Cappuccino Stout - Lagunitas Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Good amount of roasted barley and coffee, with a touch of creamy cappaccino-like taste. Smooth, with some body. Black colour, good roast aroma, with some burnt part. A very good stout and a large enough bottle that it should be shared, and if I find other bottles I will share those.
Had it 2.5 years later and great coffee taste still.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2006 02:14:44 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.33/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Dark cherry with light visible on the opposite side of the glass. I'm always a little leery of such non-black, non-opaque stouts, but I'll try to keep an open mind. The attractive, reasonably persistent, golden sandstone cap is beginning to form a thick collar of lace as it deflates.

There's nothing wrong with the aroma, either in terms of power or character. Aggressively roasted malt is at least equal to black coffee, with bittersweet chocolate bringing up the rear. I've certainly smelled coffee beers that were more java-centric than this one. That's more than fine with me; I like it just the way it is.

Even though I'm not an aficionado of 'the bean', this stout tastes a good deal like coffee and I still think it's da bomb. Kudos to the brewers for that. The key is that it's recognizably a stout that is flavored with coffee rather than a barely beer flavored iced coffee. In other words, it contains a perfect stout-coffee balance that should please all comers.

The flavor profile is interesting in that it changes so drastically from beer entry to beer exit. Initially, it tastes like a good, solid, roasty, chocolate stout. At the midway point, the roasted beans stick a tentative foot in the door... and then proceed to rip the door off its hinges and barge in like they own the place. The finish is 'all coffee, all the time', but again, the stout center holds firm.

Knowing Lagunitas like I do, I'm not surprised that they've added citric hops to a style that doesn't usually feature them on the palate (at least not to this extent). The sweetened grapefruit and lemon isn't enough to turn off the malt lovers. The more I drink, the more noticeable the hops and the less noticeable the coffee.

I've always thought that there was some relationship between color/opacity and flavor/body, but this beer puts the lie to that notion. Rarely have I had a stout with this degree of lucency that was this flavorful and this full in the mouth. It isn't full-bodied in comparison to the really full-bodied versions of the style, but it is supremely smooth and pleasingly silky.

Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout is very good beer. It's odd how the coffee portion of its personality fades with time and drinking. I would have been fine if it had stuck around, but I'm equally fine with the beer that I experienced in the second half of the bomber. Outside of the outstanding Brown Shugga', this is Lagunitas's best beer. I really wish they would re-think that 'limited release' thing.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2006 23:26:34 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured a very dark brown,almost black witha huge Tan three inch high head. The retention rate was huge and when it finally relented it left a ton of lace down the sides of the glass. Smell was suprisngly hoppy, with lots of hints of sweet coffe, sugar and milk. Very nice. The taste was very smooth and refreshing, very nice indeed. Extremely hoppy for a stour\t, with lots of hints of citrus flavors, orange, pineapple, mixed in with the very robust flavors of coffee and sugar, awesome balance and texture. Such a dry, almost IPA like finish that lasted literally forever. The was an extremely unique stout. I found this to be one of the most enjoyable brews I have tasted and would definatly want to try it again,great job \!!

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2007 13:52:41 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.25/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The pour is dark brown brown in color with a surprisingly large tan head.

S: I get more coffee grounds than cappuccino, but there is a nice roastiness. Some dark chocolate which seems to be slightly bitter and there is a touch of acidity. Mild sweetness of toffee in the background.

T: Dark and slightly bitter chocolate with a strange spiciness. Fairly bitter with coffee grounds and roasted malts that are a little bit astringent. Fairly minimal sweetness to the beer.

M: Medium in body with the carbonation on the low end of medium.

O: Not really the best coffee flavor and not a terribly good base beer either.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 09:16:50 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

1.93/5  rDev -50.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Served in a tulip.

Pours a fairly-dark brown though not as dark as I would expect for the style. Single-finger tan head falls down slowly and leaves a bit of spotty lacing. Good collar as it fades. The nose brings coffee and cream, though it is pretty tame on both. A bit of a metallic note hits behind the roast. The taste is strong, bitter coffee with some scalded cream. Not particularly pleasant. Really, really metallic in the finish. Dry with an off bitterness. Not sire why I got this, as I haven't had too much success with any non-hoppy offerings from Lagunitas. I would not drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 03:21:49 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours out a translucent, dark brown body with a dense, wispy beige-colored head.

Smell: The aroma is primarily milk chocolate and caramel. Soft notes of coffee that are so light it's nearly nonexistent.

Taste: Overall, the flavor is moved by sweet, chocolaty malts. Hints of coffee and vanilla. A dry, roasted astringent bitterness rounds out the finish.

Mouthfeel: Lackluster medium-thin body, with a fizzy carbonation.

Drinkability: This is all wrong. This beer does little to deserve the label "cappucino." The pained lack of richness and coffee flavor was a real letdown.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2006 04:27:12 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a dark chocolate brown color with a full-on head that leaves great lacing

Smell: Brown bread with a dusting of roasted chocolate and coffee elements

Taste: Brown bread, charcoal and yesterday's coffee, up front, with building pithy flavors; after the swallow, the chocolate and coffee flavors make a brief appearance, followed by a strong pithy citrus character; surprising amount of sweetness and a touch of vanilla, on the finish, however

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: What a confusing beer! Here I am expecting a coffee stout and I have something more akin to a black and tan blending a coffee stout with an IPA; not sure it works very well for me, however, as I was really looking for more coffee flavors

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2006 04:14:40 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

4.18/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a semi-opaque dark brown with a 2 inch tan head that fades to a thin cap. Fat rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smells of dark roasted malt, cocoa powder, and espresso grounds. Taste is of rich dark chocolate covered espresso beans and roasted dark malts. A slight cocoa/espresso bitterness lingers on the palate after each sip. This beer has a bit of a thin body with a good level of carbonation that makes for a crisp and smooth mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good coffee/espresso infused stout from Lagunitas. I tried a bottle of this a while back and I didn't like it from what I remember but this bottle was very good. For the price this is a great beer and an easy decision to make when you want a tasty brew for little money.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 22:32:16 | More by UCLABrewN84

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle courtesy of Shp555: Poured a medium black color ale with a medium dark brown foamy head with good retention. Aroma of coffee is dominating (what a surprise!!!) with some subtle bitter roasted malt. Taste is also dominated by the coffee with some roasted malt. Body is a bit light IMO with some adequate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2007 19:31:09 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bold and roasty, this American stout also shows a lot of restraint in both the design of the base beer and the execution of coffee additions to acheive balance and wonderment.

Dark brown in color, the beer builds a dainty, slightly tanned head that takes the shape of espresso creme. Low in retention or lace, the oils of the coffee supress the protiens of the stout that would normally allow for the froathiness to shine.

Coffee aromas strike the nose first, and with a nutty, moderate tone; much like well brewed Columbian styles. The more stout-like qualities support the coffee with elements of roasted grains, heavy toast, walnuts, and lightly charred woods.

Flavors are much better balanced, allowing the stout base to take hold with the roast, caramel maltiness, medium hop bitterness, and toast. Bold flavors throughout but fairly moderate compared to most American stouts. The coffee additions accentuate the roasty, nutty, caramel flavors but also add a lightly resiny bitterness that work in conjunction with the hop bitterness to round out the balance to roast and sweetness.

Full bodied early due to the expanding carbonation, but the beer relinquishes its creaminess early, allowing the beer to lay heavier on the mouth later in somewhat dull fashion. Finishes lighter and drier than expected for such boldness in flavor.

A delicious beer that's a real joy to drink. Much of what this coffee stout offers is in superb balance with bold flavors that don't intimidate. Only slight elements of inconsistency keep it from higher scores.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2006 02:25:58 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Its great to see more and more Lagunitas brews showing up here in wny,poured a deep but not pitch black there was ruby highlights shown thru out when held up to the light a well formed one finger mocha colored head atop.Big espresso roast coffee aromas and dry unsweetened chocolate lingers,roasted to the hilt flavors somewhat earthy in the finish but the coffee flavors really steal the show.A light earthiness in the finish rounds out the beer nicely,if you like big roasted uncompremising stouts this is for you and with the alcohol very well hidden it goes down easily.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2006 01:31:28 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Rich, black, bitter, acidic, coffeeish.

Beautiful appearance. Good head retention. Slightly better than average lacing.

Average stout-like nose. Nah, sorry, kind of like day-old coffee with a stout and some mild citrusy hops.

Medium-bodied; smooth and lightly crisp.

Bitter and acidic in the flavor with tons of roastiness. Some citrus, grassy, and leafy hops come through as well. Bold!... to say the least. This is definitely a wake-up call !!!! Finishes bitter and acidic with roastiness and an underlying fruitiness from the yeast that doesn't really make it's way through in the mouth.

The alcohol is well-heeled (or overshadowed by the heavy roastiness). Impressive. I'm not sure that drinkability follows with that though. This is more of a "power" pint... and, of course, I refer to an Imperial pint. I don't think I could go beyond that. It's just such an overload; but I'd consider it, so....

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2006 01:53:12 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Gale Sayers shaker pint glass.

Sometimes I feel like Frasier when I pick up some beers... Anyway, this stuff pours a deep black-brown topped by a finger of tan foam. The nose comprises dark coffee, roasted malts, and toast. The taste brings in more of the same, with, unsurprisingly, the coffee taking center stage. Somehow, despite an even darker roast, the flavors never become too bitter or acrid, something I'd like to see happen more often. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, a tasty, if a bit monomaniacal, coffee stout. 'Nuff said.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2012 16:45:20 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thick, impenetrable, inky black, slim cocoa-toned head...

bittersweet nose, tons of coffee tones, little sweetness, earthy, roasty....

Tasting it...mmm, there it all is, in the nutshell, rich, roasty, coffee and chocolate. Smooth, and full of flavor. Great texture, lots of play on the palate.

My notes on this were minimal, but my pleasure in the drinking was not. Very nice coffee stout. I'll return to this one again!

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2008 04:37:29 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a deep, dark black color with a thick frothy tan head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a rich, black malt and coffee scent that is dry and earthy with a warm alcohol feel. The taste is good. It has a great malt flavor that's thick and rich with loads of coffee and patent malts. It's smooth with a slightly warm finish. This is a good drinker. It doesn't overpower you with the coffee. It has a nice malt balance. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is an excellent beer with lots of character. I love the coffee stouts. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2007 21:09:51 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Meridian Pint, believe it or not I've never had this beer.

Beer is black with a thin lazy brown head of small bubbles, lots of lacing but low retention and low carbonation.

Aroma is sweet, roasty, coffee.

Beer is medium to light in body, roasty up front and on the back end, mildly bitter, finishly cleanly and nicely, hides the alcohol well too. A decent coffee stout, you like coffee? You like stout? Drink this.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2012 02:35:24 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark brown with beige head. Aroma is lots of roasted coffee with some hop bitterness. The flavor is teh same with lots of coffee and hops. The finish is more roasted malt. This is one of the hoppier coffee beers I have had, but not quite as hoppy as Mikkeller's Beer Geek Breakfast. A good beer with a great, creamy medium-thick mouthfeel. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2010 03:48:43 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4.28/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out an opaque, jet-black color with a one-finger, off-white head of bubbly, thick foam. It had nice retention and left some thin rings of lace.

S - It smelled of potent cappuccino. Good roasty notes!

T - Good coffee flavor with nice notes of chocolate and roasted malts.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium to full-bodied beer.

D - This is a really good coffee stout. Actually one of the best coffee beers I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 01:47:19 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: It poured very dark brown with a thin, creamy head.
S: There is a moderate aroma of dark, roasted malts.
T: The taste has lots of coffee flavors--which really stand out in the finish--along with flavors of dark, roasted malts and hints of chocolate.
M: It feels medium-bodied and smooth on the palate; there is some dryness in the finish.
D: It is relatively easy to drink this stout and the alcohol is well hidden.

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2010 23:11:09 | More by metter98

Gueuzedude

Arizona

4.13/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

As I am pouring this beer I can see that it is a brilliantly clear deep brown color, as it sits in my glass though, it is an opaque deep black color. I manage to summon forth a three finger thick light brown head that is a mix between frothy bubbles and a creamy Meringue-consistency part. The head never entirely disappears, and in fact leaves layers of lace on the side of my glass as I work my way through this 22oz bottle. The aroma is somewhat light, but has a definite coffee liquor note to it. There are also notes of roasted grain, tar, leather, char, and a mix of chocolate and light vanilla notes. The aroma is nice and solid, but far too muted and subtle for me to really enjoy sticking my schnozz into.

This beer started out at a cool 50°F (10°C). The taste is sweet up front, and quickly becomes dominated by roast notes. The sweetness carries through to the finish, and helps serve as a foil for the astringent, drying roast flavors; almost like an espresso with sugar added, though not quite so roasted. This beer has a fairly good body to it, slightly mouth coating, and it too serves as a foil for the intense burnt notes. How to describe it; tar, charred leather, dark chocolate, sweet cream (do they add lactose to this?), espresso roast coffee (duh), and burnt toast. This is definitely a chewy beer, though not in a thick heavy way, though perhaps this is a slight negative as a beer with this much roast character could use a bit more in the way of a body.

As the beer warms up a bit it begins to get a bit fuller in the mouth, a bit more coating, and a bit more creamy in texture, and quite a bit richer. The body begins to gain that heft that I had been wishing for earlier; this beer definitely would benefit being served initially at about 56°F (13°C). Throughout the process of drinking this beer there is that backdrop of roasted character, which does dominate the flavor profile. This beer only gets better and better as I work my through it, as it warms up it becomes much more balanced and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2005 22:07:32 | More by Gueuzedude

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.28/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep dark brown color with a large tan head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is heavy with coffee, roasted malt and chocolate. There’s also a little bit of hops in there.

T: The taste starts out with a burst of coffee but it’s not as dominant as I expected, then some dark chocolate & hops bitterness. There’s a weird twinge of sweetness in the finish that I find difficult to place. The malt character is hearty but not as heavy as most beers in the style. One thing seemed certain; the previously mentioned flavors were not very harmonious.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium-to-heavy body, light-to-medium carbonation, finish is sticky and dry.

D: It wasn’t quite as filling as most stouts. The conflicting flavors detract from the tastiness of the beer and how well it goes down, I typically like the coffee-flavored beers but this one just wasn’t that good.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2007 04:45:47 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm sure I've reviewed this before, here goes again..

Pours a mahogany hued chestnut with 2 fingers of mocha colored head. Good lacing & head retention

S: Coffee & cocoa that fades a bit over time

T: Mocha, a touch if vanilla & booze up front, then coffee just dominates. Coffee grounds take over as this warms, plus a bit of vanilla & leafy hops. Finishes dry with much coffee & woody/oaky dryness

MF: Medium bodied, fairly assertive carbonation that smooths out as time passes, also becomes pretty warming (not boozey hot), even becomes creamy

Drinkability is good, but a bit too much coffee ground & booze warmth. Let this one warm up a bit past cellar temps for better results...

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2010 22:36:49 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

3.48/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle,

A: Pours an ultra dark brown with a frothy white head, some good lace and head retention.

S: Sweet coffee notes with some dark chocolate, hint of chalk.

T: Dark chocolate, considerable coffee flavour. Fairly bitter with baker's chocolate and coffee beans, no real hop flavour whatsoever, just dominated by the previous two flavours.

M: Medium-full body, creamy (shake-like), frothy carbonation with a twinge of acidity in the finish.

D: A solid beer. Not enough secondary flavours to keep me really interested, but at $4.50 a bomber, it's very inexpensive in the style, so worth a pick up for the coffee fan. Not really my cup of tea with the overt bitter coffee flavours, but I can see the appeal.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2011 05:04:16 | More by Halcyondays

emerge077

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Two fingers of frothy head threaten to spill over the edge...
A fine lace is left on the sides of the glass, cresting the deep crimson-brown liquid. It's not completely opaque, and pours reddish into a broad mouth glass.

Smells faintly of coffee, spicy hops, and malt.
Tastes like coffee, roasted malt, and a mild bitter hop note at the end.
Earthy note in the aftertaste, not sure of it's origin. No lactic or milk presence as the cappucino name might imply. The light carbonation adds a somewhat creamy element to the mouthfeel though.

Overall mouthfeel is pretty smooth, seems milder as it warms. Not a huge, chewy type stout. One 22 oz. bomber at a time sounds about right.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2006 00:19:44 | More by emerge077

Gavage

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: dark black in color. Thick tan 3"+ head with big bubbles lingers a while. No lacing develops.

Smell: mellow chocolate and coffee tones.

Taste: dark roasted coffee tones, dark chocolates, roasted malts, and a nice bitterenss makes up a bold flavored beer. Alcohol is barely noticeable.

Mouthfeel: heavy in body. Smooth from the start through to the finish. The aftertaste is long on the flavors and they basically stick to your tongue.

Drinkability: this is one of those beers that is a bit unique which makes it more interesting. But I found this to be easy to quaff and I wish I had another bottle to enjoy during the session.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2006 14:58:21 | More by Gavage