Red Eye Coffee Porter - Two Brothers Brewing Company

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

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

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4.22/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Black with ruby highlights and thin brown head.

S - Strong roasted coffee aroma, roasted malt, and chocolate. Wow is that a fresh roasted coffee aroma.

T - Fresh roasted coffee and roasted malts with a touch of chocolate. Again a very fresh coffee taste just like the aroma.

M - Medium mouthfeel with low carbonation and a slight astringency.

D - Really only a baltic porter based on abv. Very smooth and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2009 01:57:46 | More by brewcrew76

KeefD

Minnesota

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very dark, nearly black, dark ruby edges, huge three finger head that falls slowly, becomes rocky, excellent lacing, and a cap that sticks around throughout. Aroma of coffee, charred barley, and surprisingly some citric hops int he background. Taste has a nice coffee flavor, plenty of roastiness, chocolate milk, some decent bittering, booze is completely hidden at 9.2%, which makes it pretty drinkable, plus a chalky dryness. There's a slight oxidized taste at the end and the mouthfeel is a little light. Body is on the lighter side of medium, but the low carbonation gives an impression of creaminess. Overall, this is a pretty good beer. I've had a few other tastier coffee porters, but this one was still good and worth the purchase.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2009 03:45:38 | More by KeefD

younger35

Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle of this from Binny's many moons ago for like $5.99. I love anything with coffee in it and hopefully even Two Brothers can't screw that up. Drank from my Darkness snifter.

Appearance- Dark black with extremely dark brown highlights around the edges with a dirty tan one finger head. A spotty cap and thin collar remain leaving very little in the way of lacing.
Smell- Full of dark roasted malts with a dry very bitter kiln to it. Smells a bit roasted for its own good. A bit of chocolate and caramel keep this thing sorta familiar. Some coffee does come through but not as much as I was hoping. Some vanilla and/or cream seems to show more as it warms.
Taste- Starts very chocolaty with a Tootsie Roll like milk chocolateness and some sweet caramel. Not as roasted as the nose led me to believe but there is still a definite deep dark char that is sort of acidic. More of that vanilla and cream that I got in the nose and it's a great ying to the chocolate yang. A long lingering bit of caramel and vanilla last and last. Notice the lack of coffee in the description of the taste...
Mouthfeel- Very rich and creamy and full of goodness. Definitely the best part about the beer. Velvety smooth and rich as pie.
Drinkability- As a coffee beer, this fails. As a beer, this thing rocks. I guess I get some hints of coffee as the beer warms but with coffee on the label, it should play a more integral part. Maybe it chilled out some in the bottle and was a bit more coffee-e fresh. Either way the beer is really good. Just take coffee off the label. Ha!

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2009 01:46:05 | More by younger35

beachbum1975

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hmm, a coffee infused baltic porter from Two Brothers? MUST TRY! Shared on the fly with my buddy Davo and pwoods...

Pours a dark brown, like root beer. As it sits it my glass, it's almost black. A nice creamy, mocha color head chills out on top with great little beads of lacing on my over-sized cab glass.

Smells of rich, freshly roasted coffee and heavily roasted malts.

I like this version of a coffee porter because the coffee present is slightly bitter and not sweet. Like the nose, I get the heavily roasted, almost burnt malt presence. There is a moderate amount of caramelized cane sugar sweetness, as well. Vanilla hints blending with a creaminess very nicely.

This is one of my favorite offerings from Two Brothers - great beer!

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2009 22:42:20 | More by beachbum1975

blakesell

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the 22oz bottle into a weizen style glass.

Appearance- Beer pours very dark creamy black with a solid and thick 3 finger tan head. Lacing clings to the sides of the glass. Light red hues are around the sides and tiny bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass.

Smell- Roasted malts and light hops, not much coffee in the nose, as the beer warms the coffee scent does become more apparent. Light chocolate tones, a bit of diacetyl. Some phenolic alcohols.

Taste- slick, slightly buttery, yeasty phenolic, coffee is in there, but more on the finish than upfront. There's something just acidic and astringent on the tongue. A light peanut butteriness on the finish as well.

Mouthfeel- This is where the beer comes up short overall. The coffee flavor is there, but the warming, slick acidity is not a pleasurable mouthfeel at all. Low in carbonation, medium full bodied.

Drinkability- It seems less and less drinkable as it goes on. I like it OK, but I won't repeat it again soon, even though I do have another bottle, it will wait a few years and we'll see.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2009 21:27:46 | More by blakesell

Vonerichs

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a snifter at Two Bros.

Great looking porter- this is practically opaque. The lighting inside of Two Bros. was not that intense but I couldn't see any peeking through this one. Nice thick and foamy head that is colored like a heavily creamed coffee... imagine that.

Obviously... coffee, in a good way. There is a slight detection of alcohol, but not overwhelming in any way.

This is one of the more unique tasting porters I've had, simply delicious. To beat a dead horse... more coffee. Roasted malt is heavy as well combined with chocolate, almost like a chocolate mocha, but with alcohol. Yes, the alcohol is present, but not to the extent you would think at 9.2%.

The mouthfeel was good, but I was not overly impressed as I was in the taste. It starts creamy but finishes with a little bite in the carbonation that put me off just a little.

Drinkability is where this one takes a hit. It's best attribute (taste) is also it's downfall. This is a good beer to have as an after dinner liquid dessert but I can't see drinking it consistantly.

I've had this one from a bomber as well and it is smoother on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

02-27-2009 03:46:44 | More by Vonerichs

bassmantin

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark brown with a clumpy creamy tan head.

Smells like a very solid coffee porter. Good robust coffee, relatively sweet malts underdeath. The initial taste is fairly bitter, and the coffee contributes to that bitterness throughout. The alcohol burns a bit in the middle but otherwise is extremely well hidden given it is at 9.2%. The malts linger pleasantly on the finish. The best thing about this beer is that it doesn't have the watery thinness that many porters do.

Overall, it's not a mind blower, but this is a very pleasant. beer. It's too bad it's so strong or it could be a regular.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2009 01:29:19 | More by bassmantin

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

hawks10

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at the Two Brothers Tap House yesterday, served it in a snifter.

Pours dark black, at first I thought they accidently poured me a Northwind Imperial Stout.

Smells of coffee coffee coffee...first few sips were mostly just coffee...the more I sipped though, the more I really liked this beer, coffee taste gave way to a more sweet/malty and balanced brew as it warms.

Thick and creamy mouthfeel with the alcohol being very well hidden...was quite suprised to learn this brew is 9.2%...felt no alcohol burn and would definately want to drink a few more of these.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2009 21:30:50 | More by hawks10

akokandy

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A- 22oz brown bomber poured into a mug. The beer pours an absolutely opaque jet black with a compact brown head. Decent head retention, but disappears completely by 3/4 of the way down the glass. Leaves some lacing.

S- Just dark roasted coffee here.

T- When cold, you can really taste the alcohol. After it warms up a little bit, coffee comes to the forefront, with nutty and chocolate notes and a syrupy sweetness. Some red fruit. Acidic character. Pretty good and very complex. No real hop character can be tasted.

M- Full body and really creamy, almost a cream stout thickness. Really clings to your mouth and even the carbonation on your tongue feels creamy.

D- I don't know how long I could last drinking this beer, but the taste keeps you wanting more until it's gone. Definitely not advisable to drink more than one bomber of this stuff, though.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2009 23:51:56 | More by akokandy

emerge077

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Spotty latte foam, creamy texture on the surface. Nearly opaque in the center of the glass, with a scarlet auburn highlight at the meniscus of the glass. The head fades into a lacy ring. Rich coffee aroma, balanced and mellow, not acidic. Notes of chocolate and caramel. Full mouthfeel that really makes or breaks this style. The coffee notes linger into the aftertaste, robust yet clean. Slight bitterness, full flavored without any acidity or harsh elements. Not sure what type of coffee was used, but I like it. Not over the top, definitely doesn't feel like 9.2%, there was a slight fusel whiff at first, but it seems to fade away quickly. Another solid hit for the artisan series...

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2009 00:08:00 | More by emerge077

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

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