Coffee Stout - New Glarus Brewing Company

Wrend

Illinois

4.94/5  rDev +26.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is the best stout beer I have ever had.

Just took a road trip up to New Glarus WI and picked up a case of this brew (and a couple others) on me and my wife's wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, they didn't have it on tap there for tasting, but I figured I would like it just the same, and boy was I right!

This brew is best slightly chilled, but not too cold, because you want to be able to fully taste the flavor potential this beer has to offer. It is perhaps a little on the tame side of things, almost enough to make this a session beer, but what it has comes together perfectly. The mark of a true quality beer is the 10 second rule. Take a swig, wait 10 seconds, and then what you taste after that is the mark of quality. Initial flavor (including scent) is smooth, dark malt, slightly sweet, and slightly bitter and smoky with a little coffee and hints of chocolate and caramel. But, wait 10 seconds and it hits you. Whatever it is, I'm unable to fully describe, but to try, in two word: delicious satisfaction. Try the brew, let it linger a moment, and you'll know what I mean. If you don't, then I feel sorry for you.

There isn't really any one specific thing that makes this brew stand out to me. However, it seems just about the perfect balance of everything that makes a stout of this caliber good, excluding perhaps the over-dramatization and intensity of some other offerings. (Just be done with it and become a chilli pepper head, or something, if that's what you're after... Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Even from the bottle, chilled, but not cold, I can not recommend this beer too much. Get one (or preferably several) now.

Mine was poured into a New Glarus flute-like pint glass that I got from the brewery's sampling garden.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 00:33:06 | More by Wrend

UGADawgGuy

Georgia

4.85/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance: This brew poured with a one-finger, khaki head atop a DARK brown -- nearly pitch-black -- body. Carbonation is moderate, but apparent, which is fine for this fairly inclusive style. Looks appetizing.

Smell: Nice. Like a lightly sweetened, iced coffee, of some dark-roasted variety. I also detect a hint of creamy vanilla and some faint caramel essence...mmm.

Taste: WHAAAT? This is the best-tasting coffee stout I've ever tried (and I've had the likes of Founders Breakfast Stout, Founders KBS, and Dark Lord [which I may or may not consider a "coffee stout"]). This is like a GREAT iced coffee with a really good stout beer behind it. Lightly sweet, very pleasantly roasted, and generally stellar. I want more!

Mouthfeel: Moderately thick body, but lighter than most "big" stouts. Carbonation is, as indicated above, moderate...but that works well with the moderate body. Coats the palate like an iced coffee would. More than any other beer I've tried, this one emulates a chilled coffee drink. Wonderful.

Drinkability: In contrast to most coffee stouts, New Glarus Coffee Stout keeps the ABV at a manageable level (5.75%), which means two 12-ounce bottles wouldn't be impossible to handle. Personally, I think I could drink three or four of these in a sitting, with the only potential ill effect being a stomachache due to the coffee itself! Refreshing and hearty at the same time, this beer could be enjoyed during all seasons. Magnificent!

Holy cow, what a revelation! HIGHLY recommended...and among my favorite stouts of all time!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2009 07:25:06 | More by UGADawgGuy

pphunkdelux

Wisconsin

4.83/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is the best coffee beer I've had so far.

The appearance is dark brownish red with a thin tan head that recedes quickly.

It smells like iced coffee and chocolate, with a hint of maltiness and roast.

This is an absolutely great tasting beer. The coffee isn't overpowering, it's a perfect balance. Chocolate and malt mix well with the coffee.

The carbonation was perfect for this beer, made it very creamy in the mouth and played well with the coffee taste

I could drink this all night, very good beer that I highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2009 04:27:55 | More by pphunkdelux

BobbyBeerman

Illinois

4.83/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Once again I would like to state my eternal gratitude to Joe and Cheryl Schmit for bringing me back a mixed six-pack sampler of New Glarus beers. I am thoroughly enjoying them.

A: Pours a deep, dark brown - so deep that only the edges give a hint of its not completely black color. No light passes through the center of the glass. Heck, it barely passes through the edges. Pouring produced a fingers worth of tan head that dissipated but still laced through out the event.

S: Once it got up to the proper temperature, in addition to the hearty malt/chocolate aroma of a good stout this has an additional shot of robust coffee.

T: To say that the taste follows the smell would be accurate but would feel like an understatement. The taste is incredible. Roasted malts, chocolate, rich coffee all in balance. A hint of sweetness - perhaps vanilla - to round it off. Very nice!

M: Balanced carbonation compliments the medium to heavy body well.

D: Very drinkable. And at only 5.75% ABV I find myself wishing I had more than one bottle of this to enjoy. It would be easy to drink more than one of these at a sitting but I am happy with savoring just one. I allowed this to run the gambit from cold where the flavors just start to come out to about 50 degrees where the senses revel in the complexities. This is a very good beer. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2009 02:38:01 | More by BobbyBeerman

Dotcubed

Arkansas

4.78/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is one pours well. Deep dark stout, nice light creamy foam. Guinness like. Looks well crafted. The foam sicks well to the glass.

Awesome smell. Quite possibly the most intense oily smell. Not overly roasted, not using cheap Folgers quality, smells like good coffee. This leads to high expectations...

Warmed up, this is really tasty. Some fruity esters & earthy tones. Dry, medium bodied. A session beer for sure. Malty. Has a nice balance between a stout and a coffee beverage. Long on coffee flavor but not overwhelming. A little flat, but probably from sitting around too long.

Good mouthfeel, not too thick and heavy. Still needs a little more carbonation.

I could drink these all day, except that it's coffee.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2009 05:10:49 | More by Dotcubed

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

4.76/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Pours a almost black with a slight cola brown on the edges.

Smell is coffee, chocolate with a sweet frosting and roasted smell

Taste follows the nose, starting with a sweet Coffee, Chocolate and finishing with bitter roastyness and espresso.

Mouthfeel is rather soft and silky but with a decent amount carbonation

Wow I almost always love every NG beer they put out for us here in WI, but this one is a step above most, If you are a Coffee beer fan either Trade for it or if you are here in WI then just buy it!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 21:34:46 | More by nickapalooza86

storksonm

Wisconsin

4.7/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pint glass

Rich coffee taste, a deep grain stout feel to it and a nice tan head to it. Its worth every penny and well balanced. Not too much bite, but just enough to give you the feel of a nice cup a joe. Sweet and strong enough flavor wise, the only thing I think its lacking is a strong body but maybe thats just me. Otherwise I think out of the coffee stouts I've had it's a instant favorite of mine.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2009 01:46:22 | More by storksonm

BasementBer

Manitoba (Canada)

4.7/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is my favorite NG beer so far.

A: A dark brown, nearly dark color with a creamy mocha head with mild lacing.

S: Chocolaty roasted body makes up the bulk of the aroma.

T: Starts with a coffee and is full bodied with the malt and burnt chocolate finish.

M: Hoppyness stays on the tounge and choco/coffee in the rear.

D: Definitely go back to this one as a great Stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 20:03:38 | More by BasementBer

billyzoom666

Wisconsin

4.63/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is another winner from New Glarus. A fast pour into a pint glass left a nice even head that slowly disappears evenly, just leaving a few bubbles on the survace. The lacing on this holds tight to the side of the glass. It doesn't slide down. Appearance wise, it is what it is. It's pretty dark, but when held to a light just a little bit gets through. There's a definite coffee and chocolate scent to this. The first sip I took, the only thing I could think is how if there was such a thing as beer flavored hot chocolate, this is what it would taste like. And that, my friends, is a good thing. A great coffee aftertaste kicks in. It's not like strong black coffee, but more like one of those mochas that people pay too much for. Great mouthfeel to it and for a stout this has a pretty high drinkability. I think part of that is because of the great flavor and part of it is due to the relatively low ABV. A great dessert beer. Wish I had another in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2009 01:36:20 | More by billyzoom666

Mistofminn

Minnesota

4.55/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours nearly pitch black into my pint glass. Thin off-white head produced, minimal lacing.

Has a strong coffee nose. Roasted malts and caramel also present. There is also a small amount of bitter bakers chocolate here as well. Mostly roasted malts and coffee, however.

Taste is much like you would expect from the nose. I don't get the coffee right off the bat, but a couple seconds in it shows up, and boy does it show up. Strong coffee taste, definitely more than I was expecting. This is most likely the best tasting coffee stout I've ever had. It blends my two favorite beverages with perfect precision.

Mouthfeel is a bit watery, but it somehow doesn't take away from the beer at all. A bit thin as well, but that might be because of the coffee.

Very drinkable. This would be my ideal session beer, if it were available in my area.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2009 19:20:45 | More by Mistofminn

dhannes

Wisconsin

4.53/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A=Perfect--rich, very dark reddish brown/black with a good inch head that lasted several minutes.

S=Like a mocha with sugar and milk, with malt...mmmm.

T=Overall, very good...most sips were a dark, rich, coffee malted...more like a really strong, iced mocha...but with malt, hops and alcohol. A few sips in the middle seemed watered down for some reason...aftertaste reminded me of smoked sausage.

M=Very nice...would have preferred a bit thicker.

D=The lack of thickness helped, as did the light carbonation...the richness makes this one that would be hard to drink more than one at a time...but easier than many other stouts.

This is the first New Glarus product that I've truly enjoyed and could see myself buying in a pinch. Tried to make a Black and Tan with the Little King Cream Ale, but did not get separation...still, the combo was very nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2011 03:31:16 | More by dhannes

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Much thanks to the kind trader that provided this one to me as an extra recently. This is perhaps my favorite style of beer, so I was very excited to be able to get to try a new one in the style. Chilled down to cellar temperature and poured into a pint glass. This was consumed on 07/29/2008.

The pour was wonderful, thick, dark black with nearly no light at all shining through on this one. Rich tan colored head of about two inches quickly settled down to about a half inch of tan that thoroughly coated the inside of the glass. This was what the style is all about!

The aroma was just loaded down with coffee. Rich notes of mocha mixes in with a rich, and sweet coffee note. A tiny bit of bitterness and an earthy flare lying down underneath of it, but the majority of this one was hands down, rich brewed coffee. The flavor was more of the same. Rich notes just rolled over the tongue in waves and thoroughly coated the inside of the mouth. Sweet with touches of chocolate and vanilla to highlight the coffee notes, this was a very nicely done brew here. Rich and creamy feel with a decadence that you look for in this style. A smooth drinker that was effortless to put down.

Overall this was just what the doctor ordered, a smooth drinking, richly flavored coffee stout, just the way it should be. Nothing overblown, or overdone. Just simple, and straight up flavors that work very well. I really do love this style and this is a fine example of it.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2008 10:11:50 | More by mikesgroove

mariposafan

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Minimal head, though what is there is resilient. The body is dark, dark brown - you almost have to hold it up to a light to see anything to indicate it's not black.

The smell is roasty malts and coffee. Nice!

The taste is coffee and malt. Some roastiness but nothing overpowering. Pretty much no bitterness. Reading the bottle it does mention cold-pressed coffee so the lack of bitterness isn't too great a surprise. Wonderful, wonderful flavor.

The mouthfeel is light, not the heaviness of some stouts. The carbonation is ultra-creamy - perfectly appropriate for a coffee stout.

Easy, easy drinking. The first stout that I've really loved. Pretty much the New Glarus trademark taste profile - very flavorful but not overbearing.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2010 23:13:25 | More by mariposafan

jeffmonarch

Maryland

4.47/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle in a pint glass.

A - Nice dark brown with a light tan head that stays for a while.

S - All you can smell is coffee, that's it.

T - Wow that's good. Great coffee flavor. Actually has a light feel to it.

M - Medium to full bodied with good carbonation.

D - Great beer. This is a stout first with coffee flavor second. That's how a coffee stout should be. I'm tired of beers that have it the other way around. Drink this beer!

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 06:43:27 | More by jeffmonarch

GreatMNFlyer

Minnesota

4.47/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Although I purchased this beer in Mount Horeb Wisconsin, the Troll capital of the United States of America, I will do my best to not have a Troll-like review.

I shared this beer just last night (3/15/10) with my girlfriend and we had some hamburger pasta (NOT hamburger helper) just before enjoying this beer.

A: It was as dark as oil, with a medium to rich head on top. This was poured from a bottle to a standard mug.

S: It smelled like coffee, not over powering, but the coffee scent was unmistakable. A slight bit of chocolate as well, as with most stouts.

T: I got a lot of coffee in this one. My girlfriend even said it felt like it was morning, because of the coffee taste to it. I had sipped some from the bottle before pouring, and it was not as noticed in the bottle, but once poured it was there in full force. At first taste, being the first stout I had had in a little while, it hit strong, and above all delicious.

M: There wasn't a lot of carbonation in this brew, which made it quite smooth to drink. I had a bit of a sore throat at the time, and usually too much carbonation doesn't feel good with that, but this beer felt great going down. Not quite as thick as most stouts, this one actually felt pretty lite, making it very drinkable.

D: As I said, very drinkable. Even though it was a stout, it felt like you could get a couple of them down quick, being so full of good taste and quite easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 15:32:55 | More by GreatMNFlyer

SkitzIrish3

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a thick creamy head of tan foam.

Smells like coffee with a hint of vanilla bean. Very appealing.

Nice smooth, creamy mouthfeel that delivers a solid punch of (you guessed it) coffee. There is a nice bitter and chocolate presence that leaves the mouth craving another drink.

Loved it. One of the best stouts I’ve had to date.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2011 19:44:02 | More by SkitzIrish3

czfreeman

Michigan

4.46/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Deep nearly black tone, ruby outlines when held up to the light.
Head is nice and beautifully creamy. Tan tones, settles down slowly leaving lovely lacing.
Smell exhibits coffee beautifully.Espresso, fresh roasted coffee beans, bitter earthy ground notes. Touch of acidity, vanilla, cocoa comes in adding notes of sweet richness.
Flavor is bitter, evolving in to cocoa notes, espresso, vanilla, cream, but with a really nice bitter smoky finish like a good espresso shot. Touch of milky sweetness that creeps up on the finish really rounds out the bitter/smokey flavors beautifully.
Mouthfeel is lighter, finishing clean, sharp and bright. As the beer warms, the aforementioned milky sweetness gradually adds a roundness and smoothness to the beer, much like adding a touch of milk to a cup of coffee without stirring..every now and then the cream rounds out and also the bitterness cleans things up on subsequent sips.
I have yet to have anything from New Glarus that is anything short of pure, talented excellence. Look forward t making a trip up there soon

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 23:25:45 | More by czfreeman

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.45/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle courtesy of FrankenBrew, thanks Nick! Pours a dark brown color with a bubbly tan head. Fades pretty quick and leaves some spots of lace here and there.

Nose is chocolaty, just-right-roasty and surprisingly fruity - in a good way. Coffee smell is mild, but pleasant. Smells very good.

Taste shows a bit more roast but has a nice sweetness to give it a bit of a mocha character. Very smooth and creamy, mouthfeel is excellent. Delicioso. One of the best coffee stouts I have ever had - well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 19:51:02 | More by twiggamortis420

Pauly2X

Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Opaque black with a half finger beige head.

S- Mostly a Mocha aroma which suggests a good balance of coffee, chocolate and roast flavors. As the beer warms more of the earthy coffee aroma comes through.

T- The flavors are well balanced throughout. Roast, chocolate, and coffee dominate, while some caramel sweetness brings just enough sweetness to balance things out.

M- Medium/full body, silky smooth with just the right amount to carbonation to break it up a bit.

O- I'm normally not a huge fan of coffee stouts, but this one was very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 12:40:53 | More by Pauly2X

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle. The beer pours a very deep brown color with a finger of tan head over top. There are nice amber to ruby highlights at the edges and there is a nice cascade of bubbles boiling up to the top. The aroma on this one is unmistakably coffee with a backing of nice roasted malt character that adds a nice edge to it. I really like the aroma on this one. The flavor is definitely on with the nose. It brings coffee and roast immediately, but then moves to a nice chocolate sweetness, finishing with a nice blend of the two as a mocha. Tasty tasty brew. Mouthfeel is on the lighter end of medium with a moderate carbonation. It is not as full as I would like it to be, but it definitely retains drinkability due to the smaller body. This is a beer I can't seem to keep in my glass. It delivers on what it promises in being a coffee stout. I'm a big fan of the lower abv as well, as this keeps me able to session it. This one wins in my book.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2007 00:15:47 | More by kmpitz2

mynie

Indiana

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very deep and dark red with a fantabulous head, rocky brown and sticky with lacing.

Smells of gentle, roasted oatmealyness, dark stout grain, and very lightly like sweet chocolate-flavored coffee. There's no hint of roughness.

Tastes as smooth as silk! The oatmealyness (I could swear there was some in here!) is large and present in the front, and it is done up to perfection--once again, no roughness, just light semi-sweetness that has a nice, nourishing feel, like unsweetened grain. This moves into a slightly more rough middle as the oatmeal gives way to lightly roasted and lightly bitter coffee and ends with a sweetened node of chocolate.

Wowee Zowee that's a lot of complexity from such a crisp and refreshing beer. I know, I know: "crisp" and "refreshing" aren't words you usually hear being used to describe coffee stouts, but this one is both. It may even be better suited for springtime than for winter!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2007 06:34:51 | More by mynie

Dibujob

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep, dark brown with a reddish hint and a thick creamy head which quickly settles. Nice lacing on the glass.

Aroma is the least pleasant aspect of an otherwise exceptional beer (just my humble opinion). Coffee is front and center, but there's a subtle sourness in the back that just didn't resonate well with me.

Taste blew me away! Chocolate, coffee, and a complex yet balanced assembly of toasted malts come together in an amazing blend of goodness.

Mouthfeel is tingly at first, but quickly fades to a wonderful creamy finish. Dry, but deliciously drinkable. I would love to have a few of these while sitting in front of a fireplace on a snowy afternoon.

Another home run for Dan Carey and New Glarus!

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2009 02:09:36 | More by Dibujob

blackearth

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours pitch black with a thick tan head. Aroma of coffee and sugary vanilla. Surprisingly, medium bodied, flavors of roast coffee explode first, then give way to malt sweetness at mid-tongue, and finishes again with coffee and slightly burnt flavors. I would consider this the perfect example of a coffee stout.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2009 01:16:06 | More by blackearth

sonicdescent

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Another home run from New Glarus.

Appears a very nice near black with a pretty very light mocha head of fluff that turns into a crown with very nice lacing.

Smell is of coffee, underlying chocolate and cream.

Taste is similar to smell except seems very full like a milk stout in body. Which is not a bad thing at all. Goes down extremely easy, no sign of the admittedly low alcohol, but since when does it have to be gasoline flavored to be good?

This is a really great beer and it is a shame that I don't have access to it here.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 03:25:27 | More by sonicdescent

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.4/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is one of New Glarus’ darkest offerings that also have national fame as one of the tastiest stouts. Coffee Stout is an often asked about brew during the wintertime hitting shelves before equally tasty Snowshoe and Road Slush. So before Road Slush hits the shelf, let’s enjoy some Coffee Stout.

It pours a dark brown/black color with a thin beige head. The aroma is rather mild but contains coffee, sweet malts, and robust malts. The smell is very inviting much like a good sweet milk stout.

Certainly a unique tasting stout as the texture is lighter than a traditional stout but just as tasty. There is more of an overall sweetness rather that a robustness in the flavor. The coffee is very nicely blended with the rest of the ingredients that creates a slight coffee aftertaste.

A tasty coffee stout that is also light in texture without compromising the flavor is awesome! I’ve never been one for warm beer so I did drink this chilled, but I hear it’s highly recommended to try this brew at room temperature. If you’re not a coffee lover don’t worry, neither am I. I’ve never seen the appeal of hot coffee, but as an ingredient in beer, it’s delicious. Lots of local ingredients only add to the awesomeness. If you’ve never tried this, you don’t know what you are missing!
-Chris Lemke of WisconsinBrewReview.com

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 04:58:30 | More by Lemke10