Schlafly Coffee Stout - Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.35/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Coffee bean brown, through which bright sunlight can (barely) be seen. Generous ruby and amber highlights are additional evidence that this isn't a light-rejecting stout. Since Kaldi's is more of a light, sessionable stout (5.7% ABV), I'll cut it some slack on the lack of opacity. The most impressive feature of the ecru cap is its stickiness. Thick bridges of foam connect head and glass, leaving quite a bit of lace when they eventually break.

The nose smells more like old coffee grounds than it does freshly brewed coffee or a coffee-added oatmeal stout (which is what it is). The fact that I'm not a big java fan probably has something to do with my lack of enthusiasm. Actually, let's throw a little cigarette ash in there as well. Those beans must have been roasted with a flame-thrower.

For some reason, the flavor is a small step up. It doesn't bring anything new to the table, it just hits me better than the nose did. On a good note, the added coffee doesn't overwhelm the essential beerness of the beer. On a not-so-good note, the underlying beer doesn't taste very impressive. Looking back at my review of Oatmeal Stout, that isn't a big surprise.

Scorched coffee is at least 80% of the flavor profile. The remaining 20% is a roasted chocolate maltiness. The malt sugars try their level best to offset what is a pretty impressive overarching bitterness. I can believe every one of the 40 IBUs. Warming brings out increased flavor intensity with no change in the basic constellation of flavors.

Even if this isn't meant to be a big stout, the mouthfeel is still lacking as far as I'm concerned. It's probably even on the left side of the bell curve for a porter. The obvious fix for a lot of this beer's ills is... more malt.

I'm not thrilled with Kaldi's Coffee Stout, for reasons that have very little to do with the fact that I'm not a java junkie. I've given plenty of coffee-dominant stouts high scores if they've deserved them. I guess the moral of this story is that Schlafly needs to use a solid base beer (which Oatmeal Stout isn't) on the back end in order to get a solid coffee stout on the front end.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2007 15:00:09 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Oh hell yeah, that is what I needed tonight, a rich, decadent coffee beer. My favorite of beer styles, though it is not really a style. This twelve ounce beauty was served lightly chilled and poured into my pint glass. Consumed on 12/11/2008.

The pour was really wonderful. Rich and completely black with no light coming through here at all. Huge tan head settled down just a tocuh leaving a ton of side glass lace alll over the place.

The smell, rich coffee aroma with a light hint of roasted malts and a touch of grain. As it warmed some light hints of molasses started to come through as well. The taste though, is why I love coffee and beer. Rich. Bitter. Dry. Totally and completely emerged in a huge coffee flavor from the very first sip. This had a really nice mellow brew flavor to it, not really harshm with a fine prickly carbonation that was smooth and subtle. Really very well done. Nice dry, slightly biter finish sealed the deal for me as this one was one of the most drinkable beers I have had in a very long time.

Overall I was floored by how good this one was. One of the best coffee beers i have had and really just a shining moment of the night for me. This was damn good.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2008 02:10:34 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Rustico. Served in a nonic pint.

Pours a deep brown nearing black. Big mocha-colored head with nice lacing as it goes down. Good retention as well. Thin collar afterward. The nose carries a really nice bit of coffee with some mild cream. Slight roast as well. Flavor has a good coffee and roast combination with a slight creaminess behind it. Medium body with good carbonation. Slightly chewy. Quite good.

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2012 02:29:43 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Rather translucent for a stout, with a creamy tan head that forms atop the liquid; the retention was not that impressive but it did leave some shards of lace behind

Smell: Piquant coffee aroma, with hints of mocha and oatmeal

Taste: Lots of coffee flavor in this one, with a chocolate and oatmeal undertone that builds by mid-palate; just a hint of citrusy hop character emerges, after the swallow, but the finish returns to the start, with plenty of coffee

Mouthfeel: As I anticipated from the appearance, the beer is rather thin for a stout and there is not that much of the creaminess I would have expected from the oatmeal, either; moderate carbonation

Overall: I find the thin mouthfeel forgivable as I really like the flavor profile; one of my favorites in the coffee beer style

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 01:38:32 | More by brentk56

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Well, happy to see this on local shelves. The beer delivers a big aromatic punch of espresso beans and roasted goodness. Its all about the coffee up front. Flavors are dominated by solidly brewed espresso with a supporting stout character. The stout has difficulty standing up to the immense coffee characteristics, but contributes malt sweetness, toffee, caramel, and a hint of vanilla and brown sugar. The oats in the brew round the coffee nicely, but maybe too much so. The beer needs some rough edges to compete with the coffee acidity and strength. Feels full and rich to the mouth and finishes with a velvety slickness. Aftertastes are all coffee in nature. A good beer, but an American Stout backbone would have been better.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2006 18:49:00 | More by BEERchitect

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Thanks to whartontallboy for this bit o' extra goodness!

Not sure how the Cards/Pads game turned out, but it was shaping up to be entertaining. Now to this brew here. It pours a murky dark burnt sienna topped by a finger of lightly dusty dirty white foam. The nose is dominated by a rich coffee aroma, with some mild molasses, dusty dark chocolate, and lightly chlorinated wheat rollicking behind. The taste embitters the coffee, while simultaneously complimenting it with some rye notes. The chocolate also gets some bitterness (we're nearing cookin' choc here), and the roasted malts seem rather burnt. A hint of light leather hides in the back. The body is a lightly hefty medium, with a very light moderate carbonation and a pretty smooth feel. Overall, a nice coffee stout, though the bitterness borders on harshness. I could see drinking more of them, though.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 00:28:38 | More by TMoney2591

drabmuh

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best beer from Schlafly I've had all night. Beer is black, nice tan head, small and medium bubbles, lacing, moderate to low carbonation, decent retention.

Aroma is straight up coffee with fudge and roast mixed in.

Beer is medium in body and quite bitter, strong from the back moving forward. Interesting beer overall too. Sweetness minimal. A nice little stout for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

11-21-2011 01:29:18 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

3.48/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours out jet black with no head. No lacing either.

S - Smelled like cofffee, actually not just coffee but fresh ground coffee beans.

T - Obviously it tasted like coffee.

M - It was soft on the tongue and medium-bodied.

D - I really am not a huge fan of coffee (mostly because I don't like hot drinks). I expected the coffee taste to be more subtle. That being said I actually liked the beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2006 16:24:03 | More by zeff80

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Dated Jan 23 2007

Pours chestnut with 1 finger of tan head. Good head retention & average lacing

S: Coffee beans, chocolate & roasted malt

T: Roasted coffee beans & chocolate up front. More like coffee grounds & some iron as this warms. Finishes dry with chocolatey & mocha notes, plus some roasty grains

MF: Light/medium bodied with lively carbonation with some creaminess

Drinks pretty easy, not a bad coffee stout

Cheers to BARLEYWINEO for this one!

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2007 02:51:09 | More by russpowell

emerge077

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Puffy cap of long lasting tan foam that leaves some sticky lacing... metallic aroma that is a bit of a downer. Dark roasty mahogany color, some broken skim, though it maintains some foam on top.

Mellow and rich coffee flavor, roasty and woody. Body is a bit thin, but mimics coffee to an extent. Somewhat bitter and roasty, dry aftertaste. Dry cocoa and bakers chocolate linger. Coffee flavor is clean and isolated, lending a succinct character to define this coffee stout. Maybe not groundbreaking compared to Bells or Founders iterations, but it has a perceptible local following in southern Illinois and St. Louis for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2007 19:09:17 | More by emerge077

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A growler filled this past weekend, big thanks to czoch75 for it.

A: The stout is an oil black color with some ruby red highlights at the edge of the glass. The head leaves a nice patch of lace throughout the glass.

S: The beer has an intense coffee aroma. I use a french press to make coffee everyday. At the bottom of the cup there are 5 tablespoons of grounds that have an aroma similar to this. A very intense coffee aroma!

T: The coffee body continues into the taste. The flavor has a sweet undertone that is the oatmeal stout base. Built on top of that is an intense, acidic coffee flavor. The taste finishes long, leaving a strong coffee flavor in the mouth.

M: The coffee is a little intense, like a strong Starbucks brew, but it is one of the truer coffee stouts that I've had as it doesn't shy away from the coffee.

D: The ale's espresso-like body is a great change of pace, providing both an acidic strength and an oatmeal smoothness.

Serving type: growler

11-23-2006 00:39:21 | More by akorsak

Wasatch

Utah

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

Thanks to Vancer for this one.

Pours a nice clean/clear dark brown color, nice carbonation, nice small one-finger plus creamy tannish head, lots of nice sticky lacing follows. The nose is of tons of roasted coffee malts. The finish is slightly dry. The taste is mostly roasted coffee malts. Medium body. Very drinkable, a nice coffee stout for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2007 23:32:31 | More by Wasatch

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in a nonic)
Brewed on Oct 06.06
A- This beer has a dense opaque walnut brown body with a brown glint glowing at the base. There is a creamy light tan head that pulls away from the glass to from a cone of head that last and last.

S- The smell of fresh espresso coffee beans has a hint of chocolate malt and some nice roasted bitter notes.

T- This beer has a smooth creamy black coffee bean flavor with a slight tart nose that increase as the beer warms. There are notes of black malt and some black roasted grain with a slight nougat note and a nice molasses note toward the finish.

M- This beer has a medium-full mouthfeel with a light slippery/watery texture.

D- This beer has a smooth creamy mellow flavor with a big coffee bean taste. There are no cold and old coffee flavor but on the other had there are not many bitter flavors from the grain that really make a stout a stout.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2007 02:44:44 | More by rhoadsrage

Jason

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz brown bottle with a bottled on date on the label. This stout is brewed with Kaldi's Coffee.

Head retention is fine, some good stickage on the glass. A shade lighter than pitch black the liquid is. Smells of mocha iced coffee with a hint of sweetness from the oats. Very smooth and creamy with a semi-slick mouth feel. Chocolaty roasted malt with a big tone of coffee flavor, mild hop bitterness. Finishes with a long lingering chocolate / coffee flavor.

Very tasty and balanced, and balanced is what I look for first in a coffee stout espsically if the acidity is too much which is not the case here. Paired well with a handful of chocolate cover espresso beans.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2007 01:07:48 | More by Jason

mdfb79

New York

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

From 01/27/12 notes. had on tap at Bier Baron in DC. Poured into a pint glass.

a - Pours a slightly murky, amber-brown color with one inch of off white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of straight up coffee grinds, espresso, roasted malts, and toasted malts.

t - Tastes of coffee grinds, roasted malts, espresso, toasted malts, light chocolate, and light cream. Pretty nice.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Pretty easy to drink stout.

o - Overall a very nice coffee stout. One of those stouts that smells and tastes like coffee grounds, it's very strong. Would have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 17:04:42 | More by mdfb79

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from beerhandy as part of BIF 24. Thanks for the opportunity. "Bottled with love on Sep 30 2004".

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1 1/4" tan head above the burgundy brown brew. Pillowy head fades very slowly, with heavy lacing. Aroma is of dark malts and coffee. Taste seems a bit light on the dark malts and coffee, and a bit of fruity shines through. Mouthfeel isn't quite as hearty as I'd look for in a stout, but drinkability is still quite nice. Not a bad product, this one right here...

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2005 21:07:08 | More by ppoitras

weeare138

Pennsylvania

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

Thanks to hopdog for sharing this growler...
Appears a near black with brown edges and a tan head that fades into a mild cap and a hearty collar. Streaky rings and spots of lacing are left all around the glass.
Smell is of mocha, cream, java grounds, and roasted nuts.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with some vanilla cream and a hint of caramel coming through in the flavors.
Mouthfeel is medium-full bodied, with sweet cream and bitter coffee grounds battling it out along the palate.
I'm usually skeptical when it comes to these coffee beers but I enjoyed this one.

Serving type: growler

11-08-2007 21:14:00 | More by weeare138

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into a pint glass. Thanks to Dertbert for including this in a recent trade.

Pours dark brown with a finger width of light tan head that settles down into a great looking full creamy retention across the top that leaves behind big swathes of lace on the sides of the glass. The aroma is definitely roasted coffee up front although I also pick up some backing chocolate sweetness and a slight sour note.

The taste is once again a roasty coffee blend up front mixed with chocolate and caramel sweetness. There is also a slightly astringent feel to the proceedings. The overall taste of coffee is pretty good but there seems be something missing. Maybe a bit more assertiveness or better backing by the other flavors? The mouthfeel is a little thinnner than I expected but still maintains a creamy and sleek feel.

Overall, this wasn't a terrible Coffee Stout but it just didn't do enough in certain areas to make it overly memorable either. Still, the flavor isn't too bad and the drinkibility is still fairly good.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2008 17:24:52 | More by Kegatron

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.33/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Beer is almost black. The head has a nice "whipped" appearance to it. It's light brown in color. Fairly thin, but it sticks around for a while. Lacing is moderate. Great aroma on this one. Thick coffee roast smell. With black malts/chocolate malts in the mix too it seems. The nose translates nicely to the palate. Thick, dark roasted coffee tones. Sharp and acrid. But not harsh. I'm not actually a coffee drinker, but I do like coffee beers and this is no exceptioin. There is a nice little sweet accent to everything. Like a vanilla or milk sugar trait. Something of that sort anyway. The body is light to light-medium in stature. I wish it were fuller. Carbonation is appropriately held in check. This is an easy drinker and quite tasty.

Thanks MJR, for my first two Schlafly brews.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2006 23:39:07 | More by Bighuge

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a SA sensory glass this brew appears a dark brown color. When held to the light, this offering appears more like a brown ale than a stout. 2 fingers of tanned frothy head appear and retain well leaving a webbing of lace on the glassware.

The aroma of this brew has a strong scent of coffee that is somewhat tangy suggesting some citrus aspect to the coffee beans or maybe an accent to the hops. A roasted character of slightly musty grain fills the back of the nose. As it warms, some chocolate notes come out.

The taste includes roasted grain upfront with a slightly dry chocolate taste and a solid backing of coffee. There is a light musty aspect about the grain and the coffee flavor as a bit of citrus component possibly exaggerated by the hops. It leaves an aftertaste that is a mixture of roasted grain and coffee, not bad.

The alcohol is slightly noticeable in this brew. It is medium bodied with a modest level of carbonation. Not a bad offering at all.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2010 01:02:50 | More by stakem

Dogbrick

Ohio

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

On draught at the brewpub (as "Kaldi's"). This beer is a nearly opaque dark brown color with ruby on the fringes. Thin and creamy off-white head that dissipates quickly, and spotty lacing. Aroma of coffee, oatmeal and roasted malt. Medium, smooth body with coffee, roasted barley and malt flavors. The finish is nutty with a lingering coffee aftertaste. Pretty good all around.

Serving type: on-tap

11-24-2008 18:27:57 | More by Dogbrick

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz received as a very cool extra in trade with Tilley4.. big thanks.. poured into my New Belgium snifter.

2 finger lite tan head is small bubbled and actually looks like a latte. Good lacing atop a very very dark walnut brew.. only deep brown highlites show up when held to a bright light.

Aroma is dark roast coffee more than anything else.. not black grains.. but coffee. A little milky sweetness opens up as it warms.

Traditional stout flavors abound.. but the coffee is a significant player... touches of bittersweet chocolate show as it approaches room temperature... slightly sweet maltiness does its best to bring the flavors together.. but the coffee may be a little too high.. but I can't dock it on that alone. Body is lite/medium.. but the fine bubble carbonation lends to a silky mouthfeel none the less.

The brew is pretty good.. but not necessarily my cup of Joe.

More props to Tilley4... Jason is a great trader, and we need to do it again soon.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2008 06:43:14 | More by JohnGalt1

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks a million to n8dietz for giving me this bottle from his St. Louis trip.

Dark brown and ruby in color. Good lacing and good foam after the pour.

Roasted malt add too the very faint acidic smell of just brewed "7-11" brand coffee. Dry coffee grounds and pumpernickel bread.

Roasted malts upfront, maybe some powdered chocolate for a minute. Then its all acidic, somewhat low quality tasting, coffee grounds and brew come together from middle to finish. The finish is acidic and dark tahnks to the coffee and roasted malts.

Could bee sessionable for acidic almost acrid coffee & beer lovers.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 22:07:41 | More by scruffwhor

Bitterbill

Wyoming

3.8/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of the great trader russpowell. Thanks Russ!

It pours a very dark brown with some hues of red with close to 2 finger's worth of offwhite foam. This is a good lacer so a very nice start for this Stout.

Coffee is in the name and coffee is in the aroma. Good roasty notes are here and I'm definitely getting some bitter tones from the coffee. Nice.

The taste as a nice bitterness up front from the coffee along with a good roasted maltiness. I'm getting a slight astringency in the background but it's mild and doesn't hurt the flavour too much. A good taster to me as it isn't overloaded with coffee like some brews I've tried before.

A nice medium body and lightish carbonation make for a really smooth feel. Good.

Drinkability? The abv is reasonable and the taste is very pleasing so I think this is a very easy brew to drink. A nice job by Schlafly.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2009 18:10:26 | More by Bitterbill

Tone

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy, dark brown. 5/4 inch head with good retention and good lacing. Smells strongly of coffee (roasted malts). Fits the style. Smooth, bitter from the roasted malts, and average carbonation levels. Tastes of roasted malts (coffee) up front. Aftertaste is less bitter and more sweet (chocolate). Overall, this is a really nice example of a coffee stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2009 20:38:39 | More by Tone