chocolate.

This beer really needs to be close to room temp to fully enjoy. At first, the liquid was way too cold, so I gave it a good ten minutes before diving back in. Milk chocolate and maple up front with coffee and some smokey notes in the finish. A light lingering roast/smoke flavor with some sweet maple syrup. The maple notes do a great job of balancing all of the bitterness from the coffee, roast, and smoke flavors. It hovers above the rest, infiltrating all aspects of the flavor profile.

Full body, smooth, and creamy. Mild carbonation.

The maple syrup really stands out here. It is extremely prevalent in every aspect, and never to a point of being overbearing. The underlying complexities work well with the sweetness of the syrup to provide a well-rounded brew that I will seek out again.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2012 14:19:59 | More by ColForbinBC

MsRif

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at Woody's in Philadelphia, PA. Poured a very dark brown color, almost black with a thin head that receded almost immediately leaving the beer looking somewhat reminiscent of a black coffee. Minimal lacing. Had an aroma of coffee/roasty malts, maple and faint smoke. The coffee aroma was definitely more overpowering than the more subtle smoke/maple. The taste was that of black coffee, maple syrup and slight/faint smoke. As the beer warmed, the smoke and maple came out significantly more to create a more balanced "breakfast in a glass." Medium in body with low/no carbonation. Appropriate for a porter, though the flavors would have been even more enjoyable with a thicker mouthfeel. Overall, a great "concept beer" that was done very well. I would have preferred the maple and smoke to be a bit stronger to match the coffee flavor and balance out the beer a bit but I still enjoyed it as it was. I still think the Last Snow is a better porter, though seemingly not as well known. When you are drinking this beer, make sure you let it come up in temperature as that is when it really shines.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2012 11:52:01 | More by MsRif

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

32 oz screw-top growler into a couple of tulip glasses. Big thanks go to Stakem for generously sharing this with me.

Pours black at first, but holding it up to the light actually reveals a deep ruby hue to this, and is topped with a ½ finger of light mocha colored head. This stays frothy on the edges, with a filmy look across the center. This has a very robust flare-up to it, leaving back a foamy cascade of lacing that slowly recedes into rich swathes of lacing. I can't quite put my finger on this recognizable aroma at first, until I realize that it smells....LIKE BREAKFAST!!! Bacon and sausage mixed with maple syrup covered chocolate chip pancakes and a dash of zippy coffee character. Oh, and just a smidge of earthy hop across the back of the nose to remind you that your actually smelling a beer!

The taste brings things back down to reality a bit. The smoky flavors are more subtle here and hang on the edges of a core of roasted coffee, light bitter hops, and sweet chocolate. That molasses flavor is present as well but doesn't quite stand out, instead integrating itself with all of the other flavors a bit more. Smoke and coffee hang in a rather dry finish. All of those flavors from the nose are present and balanced with each other but this just overall lacks the impact of that aroma. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a touch fuller feeling, with a nice mellow creaminess to the carbonation. Some light sharpness works itself in to, adding a gentle crispness to the proceedings, and zero alcohol presence helps keep this easy in the mouth and quite drinkable.

While this one didn't quite live up to the hype, I still found it very impressive how they were able to pull all of these unique flavors off into a very interesting yet still approachable drinkable package. That's 2 for 2 so far on these Funky Buddha beers for me. I will continue to seek more of these out.

Serving type: growler

03-09-2011 20:22:12 | More by Kegatron

ucusty

North Carolina

4.15/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle: Dark pour with a thin beige head. Aroma is cured meat, coffee, and roast. MApel upfront with a healthly dose of coffee and smoke. Dry lingering smokey maple-y finish very nice
 I have had this in growler form before the hype train. Both times this was an exceptional beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 12:10:30 | More by ucusty

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to DosBeerigos for the trade and the opportunity to give this brewery a try. I've held on to this 32oz "apothecary" growler for too long just waiting to share it with someone. Finally an opportunity to open and share it when visited by Kegatron!

From the screwtop growled into a pair of snifters, this brew appears nearly black in color with brown clarity showing through the edges. When held to the light this brew reveals some deep ruby coloration. A dark whisp of dark brown head holds close to the edges of the glass with spotty lace clinging to the wall. A swirl revives the cap.

The smell of this brew has quite a lot going on. It takes me quite a few sniffs before I try to pick it apart. It has a mildly musty grain scent that's blended in with a seemingly smoked sweetness of molasses. There is a bit of a woodsy scent reminiscent rauchbiers that is smokey and enjoyable. There is an underlying amount of coffee present that adds to the complexity.

The taste of this brew is equally perplexing, complex and enjoyable as the aroma. There is a light burnt flavor upfront that gives way to a smoked quality coupled with light molasses character that again reveals a bit of some smokey notes. There is a modest amount of bitterness that creates a unique blend of roasted malt to sugary molasses and coffee. The aftertaste of this brew is sweet with caramel malt mixed with molasses. Quite a bit more woodsy in the way it tastes than what I was expecting but still enjoyable.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. Very drinkable with quite a lot of flavoring to take in and enjoy. This beer, while a pleasure to drink and something I would certainly seek out again, was a wild ride. Take away the visual and I never really felt like I was drinking a porter. In so many ways this brew reminds me of the conglomeration of different beer styles that makes up Bullfrog's Gothika. It's a crazy hybrid of rauchbier/smoked beer mixed with a porter and supplemented with coffee and molasses. In every way this brew screams morning/breakfast treat.

Serving type: growler

03-09-2011 17:10:51 | More by stakem

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Draft at Cigar City, Hunahpu Day 2011.

Pours a deep dark chocolate brown color which is completely opaque with a one finger frothy micha headthat quickly settles into a lasting ring. Minimal spots of lacing left behind.

Wow, the aroma of this beer is ridiculous! Slightly roasty and smokey with a blast of chocolate/mocha/espresso. Not burnt or acrid smelling at all with lots of luscious chocolate, roasted espresso bean and sweet maple syrup. Kind of smells like a Southern Tier dessert beer.

Medium bodied with a smooth silky roasted chocolate mocha espresso flavor. Very well balanced with the perfect roasted character, sweet malt and maple. Thankfully the coffee presence is prominent without being overly acrid or tasting like used coffee grinds. Lots of silky, luscious milk and bittersweet chocolate flavor as well as some slight smokiness and sweet maple. With bacon in the name I was expecting this beer to be more robust, smokey and burnt tasting but it's just a touch and a very nice compliment to the sweeter flavors. No noticeable alcohol heat making this smooth beer very quaffable.

Overall, I was pretty impressed with this one. It doesn't quite live up to the extremely high scores it's received so far but it's pretty damn good. Even somefolks who hate coffee beers were really into it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2011 17:15:19 | More by corby112

pwoody11

Delaware

4.2/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got this in a trade from a generous BA. Brought to a tasting at BeerThursdays residence.

From notes:

Aroma was a very strong maple syrup. Smells sweet. Not much somkeyness. Faint coffee scent.

Tastes was damn good. Not quite breakfast in a bottle, but awfully close. Coffee, chocolate, maple syrup. Again, not as smokey as I had expected, but don't think that's really a bad thing. Just expected a stronger presence with bacon in the name. I was thinking more Rauchbier.

Mouthfeel was rich and thick, coats along the way down.

Overall I really enjoyed this one. Only request would be a little more heat. Maybe raise the abv to 8%. This one was hard to get a hold of, but I'm hoping another opportunity pops up

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 15:29:45 | More by pwoody11

Jefe73

Florida

4.22/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at the Florida Brewers Guild Beer Fest this past March in Ybor City and again at CCB's Hunahpu Release Party.

A - Pours dark brown, almost black with a reddish hue when held up to the light. A finger width tan head is persistent throughout with spotty lacing that clings to the glass.

S - The initial aroma is a double shot of espresso, followed by the sweet aroma of pure maple syrup and then some dark chocolate rounding out the nose.

T - The nose was a great indicator of just what this beer was going to taste like. Again, coffee up front, followed by some sweet malt, sugary maple syrup and just a very small hint of smoke on the back end.

M - Medium bodied with light carbonation. No alcohol warmth was present...very nicely balanced.

O - My initial hopes before even trying this beer was for a pronounced bacon / smokiness profile, but it really wasn't there the way I had imagined. All in all, this is still one very tasty Porter and one that I will actively seek out any chance I get.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2011 13:01:07 | More by Jefe73

BeerThursdays

Delaware

4.25/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks for pwoody11 for sharing this bottle.

A - Pours a very dark brown with a finger of macho head which faded quickly to some spotty lacing.

S - This really blew me away. Even when I opened the bottle, all I could smell was maple. The pour revealed the coffee and there was still quite a strong scent of maple syrup. There is also some chocolate and sweet sugary smells.

T - Tastes like Maple syrup and coffee. Very very good, but actually a bit disappointing. The flavors are there, but not quite as strong as in the nose. The sweetness really comes forward. Caramel, chocolate and the sugary maple syrup blend well with the coffee. Very nice combination of flavors, just not as strong as I would have though.

M - A bit heavy for 6.3%, which could be from the bacon weighing it down. It's hard to render out all of the fat, and that could lead to a thicker MF than would otherwise be present. The bacon almost hurts the beer, and the maple and coffee go so well together.

O - Very good, rare experience. I know of a few other companies who are doing the same sort of thing, and this one is probably the best I've had. The maple syrup thing is very exciting, just hope they can bring up the ABV a bit to give it more of a bite.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 13:49:17 | More by BeerThursdays

nkersten

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

32oz Florida growler poured into Matilda glass, thanks again karl! Pours black with brown edges and a creamy tan/white head with very nice retention. Smell is sweet maple right off the bat, lots of coffee, a nice smokey, fatty bacon, followed by a porter malt character. Taste is lots of strong flavors that somehow dont overpower each other. Maple and coffee up front, finishes with a good strong porter malt base beer, very nice. Some roasted and chocolate malt but not a lot of hops. I expected there to be more of a smokey malt flavor, but the "bacon" is subtle, which is probably for the best. Too much bacon would ruin the beer. A bitter coffee finish with a maple aftertaste. Medium bodied with a fine light bubbly carbonation and creamy mouthfeel. I thought this beer was going to be gimmicky but it is actually an excellent beer. Very balanced and just as described, my only thought is that this beer could use a bit more smoke to add to the complexity. I look forward to trying more funky buddha beers.

Serving type: growler

01-23-2011 02:32:33 | More by nkersten

Florida9

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: very dark brown. Forms a modest light tan head, that reduces fairly quickly No lacing.

S: Maple, coffee, and a slight smokiness. But damn, there is a lot of maple!

T: Taste is moderately sweet. Starts off with a blend of sweet, roasted malts, and maple essence. Then there is the coffee and a slight char that i think is supposed to resemble the bacon.

M: On the heavier side of medium. Coffee acidity mixed with a light sweetness.

O: Another very nice beer. As I'm sure many others have noted, this is like breakfast in a bottle, not that I've ever stirred my coffee with a piece of bacon, but you get the point.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2013 23:46:49 | More by Florida9

mistakebythelake

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Shared at Jackies O's by Urbancaver thanks Cam!

Poured a dark brown with little head that dissapated quickly. Slight lacing most likely from the maple. What impressed me the most about this beer was the incredible nose of maple and coffee. Slight smokiness to it. Similar to the smell coffee, maple and bacon on the back palate. Moderate carbonation and very easy to get down. Would love to try this again and it is a great porter.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 16:25:19 | More by mistakebythelake

weatherdog

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

32oz. Growler drank the day it arrived thanks to Jay.

Pours a transparent chestnut brown with a toffee colored decent sized head. Above average retention and lacing. A nice looking beer.

Aroma is pretty dominant coffee with also a healthy dose of maple syrup. Its actually weird, one sniff will be all coffee the next sniff is all maple. Eventually as it warmed just the faintest bacon smoke comes through. My only real complaint is the coffee aroma is somewhat stale but not enough to make it terrible.

The coffee dominates the taste more than the aroma. Its still a bit stale and last from beginning to end. The maple flavor comes towards the end and lends a nice perceived sweetness and balances out the coffee bitterness.

Mouthfeel and carbonation is great, even for a semi leaky growler. Pretty velverty smooth and medium thick mouthfeel without lasting a bitterness.

Overall a really great beer with more maple flavor than I've ever had in a beer.

Serving type: growler

08-26-2011 01:39:31 | More by weatherdog

Delraypete

Florida

4.33/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tried a snifter of this at the Funky Buddha. Was poured a very full glass with almost no head (not complaining about a big pour). Spilled a little on my fingers, which smelled like maple for the next 4 days. Kind of weird. Heavy maple aroma and flavor with roasted coffee up front transitioning to very heavy coffee flavor on the back end. Did not sense anything from the bacon. Light but pleasant mouth feel - helped to balance the distinct flavors. Very drinkable, but you better like the flavors.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2011 19:23:00 | More by Delraypete