Java Sutra Coffee Porter - Three Heads Brewing

MysticRuler

New York

3.98/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a brown rather than black with nice lacing. Smells of strong black coffee (perhaps Italian Roast) with some chocolate notes. Mouthfeel is creamy and fuller bodied than many Porters. Evincing cocoa powder and even some coconut notes. Definitely a unique and enjoyable example of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2012 15:38:42 | More by MysticRuler

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

4.05/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a solid black color with a frothy tan head. Smells of milk chocolate, coffee and roasted grains. Not much in the way od hops in the aroma but lots of coffee. Taste is a rich thick creamy roasted grain and coffee mixed with milk and dark chocolate. Medium to thick body, light to medium level of carbonation. I tasted this first and while its not earth shattering in it's complexity it is very tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

07-31-2011 18:34:28 | More by johnnnniee

Chickenhawk9932

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark brown bordering on black with tan head.

Smells of coffee and dark fruit with some nut aromas.

Taste is definitely coffee up front giving way to dark fruit - raisin, then coats the mouth with a creamy, caramel, chocolate dryness on the finishes. This is a very good porter, but was a little low on carbonation for me (a litlle astringent as well) - solid not great.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2011 14:35:58 | More by Chickenhawk9932

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A cup of coffee pure and simple.Big coffee taste. If you like coffee, you get the beer. Above average mouthfeel.Very brown with some lace and small head. Somewhat drinkable.Coffee grounds , mild roast aroma.Slightly bitter, tad acidic in the finish. Coffee fans will rate this a lot higher.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 04:26:23 | More by northyorksammy

Hojaminbag

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Java Sutra has a dark brown body that is not quite opaque. The tan head is about a finger tall, but pretty thick looking. Retention and lacing are both good.

A little bit of sweet malts, but mostly coffee.

A good amount of caramel sweetness pairs with equally strong flavors of roasted malt. The coffee flavor is pretty strong throughout, but it really shines in the finish and the aftertaste. Not a whole lot to this one, but solid and well-done.

Medium bodied with fairly low carbonation.

Another nice offering from Three heads Brewing. I still like the Kind IPA more, and it made an interesting black and tan when mixed with this one.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2011 15:46:36 | More by Hojaminbag

Ego

New Jersey

3.23/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

eyes...
dark brown with ruby edges, a decent finger of head, moderate amount of bubbles in very organized columns seemingly anchored to various points on the bottom of the glass, lacing is pretty good, all around pretty good in all major departments

nose...
slightly metallic and weak dry cocoa, dry and unground coffee beans (where as many coffee ports have a more "brewed" aroma like sniffing an actual cup of coffee), powdered coffee creamer and a bit of dark caramel, not bad but nothing to make this coffee lover drool like a fool

mouth etc...
medium body with a nice amount of heft, the carbonation floats this boat nicely in the mouth with some prickle-ation which lasts into the after glow, like chewing on some bitter chocolate, there is a strange dryness/yeast-ish tone before it fades into the bitters and milder chocolate tones, after a good 10 seconds you get a slightly burnt coffee taste... but again, it tastes more like burnt beans than burnt coffee ala starbucks as some people say.

verdict?
ok enough, something about the taste does not thrill me. if you put java in the name... slay me with the coffee, just my opinion...

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 03:24:46 | More by Ego

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.64/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

This poured out as a dark brown color with a tan head on top that fades quickly. The retention just leaves a ring around the glass. And there is a very light lacing. The smell of the beer is big with coffee and hops. The taste is roasted, with a big bitter finish. There is a bit of chocolate in there also. The mouthfeel is kind of watery and dry. Overall it's a decent beer but it doesn't really doesn't set the bar too high.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 05:36:51 | More by Knapp85

tdm168

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A - dark brown with reddish edges; big, soft brownish head that has good retention

S - big coffee, sweet bittersweet chocolate

T - coffee, chocolate, roasted malts, mild bitter finish

M - medium bodied but thin at times, well carbonated

This is a nice beer but its rather simple. The flavor is dominated by coffee with hints of chocolate and roasted malts. The coffee that was used is a bit more sweet than it is bitter which in my opinion subdues its flavor a bit. Overall, this is a good (if one dimensional) beer that has good drinkability and enjoyable. It's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 11:06:56 | More by tdm168

Beejay

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Thanks DmanGTR for this brew!

A: Dark black in body, with a nice full tan head. The head is rich and thick, and starts collapsing into fish eyes as it goes.

S: Chocolate and coffee come together with some slight molasses smells. Slight dark fruit, but cocoa and java dominate.

T: Rich coffee, and cocoa nibs come out with maybe a touch of woodiness. The finish has a touch of earthy bitterness, a touch of licorice, and a nice creamy dark grain and chocolate finish. Very nice.

M: Medium in body, there is a nice creaminess to the feel. Carbonation is on the lighter side, but works with the beer.

O: Overall I really dig this beer. A nice blend of dark grains and coffee.. Just enough coffee to enhance the brew, but it doesn't distract from it.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2013 01:48:28 | More by Beejay

Brad007

Vermont

3.5/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Pours a dark brown with a one-finger head into my glass. Very nice colors for the style. You cant really tell that much.

A mild touch of roasted coffee greets the nose. There's a touch of cocoa and cream but otherwise, it comes off as a mild coffee porter.

Lightly roasted coffee dominates as expected with a very nice touch of cream and roastiness at the back. It really compliments the front end flavor.

Coffee, cocoa and cream are all I have to say regarding the mouthfeel. Very well balanced. Enjoyable.

I like this coffee porter. It gets the job done in an exceptional manner.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2013 10:36:09 | More by Brad007

Sludgeman

District of Columbia

3.45/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass from a 22oz bomber. Purchased January 2013.

A - Black liquid, not viscous, healthy pour resulted in about two fingers of head, quickly disapated.

S - Coffee and tobacco

T - Coffee, roasted (but not burnt) malt, hint of raisins, some hoppy bitterness at the end, a balanced brew

MF - Thin, a little sharp, slightly fizzy

O - A fine beer but not at the top of my list, almost a session beer if not for the 6.5% ABV

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 03:10:10 | More by Sludgeman

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Three Heads Java Sutra Coffee Porter in a trusty ol' pint glass.

Pours as close to black as possible, but with some dark brown tones. Nice girthy, beige head eventually fell, and laced while doing so. Looks decent.

Vanilla and dark roast coffee, but without much intensity. Still shows restraint with the added ingredient of coffee and conveys a lot of your basic and expected roasty porter aromas of dark chocolate and kilned grain. Not as bitter in the nose as I would have hoped (rather sweet), but I still like it.

Yep, she's a coffee porter (I read some reviews that claim the coffee was near-absent; not the case). The coffee is quality, and it's not over-the-top (maybe that's what one might expect as a lot of coffee porters and coffee stouts are super-saturated with the coffee element). I'm questioning the quality and effectiveness of the rest of the beer in the taste portion of this review. Nice malty flavors of bitter cocoa and char, but there's some light sulfur in the backdrop that throws me. Nuances of spices that I don't think they used in the brewing process are interpreted as cinnamon. This appartion of flavor is probably aided by a hop spiciness that has earthy tones. I like the nature of the coffee, like a Mexican Custapec, only seemingly darker roasted as nudged bold by the malts. The finish on this beer has a great burnt quality that lingers, and as you can read between the lines, I have no problem with it.

The mouthfeel suffers from a thin body. Not saying it's thin, but relatively thin to what comes with the idea of a coffee porter. Carbonation is nice; very soft, so as not to accent the lack of viscosity and creaminess. Feels a little empty, but there's balance that saves it. We'll just call it average.

It was hard not to give the taste one more notch in rating, as I thought it was an overall delicious beer. It came together well, but it seemed attenuated. Didn't really jump off the table in flavor, in retrospect. Letting it warm up made it more drinkable and the quality of the ingredients used was a big plus. I'd recommended it and it makes me want to try more beers from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2013 04:24:03 | More by thecheapies

ppoitras

Massachusetts

2.83/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22oz bottle purchased as a single from Savemore Discount Beverage, Clifton Park, NY.

Poured into am imperial pint, formed a 1/2" dark tan head over the clear dark brown brew. Head deflates slowly, with lasting coating lace. Aroma is a combination of coffee, root beer, and tartness.

Taste has underlying tartness from beginning to end, with root beer in the middle, and medium roast coffee through the close. Mouthfeel is rocky, with okay drinkability. Not something I'd look for again.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 01:01:46 | More by ppoitras

beerismysavior

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I reviewed this beer while practicing for the BJCP Judging Exam. I likened/graded based on category 21A: Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer with a consideration for base style(s) 12A & 12B: Brown Porter and Robust Porter, respectively.

Aroma: Rich chocolate profile up front, background character of sweet red fruit (i.e. cherry, berry, etc.) Mild coffee presence adds a layer of complexity upon the second smell. Coffee presence does not overpower classic signs of porter, sweet presence lasts throughout.

Appearance: Mostly opaque, clarity is indeterminate due to black/deep brown opaqueness, slight ruby tinge when held up to the light. Lightly colored tan head w/ medium retention.

Flavor: Slight cherry characteristic matches aromatics, background caramel presence throughout. Coffee is highly subdued and becomes nearly imperceptible among other malt and yeast derived characteristics i.e. chocolate, toffee, fruity esters, etc.

Mouthfeel: Medium carbonation w/ moderately low and light mouthfeel. Residual sweetness remains on the lips, presenting moderate viscosity. Highly restrained bitterness. Neither coffee nor hops provide enough bitterness to match building sweetness.

Overall: Labeling/initial perception of coffee leads me to believe this would resemble more of a hoppy "Americanized" robust porter than a classic "English" brown porter. Still well within the guidelines for the style, would have enjoyed a twinge more coffee presence and a handful bitterness on the backend. Overall, a mighty fine beer, just wish the labeling/marketing matched the flavor profile a little better.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2012 06:55:10 | More by beerismysavior

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

3.73/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Deep brown, black with ruby highlights and a big tan foamy head.

S - Coffee, caramel, hazelnut, vanilla, baker's chocolate and light roasted malts.

T - Baker's chocolate, fresh coffee along with some coffee grinds, light roasted malts playing alongside some burnt notes with a strong herbal hoppy finish.

M - Light side of medium with decent carbonation. A little thin.

D - Fairly easy drinking. One of those beers where nothing really stands out but I would also easily have another one.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 23:14:40 | More by brewcrew76

cbutova

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My buddy Dan loves this one and has shared it with me several times. I have always been impressed by the taste and finally got around to acquiring a bottle to review.

A- Poured into a tulip with a body not quite as black as the coffee infused into the ale itself but a dark, dark brown. A light tan head forms to about a finger in size with a bubbly texture. Retention is OK and it all ends up being a small, fine bubbled ring around the edge. A few nice webs of lace outline the glass.

S- The tulip bulb helps capture the immense amount of coffee present in this beer. It smells like a nice French press in the morning after a long night of drinking (pretty much the only time I drink coffee). Really not much else, maybe some nutty and caramel hints, dark fruit hint.

T- The flavor reminds me of Peche Mortel, as far as the coffee, but not as rich or immense. Just a blast of fresh coffee and the grounds as well. Along with it comes some cocoa, roast malts, caramel and nutty brown malts. There is a vanilla sort of flavor that I notice in many stouts with adjuncts added. Earthy hops are there but I am surprised I even realized it with the nice java feel.

MF- A slightly creamy but thinner-end Porter body. Carbonation level is right down the middle. It is just personal bias but I prefer the richer body to support beers with heavy coffee and roast flavors. The thinner feel does help it drink very easily and deliver that coffee flavor dangerously. Slight bitter finish.

A very good coffee beer. I guess there are a ton of very good ones but that doesn't take away from the great coffee punch packed in this Porter. I am very happy with this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 00:53:46 | More by cbutova

match1112

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a: dark cola colored body. two inch head quickly settles leaving decent lacing.

s: coffee, chocolate and caramel. some of my favorite things!

t: burnt coffee and bitter dark chcolate. if theres anything else in there it is hidden behind the coffee.

m: kinda thin body. good carbonation. real bitter finish.

o: if your looking for a big coffee explosion this is for you. that is all i can taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 02:08:15 | More by match1112

gaugebozo

New York

4.2/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Very black opaque, with lacy white foam.

S - Coffee, roasted malts.

T - Strong roasted espresso flavor, with balanced hops/malt finish. Coffee tastes like it was brewed a little hot/slightly acrid, but might be appealing to coffee people. To be honest, it tastes great and full of coffee, but gets a little bit of a dock because the coffee flavors overwhelm the beer. I personally love it, but is not quite true to style.

M - good, not overly sticky/sweet, but maybe would benefit from a little less carbonation.

O - Good coffee porter, especially for people who like the coffee flavors over the beer flavors. Still appealing for both types of people.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 02:25:49 | More by gaugebozo

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.43/5  rDev -35.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Bomber arrived in the Disc Golf BIF #2.
Served in my Founders snifter.

This is a bit overcarbonated... The body feels thin as a result. The 3 finger head is foamy and built of microbubbles. Decent retention and nice chunks of lacing.

Smells of caramel and roasty malts with a little milk chocolate and just a hint of coffee.
The flavor adds a really dry finish, slightly acrid, like scalded coffee, and a little something that reminds me vaguely of chocolate-covered coffee beans. The coffee/espresso is weak-- this is a great example where "more would be more," if you know what I mean.

Overall-- meh. As far as porters go, this is about average. As far as coffee porters go, this is well below mediocre. Way to thin, too dry, and too little coffee flavor-- I feel like this label should be disallowed due to false advertising.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 03:28:55 | More by AleWatcher

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

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

bomber into tulip. no bottled on date.

A: opaque black body with a frothy dark tan head. retention is reasonable with some solid lacing left behind.

S: dark chocolate and bits of roasted malt off the bat. brown sugar. the coffee is definitely there. rich espresso aromas for sure.

T: there is a touch of hop bitterness, but really not much. the meat of this brew is short lived, sort of surprising considering the 6.5%abv nametag. a lingering dark chocolate ganache/espresso flavors remains long into the finish. however, not heavy on the palate. certainly "porter-like".

M: silky and smooth. very enjoyable carbonation level. medium bodied porter.

D: my first sample from three heads. certainly a brew that delivers coffee flavor to a porter backbone. worth checking out if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 01:47:04 | More by Jimmys

billab914

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into my Surly nonic pint glass. It poured pretty close to black in color with a foamy, frothy, tan colored head covering the beer. Great head retention and lacing on the glass as I drank it.

The aroma has a pretty big coffee presence to it. I get a lot of roasted, coffee flavors mixing with a little sweeter, creamy, slightly malty component. The coffee is very good, it gives it some great roasty qualities to it.

The taste also shows a lot of the coffee throughout. It has a lot of roasted qualities to it up front with some complimenting creamy sweet, maltiness in the finish. The coffee is very well done in it.

The mouthfeel is somewhat creamy and slick with carbonation being a little below average. Very good mouthfeel for the style. Overall I thought it was a very good beer. I really liked the coffee flavors and the sweet, creamy, malitness really complimented well. Very enjoyable beer overall, I'd rank this one right up there with some of my favorite readily available coffee beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 00:00:31 | More by billab914

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle, no date.

color is almost black, but brown at the edges. some off-white head that fades fast. roasty aroma of coffee grounds, with some sweetness.

tastes of coffee with cream and sugar. a bit acidic. thin to medium in body, medium carbonation. It could be smoother.

overall - about what I'd expect. try if you're a coffee fan.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 02:58:50 | More by jmdrpi

SLeffler27

New York

3.75/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The slight head leaves a coating of lacing over a nearly black elixir.

The aroma is that of deep roasted malt with some chocolate and coffee ice cream.

The B. United tulip presents rich roasted malt with bitterness of black coffee and a short finish. This porter is all about the malt, however, there is some cigarette ash as it warms.

Has a texture of wool with a medium body, light carbonation and light alcohol.

This porter is best enjoyed with dinner.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 13:31:33 | More by SLeffler27

doucmehu

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bomber courtesy of mjtiernan, thanks! Shared with friends after dinner.

A: Pours a ruddy deep brown, with hints of burgundy. Head is moderate and mocha in color, leaves some nice lacing.

S: Burnt espresso beans dominate, though not as robust and rich as they are a bit forced and bitter. Some slight sweetness tried to cut the bitterness. An earthy pine hop aroma makes an appearance here as well, though it subsides as the beer warms.

T: The coffee flavor is intense, though not as robust and smooth as I would like, especially when it is so dominant. This reminds me of eating an espresso bean whole - it tastes like coffee, but it's pretty sharp and in your face, lacking some balance. There is a definite bitterness with the coffee as well as some cocoa. The hops are again present but subdued, lacking much depth.

M: The mouthfeel was just about on par with the rest of the beer, being a bit jagged and thin. Carbonation was strong and fizzy, which is fine but for a porter and a coffee beer it would have done nicer with a smoother, creamier finish.

O: I noticed the review contained a lot of "just missed" aspects, which is a good indication of my overall take. It was a decent example, certainly not unenjoyable, but just a little too harsh to really leave drinkability above average.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 23:43:48 | More by doucmehu

Suds

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Strong, dark, coffee beers seem to be a fad recently. This one stands out as one of the better variants. It's a very dark, nearly black beer with reddish highlights and a firm tan head. The aroma is remarkable...it really smells like the combination of a strong espresso and a robust porter. It's a strong, bitter, roasty, intense, smokey, enjoyable smell. The taste is not as astringent as expected, based on the smell. Malt flavor, some sweetness, coffee and grain, with some hop bitterness. The beer is flavorful, robust, and enjoyable. Full in body and lots of genuine coffee flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 22:21:43 | More by Suds