Last Snow - The Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.48/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a stemless goblet.

Big thanks to Preismj for sharing this bottle!

My first foray into Funky Buddha after hearing an awful lot o' chatter. This stuff pours a deep black-brown topped by a half-finger of dark tan foam. The nose comprises sweet cocoa, coconut, coffee, light molasses, and a kiss of almond. The end result is Christmas happiness in a glass. Up my nose. Something like that. The taste thankfully brings in more of the same, along with a toastier coconut component and the addition of some nutty toffee, completing the image of holiday frivolity made manifest in deliciousness. Oh yeah. The body is a hefty-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a generally smooth feel. Overall, a downright damn-good beer, one I wish I had many, many more bottles of for future enjoyment. This beer was the highlight of an evening that had more than its fair share of strong contenders. Damn. Get some!

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 17:50:24 | More by TMoney2591

homebrew311

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance is dark brown with some light passing through at the edges. Nose is phenomenal, strong notes of coconut and tons of coffee which pair perfectly together and make for one of the best aromas I have exprerienced. The taste delivers exactly what the nose promises. Tons of coconut, a bit of nut character, coffee is a bit toned down on the taste. Mouthfeel is medium with mild carbonation. Overall... This one is amazing, thanks to preismj for sharing this amazing brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 05:52:40 | More by homebrew311

Florida9

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: dark, dark brown. Almost black but not quite there just yet. Forms a thin dark head that reduces even further to a thin surface coating.

S: tons and tons of dark roasted coffee beans, then there's a note of toasted coconut, coconut that's been toasted too far. But the aroma is just works.

T: dark and roasty. Roasty coffee, roasty malts, and toasted coconut. Very mild sweetness. Finishes with a stronger coconut flavor that just seems to grow on the finish.

M: on the heavier side of medium. Mild to moderate coffee bitterness. Medium carbonation.

O: a very interesting beer. Typically I don't like these weird combinations, but this one works and works well.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 01:34:16 | More by Florida9

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bomber courtesy of Ryan and shared with Kyle. Thank you very much for this opportunity!

Dark brown pour with a thin thread of tan cover.

Slightly acrid big bean roast. Huge coffee notes, coconut, sugar, and dark chocolate bark.

Wow...if this beer set out to be a bitter dark chocolate coconut bomb along the vein of a Mounds bar, then mission accomplished. Coffee takes a back seat through much of the taste, with only a coffee breath inducing finish to return the favor. Aftertaste lingers for a LONG while.

From somewhat cold out of the fridge to near room temperature, this beer holds its flavor profile tremendously well. Like no other beer to date and one that is simply unique.

Thanks so much Ryan!

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 04:05:41 | More by BarrytheBear

islandboi8204

Hawaii

4.45/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

2012, 22oz bottle split two ways.

Pours very dark brown, with a small whitish foam that settles quickly. Not particularly inviting.

The smell on the other hand is incredible. The aroma pops, just like Wide Awake and No Crusts. A lot of toasted coconut, vanilla, chocolate, coffee, and a hint of lime/mint in the background. Delicious and inviting, almost like a Mounds bar crossed with a Andes mint.

The taste is close but doesn't quite match incredible nose, but it's still damn good. Again, a lot of coconut, roasted malts and coffee, milk chocolate.

Mouthfeel is pretty light, I would have liked more body to match the creamy, lush flavors.

Overall, another fantastic beer from Funky Buddha. This one is delicious and unique. I look forward to having more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 02:29:04 | More by islandboi8204

MasterSki

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared by Jason. Served in a Captain Lawrence tulip.

A - Quick-dissolving off-white foam settles to a thin collar, and a few wisps, but negligible lace. Very dark brown body.

S - Smells a lot like the Maple Bacon Coffee Porter, but with toasted coconut. Delicious. If you want to know more, go read my review of that beer.

T - The taste doesn't quite match the incredible aroma, but it's still very good. A nice collection of coconut, rich coffee, roasted malts, nuts, and milk chocolate.

M - Slightly light in body, even for the listed 6.5% - somewhere on the lighter side of medium in any case. Lower carbonation, and a fairly clean finish.

D - Another very enjoyable brew from Funky Buddha. A bit more heft would make this world-class. I would have no problem drinking a bomber of this on my own. Hopefully the recipes translate when they get their production facility up and running.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 06:05:32 | More by MasterSki

largadeer

California

4.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Kanos777 shared this one last Saturday. Thanks!

Appearance: A translucent dark brown pour produces half an inch of eggshell colored head that quickly recedes to a collar - not unexpected for a beer with this many adjuncts. Could stand to be a shade or two darker, but who cares.

Smell: Fucking wow, this is outrageously aromatic. Sweet, buttery coconut is by far the dominant quality here at first, but with a bit of swishing and swirling (and spilling) the coffee comes out, along with some cocoa-like dark malt that pairs well with the potency of the coconut.

Palate: In contrast to the aroma, this tastes much more coffee-forward and rather dry. Coconut is present, but it's dialed back a bit; the sheer intensity of coconut on the nose gives an illusion of sweetness that is surprisingly absent from the palate. There's a sturdy backbone of dark malt flavors, with moderate roasted bitterness coming from both malt and coffee. The body is unfortunately rather thin; it's the only real flaw of the beer, but it's not an insubstantial one. I may be unfairly comparing this to Minneapolis Town Hall's Three Hour Tour, which brings a lot of the same flavors with a much heftier mouthfeel due to the liberal use of lactose.

Overall: My first beer from Funky Buddha and I now understand why these guys are so damn hyped right now. Excellent stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 22:15:14 | More by largadeer

brystmar

New York

4.35/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

My brother won a 22oz bottle of this from Ryan's Funky Buddha trivia contest on the forums. Shared with him and some great BAs at the end of tonight's tasting.

Un-labeled, unmarked brown bomber with a silver cap. Brown pour like most porters, minimal head or lace. But honestly, none of that matters when you can smell this beauty from across the room.

Heaps of fresh coconut, vanilla, chocolate, and coffee blend in perfect harmony to create one of the best aromas I've ever smelled. Traces of mint in the background. Each of us was hesitant to drink our respective pours because the aroma was so damn good. It's difficult to convey just how incredible this scent actually was, but I'll say this: I would not hesitate to purchase this scent as an air freshener for every room in my apartment.

Ratings over-inflation really deprives this beer of its glory, though I'll readily admit my guilt in this regard. Last Snow is one of the few beers absolutely deserving of a 5.0 in the aroma category. I saved the final ounce of mine for many hours after the bottle kicked just so I could continue sniffing it. Only other beer I've done that with was 2010 Chocolate Rain.

Taste holds a stronger malty character, backed up by coffee and vanilla. Coconut is here too but more subtle. A touch sweet in the middle, yet finishes with a strong surge of coffee and lingering coffee bitterness. A great flavor profile -- no doubt -- but it's overshadowed by this beer's impeccable aroma.

Only real flaw is its lack of body. Toss in a few oats to thicken this brew up and you'll get more arbitrary beer geek points from reviewers like me. But more importantly, please start brewing this on a commercial scale! Ryan & crew have ridiculous talent at brewing, and it's a shame that very few people have had a chance to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Between EBF and tonight, I'm counting my blessings. Not nearly enough BAs have gotten to try these Funky Buddha masterpieces, and I'm glad I got to share two of them with friends this evening. Can't wait for them to expand!

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 05:34:16 | More by brystmar

mattk1717

Florida

4.65/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Best porter I have ever had. I usually can only drink 1 stout or porter per sitting, I drank 3 of these and was ordering another as the keg kicked. Tastes like toasted coconut, soooo good. Top 5 beers I have ever had, I can't wait for them to open up the brewery. I would say it tasted more like a stout then a porter.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2013 07:27:35 | More by mattk1717

cubanbeerguy

Florida

4.98/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Had at hunuhpu day 2013. Favorite beer of the entire event.
This beer is getting my first written review because it left such a lasting impression on me

Appearance- the beer was such a dark brown almost pure black. not much head but tons of lacing as I drank it

Aroma- rich hints of caramel, vanilla, and coconut, and chocolate on the nose

Flavor- explosion of coconut richness. the toasted coconut just really was the highlight of the beer. the chocolate hints along with vanilla gave the beer just the right amount of sweetness.

Mouth feel- Wish it was a stout because porters are a bit thin for me but this one just worked so well.

Overall- One of the best beers I have ever had. The highlight of hunahpu day for me. this is one beer that I cannot wait to have again when i visit funky buddha this summer. Apart from huna this was the only beer that day that i went back and purchased a second one because I could not get over what I had just tasted

Serving type: on-tap

04-23-2013 18:56:59 | More by cubanbeerguy

WillCarrera

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Hunahpu Day 2013. Poured into a snifter.

A- Pours dark brown, nearly black, even in a snifter I'd been drinking out of all day it produced a nice finger of creamy tan head with good retention and spotty lacing.

S- Smells ridiculously good. There's a ton of rich dark chocolate, but what really puts this over the top is the coconut, almond and vanilla aroma, this aspect of the aroma is huge and smells delicious. There's also some cocoa powder aroma. It smells like a dessert.

T- At first there's a lot of bitter roasted grain and coffee, followed by a sweet flavor of coconut, almond, chocolate and caramel, it really tastes like an awesome dessert. As has been commented before, I can't believe how much flavor they've packed into a relatively low-ABV beer.

M- Medium-bodied, smooth and creamy. There was nothing wrong with this but it could stand to be a bit more full.

O- A great beer, one of the highlights of Hunahpu Day. It tastes and smells delicious and is fun to sip at, although I could probably demolish a large amount of this very easily.

Serving type: on-tap

03-12-2013 23:49:14 | More by WillCarrera

rodkin

Missouri

4.48/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

At Hunahpu's Day 2013 into a snifter. One of the highlights of the event.

Pours a dark, dark brown, almost black. Light tan head.

Smell is outrageously big chocolate and coconut, caramel, vanilla, honey sweetness. As a friend said: "Like a mounds bar." Simply phenomenal.

Taste is hazelnut, chocolate, coffee, coconut, vanilla. Really complex and large flavor, very surprising how much flavor is in a 6.5% porter.

Mouthfeel is light, very carbonated. A little thin.

Overall, a truly exceptional beer. Ridiculously flavorful, and a standout beer from an event filled with amazing beers.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2013 23:28:18 | More by rodkin

orangesol

Pennsylvania

4.44/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at the Blue Dog. Reviewed from notes.

A - Pours pitch black with a small half finger tall tan head leaving spotty lace down parts of the glass.

S - Smells of strong coconut, fresh coffee, milk chocolate, vanilla and dark roast. A very intoxicating nose.

T - Starts off with a huge fresh shaved coconut flavor that never really fades away. Hints of chocolate, vanilla, coffee, dark roast and a touch of toffee. Finish is sweet, mostly coconut and chocolate, not lingering on the palate for very long after the finish.

M - Heavy body with moderate carbonation. Smooth feel from start to finish with tons of flavor. Goes a touch thin toward the end of the glass.

O - An excellent porter, spot on for the description. The flavors work extremely well together and make it incredibly easy to drink. Second best Funky Buddha beer I have had, only behind the Maple Bacon.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2013 02:12:59 | More by orangesol

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.15/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at Funky Buddha. Served in a wine glass.

Appearance - Dark in here, but it pours black with a nice head. Khaki head. Collar of foam.

Smell - Coffee and coconut in equal portions. Something sweet resembling chocolate. Maybe that's the white chocolate. Vanilla?

Taste - Very intense coffee. Much more intense than the nose. Coconut also secondary. Coffee lends a bitterness that is eased by vanilla and chocolate. Lingering vanilla flavor in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Bitterness makes it less drinkable than its more popular sister beer, but still great flavor for the body.

Overall - Tough not to compare it to Maple Bacon, but it's not up to that level. Maple makes the difference. Coconut is the highlight of this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2013 00:36:59 | More by Alieniloquium

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Churchkey. Served in a mini snifter. Pours near black with a thin head and a few spots of lacing. The nose carries heavy, heavy chocolate along with a touch of underlying roast. Mild coconut in the background. Then more chocolate. Hersey-syrup-type chocolate. A bit cloying as it warms a bit. Flavor is more heavy chocolate with some underlying coconut character. Some roasted malt beneath. This is a hard one to score as there really isn’t much underlying beer; it’s really heavy chocolate, though not what you’d get from chocolate malt. I can’t knock the nose too much, as it was really wonderful, but have taken that into account in my overall score.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2012 19:14:11 | More by Thorpe429

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.13/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap, served in tulip glass

The body sits an ink black with just a faint bit of brown around the bottom edge when held up to the light. The cap was a khaki color, creamy, and never truly receded. Thick, creamy sip marks line the inside of the glass.

Notes of coconut, creamy white chocolate, and coffee beans. It smells like a mounds bar in a glass.

Super creamy white chocolate hits the palate first, before a wave of sweet, toasted coconut. The coffee bean flavor comes out in the finish, creating an interesting turn on the palate from sweet coconut to acrid coffee beans. They didn't transition all that well. The coffee and dark roast finish is somewhat short lived.

Full body, smooth and creamy. Carbonation is on point.

The transition from coconut to coffee is a little sharp and the finish doesn't linger all that much. However, this wins points for creativity. The combo of white chocolate and coconut is fantastic. This is a must try for anyone out there.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2012 13:25:51 | More by ColForbinBC

tarheels86

California

3.83/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Tap at CK. Pours a deeper clear ruby. Massive off white foam. Big rocky retention. Nose is out of this world. Super rich espresso, coconut hazelnut frappacino. Taste is a little weak but this is not an imperial stout. Thinner than expected with rich frappacino character. The rich Dunkin Donuts iced coffee nose and taste is uncanny but still a bit contrived for me. Could simply be not even a beer if it were given to me blind. Delicious. Tangy lactic palate. Sharper coffee finish. Liked this one a lot. But more of a Starbucks concoction than a porter. 6/7/2012 9/5/7/3/16=4.0

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2012 20:17:19 | More by tarheels86

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Draft at Prohibition Taproom in Philadelphia, PA.

Pitch black with a one finger light beige head that quickly settles into a lasting ring. Spotty lacing left behind.

Sweet malt aroma with a nice balance of silky chocolate, coconut and subtle roast. The chocolate presence is really strong with hints of milk and dark cocoa as well as some lactic cream. There's also a good bit of coconut/coconut milk in the nose that makes this beer smell kind of like a candy bar. It's slightly in danger of smelling artificial but there's a nice roasted malt presence underneath. Hints of robust coffee, toast, oatmeal and toffee round things out and make it feel more like a beer than a milkshake.

Medium bodied with a nice balance of sweet chocolate, coconut and roasted malt notes. Very sweet up front with lots of silky chocolate and lactic cream. The chooclate is so prominent that it almost tastes like a syrup was added. This is nicely complimented by a coconut milk presence that lingers over the roasted notes Ito a sweet and slightly dry finish. There's a nice roasted malt presence underneath that cuts some of the sweetness and makes it tastes more like a porter. Some robust coffee bean flavor along with dark chocolate, oatmeal, caramel and toffee. Still really sweet but just enough roast to keep it from becoming overwhelming and one dimensional. Another really nice beer from Funky Buddha.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2012 01:18:41 | More by corby112

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.45/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On draft at Churchkey in D.C.

The beer is dark brown with a half inch of beige head. The aroma brings roast, coconut, chocolate. The flavor is a beautiful blend of coconut and chocolates. Delicious. A must try if you enjoy these flavors. Medium bodied and creamy. Lingering sweet coconut flavors. A terrific beer - would love to have again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2012 21:33:07 | More by Huhzubendah

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.55/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Being a coconut fan, this beer was a winner for me, as I could actually really taste coconut in this as opposed to other beers I've had with coconut in it. Had on tap at the church key event on 6/7.

The beer pours and looks very pretty, it is brown with tints of red on the edges, with a healthy head and plen of lacing too.

The smell is amazing, there is just a ton of toasted coconut and coffee/espresso too that is just slightly roasty, more on the sweet side but not in a cloying way at all. Some chocolate too.

The taste is also amazing, with more roast than the smell but just as much sweet coconut and some nice chocolate that hits later in the taste, it almost feels like drinking an almond joy but in a good way again. Espresso too.

The beer is a little thinner than id like but overall good with a nice roast at the finish.

Excellent and unique beer!

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2012 17:20:18 | More by Dreadnaught33

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

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

A: Things start well, as this certainly looks good. Dark leather brown with a creamy quarter finger head. A dense and thick collar follows.

S: Coconut coffee. Pretty awesome stuff, to be honest. It's slightly green to a point, yet it's elegant and really well put together.

T: Minty up front, yet it quickly evolves into fresh coconut, which attacks the mid. Some charred cocoa, grass, and a touch of coffee round out the finish. Like a liquid Mounds bar.

M: Bummer. Undercarbonated and a bit thin. Something cleary is wrong with the way these FB kegs were filled or tapped.

O: Maybe my favorite Funky Buddha offering of the night, sans SNACK ATTACK! This is very elegant, and a beer that I could have multiples of without getting sick of it's schtick. Easily recommended, a really solid offering from South Florida.

Serving type: on-tap

06-21-2012 03:23:58 | More by Rhettroactive

drabmuh

Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -18.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Things are beginning to slightly look up in the Funky Buddha world, this beer was passable but still not a beer I could have a lot of. Served on draft at Churchkey and served in a snifter.

Beer is black with a thin tan head of small bubbles, decent retention, no lacing, no carbonation to speak of, looks fine.

Aroma is mostly coffee and some coconut, mild roast, a little malt.

Mostly coffee in the flavor profile, there is a mild hint on coconut in the mid to late palate, beer is medium in body. A decent flavored porter but not my favorite by a long shot.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2012 00:11:23 | More by drabmuh

billab914

Virginia

3.7/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Churchkey the other night. Black in color with a thin tan head barely covering the top of the beer. It left a little lacing on the glass as I drank it as well.

The aroma smells like like opening a bag of shaved coconut and sticking your nose in. Coconut oil seems to remind me a little of sun tan lotion for some reason. The coconut dominated too much for me, but at least it was a pretty good coconut flavor.

In the taste I get a little more roasted flavor that really helps cut through the coconut. I still get a pretty bold coconut oil presence to it though. It was very interesting, but again the bold coconut just makes it seem too one dimensional for me to call it great.

The mouthfeel was thin and carbonation was low. Again, as with most of their beers I got to try it just feels way too thin for the style.

Overall, it was a pretty cool and interesting beer, but the coconut just dominated way too much for me. I was really wowed by Three Hour Tour a while back, this one just didn't compare that favorably for me as far as coconut in beer goes.

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2012 16:19:52 | More by billab914

mdfb79

New York

4.35/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From 06/07/12 notes. Had on tap at Churchkey during the FB event.

a - Pours a very dark brown, almost black color, with less than an inch of dark tan head and low carbonation evident.

s - Smells absolutely amazing; like an almond joy candybar. Tons of sweet coconut, vanilla, sweet chocolate, roasted malts, milk chocolate. If you like coconut it's awesome.

t - Tastes of roasted malts, coconuts, sweet chocolate, bitter chocolate, light vanilla. A major step down from the nose. Very roasty but not as strong in the other areas. Still quite good, but nowhere near the nose.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Pretty easy to drink.

o - Overall a pretty cool beer here with a fantastic nose, though I'm sensing a theme aside. MBCP and all its variants aside, I've found most FB beers (this, No Crusts, Pina Colada) to have wonderful, interesting smells, and good, but not great tastes. Seems to me what Short's shoots for, but normally misses. This is still a very good beer and they are nailing the noses on their beers. If you like Almond Joy/Mounds candybars, this is a must try. Would love to have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2012 20:15:08 | More by mdfb79

oline73

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this on-tap at Churchkey in DC. Served in a 4 ounce snifter.

Appearance: The beer pours almost black with a layer of creamy off white head. The head fades and leaves a ring around the edge of the glass.

Smell: I'm getting lots of coconut with some roast and dark chocolate notes. Quite sweet.

Taste: A lot like the smell thank goodness. Sweet coconut and chocolate. The only issue I have with this beer is the overly bitter finish. I thought it was a bit out of place.

Mouthfeel: The body is on the thicker side with foamy carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This beer would have been absolutely phenomenal if the finish were a bit smoother. As it is, I still loved it and would definitely have more.

Serving type: on-tap

06-13-2012 02:36:15 | More by oline73