Red Eye Coffee Porter - Two Brothers Brewing Company

RobeyStreet

Illinois

5/5  rDev +23.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I had this on tap at the Two Bothers Tap House over the weekend. Beautiful color, exceptional taste. If you are into porters, I highly recommend this. Very smooth, with a rich taste. Many people note the hints of coffee, but I tasted more of a smoky flavor. An all around excellent beer!

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2009 16:55:12 | More by RobeyStreet

customfishcom

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

No longer being made and word has it at the Tap House, it's not coming back. That's a very sad thing because as coffee porters go this was the very best. Flavors of intense coffee while being smooth as silk and exceptionally drinkable. You shall be missed on tap, Red Eye.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2010 17:35:15 | More by customfishcom

cvfish

Louisiana

4.68/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - This beer poured a cloudy brown color that produced a fluffy tan head that had great retention and laced the side of the glass nicely

S - The aroma produced by this beer were, of course, rich coffee, some roasted dark malts

T - The taste of this beer was unlike my favorite Porter, the Edmund Fitzgerald, but that takes nothing away from this wonderful flavor of dark roasted malts and premium (real premium, not McDonalds here!) coffee

M - The mouthfeel of this beer had a creamy, medium body with a light to moderate amount of carbonation

D - This was a great beer, I highly recommend this Porter to all dark beer lovers, I can almost guarantee you will be impressed with this beer

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2009 01:34:10 | More by cvfish

malcontent

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +14%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Into a nonic, Red Eye pours an imposing black hue with only hints of ruddy rouge around the edges. The head is a good two fingers and maintains itself sturdily. Lacing is sticky and copious. Wonderful.

Certainly, coffee sits in the pole position with its roasty, bittersweet aroma taking hold upon the first sniff. A caramel/chocolate interplay surfaces upon further inspection with just a touch of earthy hop character buried beneath the layers of goodness.

Rich, chocolate/malt sweetness warmly rises above the coffee and cream body that first stands out. Lush notes of brewers' licorice and cinnamon sing out as the fuller, more pronounced aspect of the brew subside. No real hop aspect to the flavor with just a hint of alcohol (an impressive feat of subterfuge at 9.2%).

Rich silky texture with a full body and relaxed, creamy carbonation to put an emphasis on a rather luxurious beer. Well, it's just lovely and one of the finest entries into the Two Brothers Artisanal cannon. After a few misfires, the Bros. Ebel are back with a real gem. Buy it. Now.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2009 02:01:14 | More by malcontent

GbVDave

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a snifter at Two Brothers 2/21/09. Thanks to HeatherAnn for the assist!

A: Pours a shade of obsidian with a slight reddening at the edges. Very creamy, coffee crema colored head that leaves a surplus of specky lace in the glass.

S: OMG! COFFEE! Huge coffee aroma. Fresh ground, dark-roast french press coffee and/or espresso, brown sugar, and blackened malt. The beer menu didn't say what coffee was used (other than that the coffee used is organic and roasted about three miles from the brewery) but a look at the food menu says that they use coffee from local roaster Arbor Vitae.

T: See above. Incredible fresh roasted coffee flavor. There's not much more I can say about it.

M: Chewy and creamy. Pleasant bitterness (coffee/hop) with a coating body. Not a trace of the supposed 9.2% abv is to be found.

D: My new absolute favorite coffee porter. This is so good, I'd love to try the base Baltic Porter without the coffee addition. just to get a handle on how good the starting point beer is.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2009 22:53:37 | More by GbVDave

scruffwhor

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a straight black with no real highlights or other colors to speak of. No real head to speak of either. Looks a lot like...coffee. The aroma is mostly coffee, but still ha a ver noticeable sophistication. Black coffee aroma thats so good, it has its own faint creamy aroma and very complex roastiness. The alcohol rounds the aroma out with a thoughtful integration. The taste has premium dark roast coffee beans that get some half & half in the middle of the palate. Gives a velvety texture at that point. The finish is strong and roasty and the abv. adds depth to the creaminess of this coffee. The coffee flvor stays consistant throughout all 22 oz. t gets more complex and refined at the middle and finish of the palate. A very awesome beer from the brothers.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2009 04:45:50 | More by scruffwhor

sidetracked

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with hints of dark reddish-brown on the edges. Nice big foamy light-brown head.

Smells strongly of roasted coffee beans.

Tastes of roasted coffee and bitter chocolate with a nice creamyness to it. The taste has a real interesting mix of sweet and bitter that is very enjoyable.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and well carbonated.

Drinkability is great. I wish I had bought more than one of these...

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2010 02:16:27 | More by sidetracked

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.53/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22oz bottle obtained in the No BS 4 BIF via dirtylou. Thanks for the opportunity.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/4" brown head over the opaque dark brown/black brew. Head is quickly down to a swirly skim, with leggy slow-falling lace. Aroma is rich coffee. Taste is sweet coffee from start to finish, with alcohol warming at the close. Mouthfeel is velvety smooth, and drinkability is excellent. Scary easy to drink this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2009 22:56:24 | More by ppoitras

brokenleadedcask

Ohio

4.53/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've had my eye on this one for a while, finally picked one up. Interesting take to use coffee in a porter instead of a stout. Typical MO for a porter, pitch brown body with creamy light brown head. Smells great, fresh coffee grounds, dark roasted malt, licorice and molasses. Nice sharp fair trade coffee or espresso taste with some faint hop presence. If it was a blind tasting, I'd be able to tell it was a porter and not a stout, it's got that distinct porter taste. Thick, bitter aftertaste but it didn't take away from the experience, it added to it. I drank the bomber by myself, so one was max, but enjoyed every sip.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2009 22:04:44 | More by brokenleadedcask

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to my midwest connection akokandy for this nice little treat. I can't get enough coffee stouts/porters...

Pours pitch black as night with a nice coffee colored head that dissipates leaving something similar to a ridiculously strong shot of espresso sitting atop this beer.

The smell of this is outstanding, it really comes across like a slap of fresh roasted coffee across your face. It really is amazing smelling. That awesome coffee presence combines with some dark chocolate/cocoa and a small amount of brown sugar as well. Good stuff.

Taste is absolutely heavenly. Lots of fresh roasted coffee goodness along with malty sweetness. Just about perfect as far as coffee beers go. The dark coffee bitterness is so well done in this beer as well as the nice malt back to balance it out, its almost like that first time you had a super hoppy yet balanced dIPA. This is very well balanced.

The creamy mouthfeel and sheer enjoyment of drinking this beer make me wish I could get a six pack of it nearby. I'll enjoy this bomber and seek out some more probably. Awesome job TB.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2009 00:07:38 | More by indiapaleale

spointon

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this one at the Auld Dubliner in Bolingbrook, IL on 4/24/09. I poured this one from a brown bomber bottle into a shaker pint glass.

A= This ale poured a super dark black-brown with zero light penetration and a beautiful 2" dense creamy tan head. The head dropped slowly and evetually settled to a thin but solid cap. Some decent spotty lace present.

S= Smell was dominated by roasted grains and coffee beans, with sweetness and chocolate present too.

T= Delicious blend of roasty sweet/bitter malt, espresso, treacle, chocolate, and faint earthy hops. All killer no filler. Finish was mildly dry and left an incredible aftertaste. Alcohol was very much subdued despite the abv.

MF= Slightly heavier than medium bodied, with a soft carbonation level and creamy mouthfeel.

D= Totally drinkable, almost dangerously so. Easily of of the best coffee infused beers I have had to date.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2009 03:07:49 | More by spointon

sulldaddy

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I sampled at room temp poured into a pint glass. The beer pours a dark chocolate borwn with creamy tan head of 2 cm foaming up and fading very gradually, leaving a sturdy surface layer throughout.
Aroma is baker's chocolate and some coffee beans. First sip reveals a creamy soft body with fine rolling carbonation. Flavor is brown sugar and roasted malt with some coffee bean notes. NO hops and well hidden alcohol make this an easy drinking and robust porter. QUite a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 20:23:18 | More by sulldaddy

samie85

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Pours an opaque jet black with a finger and a half of light brown head.

A nice coffee aroma with some chocolate, cocoa, and some earthy hops.

Coffee is the dominant flavor here with some cocoa and dark, roasted bitterness on the finish.

The feel is very smooth at first with medium body and thins towards the back of the palate with low carbonation.

I didn't have the original iteration of this beer, so I have nothign to compare it to, however, it's a very easy drinking and delicious beer... it doesn't seem anywhere close to 9.2%. I'd peg this at 6.5% if I was blindfolded.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 03:06:06 | More by samie85

TheHoppiest

Ohio

4.48/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've had a few from Two Brothers' Retro Series releases, and thusfar have enjoyed them all, from the Mild Bitter to the Pillar of Salt. I hope this release, the first of their series, measures up to the others.

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into an oversized snifter. Pours very much like a stout would; dark liquid, a 1/4" tan head that dissipates, leaving a thin collar that clings to the sides , witha small island of thin head in the middle, punctuated only by the ocassional larger bubble that pops off the side.

Has a rich, creamy oaty aroma, with notes of vanilla, toffee, hints of bourbon, and maple. Oddly, though this is called a "coffee porter", I get no coffee or mocha smells.

The taste, however, is a different story. Has a weak coffee mocha start, with creamy oats, a leafy geen taste, and a mildly coffee bitter finish. Think an iced coffee that's had whole cream added and minimal sweetener, but maltier, with a definite hop finish.

Medium to full bodied, it feels more like a milk stout than a porter. THere's a creaminess and lack of bitter bite that you associate more with the milk stout than a true porter.

This ale hides its alchohol well; this clocks in at 9%, but has more of a 5% feel to it. Creamy and tasty, with a nice aroma profile and decent oat taste, this is an enjoyable brew. While ther are coffee notes there, however, many RIS and other porters have more of a coffee flavor than this does. Perhpas the distinction is that this is brewed with coffee beansm and those are brewed with malts and hops that give it a coffee flavor. Indeed, this has some of the same flavors I love from teh Hoppin' Frog Boris stout that is filterd through their coffee bean tower. A nice ale and one worth trying if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 01:10:43 | More by TheHoppiest

Rasputin

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bought at Binny's in Skokie.

A - beer looks great. I'm not much of an appearance guy.

S - great coffee aromas

T - like review #1 above, very reminiscent of iced coffee. I like iced coffee, and I loved this. Coffee is strong, but not overpowering. Sweet, but not inappropriately so.

M - velvety smooth.

D - this is 9%? You'd never know. Goes down smooth.

This is one of the top coffee-based brews I've ever had. Highly recommended to anyone who's ever enjoyed the style. Seems to be pretty well-caffeinated, wouldn't suggest drinking the whole bomber shortly before bed.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2009 17:33:53 | More by Rasputin

GRG1313

California

4.47/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a thin but pretty tan head. Very pleasant lightly sweet nose of fruit and dark chocolate that gets more and more floral as the beer opens. Lovely creamy mouth feel with solid medium to heavy body and rich creamy coffee/dark chocolate flavors and lightly sweet roasted malt. Called a "coffee porter," this is one of the nicest "imperial stouts" I've tried in a long time. Appealing with layers of flavor and lots of complexities, this would go with lots of different foods and even many desserts.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 14:03:16 | More by GRG1313

TheSSG

Illinois

4.46/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slight, tan head with just a touch of lacing. Black color. Deep toasted malt in the aroma with the fruity brightness of coffee. There is a rich, black olive aroma underneath it all; slightly sweet and fruity. Flavor is intense, fruity, and acidic as the coffee dominates the front. There is a nice, bright, fruity-floral hop bitterness that peaks in the middle, and the toasted malt sits into the finish nicely. You don't much notice the booze (9.2%ABV), just the warming effect. A nice, viscous mouthfeel.

This is very, very good. If you like your coffee bright and floral, this is a coffee bier for you!
I think I may prefer the NG Coffee Stout, and Central Waters Peruvian Morning (both of which are a more toasty, deep flavor [which reflects my coffee choice; opposite of my chocolate]), but this is stunning as well. Sure beats Founders Coffee Stout in my book!

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 18:38:59 | More by TheSSG

homebrew311

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: A nice jet black with a thin tan head that dissipates quickly.

S: Scent is all coffee. Smells like a fresh pot of gourmet coffee. I'm a big fan of coffee beers and coffee, so this was a huge plus for me.

T: Once again, very heavy on the coffee notes, some sweet undertones. Coffee is followed by a hints of dark chocolate. Tastes like a delicious iced coffee. The 9.2% abv is very well masked by the bold coffee flavors. The porter maltiness complements the coffee flavors well. This is delicious!

M: Medium body, with an increasingly velvety texture as it warms.

D: This is an excellent combination of coffee and beer. It is now among my favorite coffee beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2009 03:52:33 | More by homebrew311

caminiti

New York

4.45/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Coffee.
Cant describe this beer without that word, for sure. Im a big fan of the coffee stouts, and this was better than most of those. Picked up a bomber at Halftime in Poughkeepsie, poured into a stolen pint glass, dark, with a small head that sticks around for a while. Smell of malts but mainly coffee, of all the beers Ive had, this had the most coffee taste. Felt a little sticky or gummy, an odd feeling, in the mouth. On the whole, a fantastic beer and worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2009 12:14:42 | More by caminiti

Yetiman420

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Unibroue tulip glass. 22 oz bottle all to myself.

Pours a dark but clear brown and develops a very thin tan head that maintains a rim through consumption.

Very nice strong coffee aroma. Interesting because too strong an aroma would be a negative, but in this case there is something attractive about the deepness of this coffee aroma.

Coffee is there in the flavor in the perfectly balanced amount.

Four sips in on the second time drinking this and I'll claim it's the best Two Brothers beer I've had. Admittedly, I've had some let downs and average experiences. This one has me adjusting my expectations - up.

Silky smooth with a hit of coffee on the finish. Also picking up what I believe is roasted or chocolate malt on the finish.

A surprising "eye opener" of a beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2009 00:52:53 | More by Yetiman420

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.43/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle shared and poured into an American Tumbler pint. 23.3 degrees plato, 40 IBUs, and 9.2% ABV, but no date. Thanks to Todd for helping drinking this one!

A - Pours almost black with dark brown-ruby colored highlights. The dark tan head is bigger than three fingers and cascades down beautifully. Great retention and stages of thick lacing on the glass.

S - Tons of roasted malts with a big coffee nose and a chocolate compliment. Very good but to totally one-dimensional. I love the black coffee nose in the aroma.

T - The roasted malts butst out with force and coat the tongue with a low sweetness, semi-sweet chocolate, and lots of dark, bitter coffee. Very flavorful.

M - Completely full-bodied and rich with a smooth, velvet-like feel and a dry, bitter finish. Lots of balance with a good carbonation level.

D - At 9.2%, the alcohol is very well hidden and it's just a well rounded beer with a great flavor. A must-drink for a coffee-beer lover. A bit less coffee than I expected in the flavor but still very awesome!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2009 04:10:40 | More by BeerFMAndy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.43/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Charred coffee bean mahogany with meager highlights of cranberry red and 24-karat gold. The three finger head is an appealing shade of golden brown sugar beige and is immensely creamy. It's also doing a great job festooning the pint glass with a surprisingly generous amount of 'frost on a windowpane' lace.

TBBC calls this offering 'an Imperial Baltic porter' brewed with fair trade coffee. Whether Baltic or American makes no difference in the end because this is wonderful smelling beer. The java isn't overwhelming, which allows the chocolatiness of the roasted malts to come through loud and clear.

Red Eye Coffee Porter is one of this brewery's finest ales. As in the nose, the flavor is a near perfect melding of dark malt and coffee. There's still some hoppiness hanging around as well (February release), which adds another layer of deliciousness. Yet another positive is that alcohol is barely noted... its effect on the central nervous system notwithstanding.

Specifics include bittersweet chocolate, dark caramel, roasted coffee beans, a surprising amount of grapefruit citrusiness and a wee splash of vanilla. What was a 4.0 for flavor in the top half of the bomber might just make it to 4.5 once the bottom half arrives. This is compulsively drinkable beer.

Even though the mouthfeel is slightly small for the style and the ABV, it's as smooth as silk and is built for speed. The laid back carbonations is right up my big beer alley.

With the possible exception of Cane & Ebel, Red Eye Coffee Porter is the best and most drinkable Two Brothers beer to have entered my glass. The combination of roasted and chocolate malts, coffee and citrusy hops is very well done. I'll be on the lookout for more of this outstanding ale on all future trips through the Chicago area. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2009 15:53:39 | More by BuckeyeNation

Gehrig

Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Rich extremely brown-to-black body with a thick finger of mocha tan froth; good lacing and moderate duration. Lush coffee and chocolate aromas, roasted and nutty coffee with chocolate; terrific. Coffee certainly leads the way in the flavor, but milk chocolate and a bit of sweet berry in the finish have me thoroughly impressed.

Good texture, smooth and easy-going as porter should be. This was a real treat, easily one of the very best Two Brothers makes. Excellent porter, no question about it.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2010 00:59:59 | More by Gehrig

Bung

North Carolina

4.43/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz. Dark brown pour with some ruby edges. A finger of cream head. Wouldn't say it laced to much, but retention was ok.

Aroma has a hefty dose of chocolate and caramel, some peat and a hint of roast malt and coffee. Smells great really.

Taste is equally nice. Earthy and roast coffee notes are stronger in the flavor, to accompany the caramel, chocolate and toffee. Finishes with a nice dose of chocolate coffee.

Good solid medium body. Alcohol is not present and quite surprising that it is 9%? Is that right?
Thought this one was a home run, if you like coffee or not. A great Porter, more Baltic than American.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2010 03:06:41 | More by Bung

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.4/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours an ebon ruby to sit extremely black and opaque with a small slimming cap of lightly tanned bubbly foam. Bits of bubbles stay around the edge and the lace is long and inky splattered and stringy with a few broken bits into spots and globs.

Aroma is favorable of chocolate laced coffee. Mildly roasty with a nice bakers chocolate loftyness with a nice fresh coffee bean ascent, cold pressed espresso and burnt cream notes too. Its not as strong on the nose as most other coffee brews I've encountered and liked but its definately solid.

Taste is smooth and soft of a wonderfully placed display of lengthy chocolate laced with coffee. Or its coffee laced with chocolate? Either way it's a very nice taster. Softly bittered in dark chocolate with a firm smack of creamed coffee, slightly roasted and burnt. The length is tone is superbly set. Dark, deep, and full of breath. The dry fluff of chocolate cake and bittering creamed coffee across the finish is quite a nice addition in its character as it finishes firm and doesn't leave for nothing.

Feel is firmly smooth and creamy and set in a nearly full on mode of chocolate and coffee and tenderized with dryish bittering of those things. The dryness of a chocolate cake or muffin lays itself lightly and lovingly across the finish with a delightful ease.

A super solid coffee brew by Two Brothers. Quite drinkable with its creamy firm attitude and lenghty palate soaking taste.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2009 00:02:22 | More by tavernjef