Tröegs Java Head Stout - Tröegs Brewing Company

Oakenator

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours black with little or no light. Of white colored head - a finge or two at pour and disappates nicely to a layer on top of the beer. Lots of spotted lacing. Smells of dark malts and coffee. Taste brings the same but adds some chocolate notes. Overall good taste but also pulling in some vibrancy from maybe fruits & hops.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 01:29:11 | More by Oakenator

mooseo

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into snifter.

A - Black as night with a creamy tan head.

S - Roasted malt, black coffee, hints of citrus.

T - Loads of black coffee bitterness on the palate mixed with earthy roast and fresh citrus. There is some sweetness throughout to balance the hops and bitter coffee.

M - Medium body, creamy and silky. Average carbonation with a dry finish.

O - A very tasty coffee stout with a surprising citrus element that blends perfectly with the coffee. The alcohol is hidden well making this a very drinkable ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 05:54:59 | More by mooseo

denver10

Colorado

2.98/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours black with a light brown head that recedes to the edges. Aroma seems rather underwhelming to for what I was expecting. I am not really getting much coffee, seems like I am getting some hops though offering a line pine, some licorice? on top of a roasted malt base. Flavor is as underwhelming as the aroma, and slightly off putting. Really crappy coffee, licorice?, some sugars from the oats, roasted malts, and a slightly bitter hoppy finish. Mouthfeel is nice, fuller bodied and creamy. Overall, what a disapointment. Perhaps, however, this was my fault for drinking a Breakfast Stout right before this, if the opportunity presents itself I will have to give this another (and maybe more fair) chance.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 02:08:12 | More by denver10

CloudStrife

New York

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled 10/03/12.

A: Pours a dark brownish black with a 1 finger khaki head that dissipates in a few minutes. Leaves some lacing on the sides.

S: Get coffee grounds up front with a slightly bitter hop backing. Also get a sweet malt or fruit as it warms.

T: Smooth malty notes with ample coffee. Sweet with dark fruits. Booze is a little noticeable. Coffee and bitterness linger in the after taste.

M: Medium bodied with ample carbonation. Perhaps a little thin considering the booze.

Overall another enjoyable brew by Troegs. Could have a little more body and maltiness but still pulls through as a great stout.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 00:17:33 | More by CloudStrife

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a tulip.

A: pours black with a massive three fingers of creamy coffe colored head... Nice retention and excellent lacing.

S: not as much coffe as I expected on the nose... Even at room temp this beers aroma is in the subtle side... I get a bit of chocolate, a touch of roasted malts, a bit of earthy hops.

T: again, not nearly as much coffe as one would expect from a brew named java head, I get some dry chocolate and subtle roasted malts, along with a touch of coffee, along with some earthy hops, particuarly on the finish.

M: medium bodied, with some slickness And low medium creamy carbonation. Dry on the finish with a touch if bitterness. Wish this had a little more heft and creamyness. Very drinkable though... Goes down super easy.

O: a solid stout, tasty in its own right, although I would have perfected a bit more coffe and a bit more heft, perhaps an impy version of this brew, with some dialed up coffee, and this would be seriously awesome... Solid just the same though.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 00:15:18 | More by PeterIngemi

ClarkHimself

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pouring aggressively into a snifter yields a powerful 1.5 inch tan head that stays put for a good 3-4 minutes. Jet black in color and smells of coffee, roasted everything, etc... nice, but nothing too crazy. First taste is burnt coffee, and very bitter at that. Very subtle coco and malty goodness on the back end but, again, nothing too complex. This beer isn't nearly as "sweet" as I'd expect from an oatmeal stout. Really, it's a mid-range stout from one of my favorite breweries. Java Head is slightly above average, but doesn't measure up to the rest of Troegs great brews. Having said all this, I am glad it is part of their winter variety pack as it's a good pick for the colder months.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 17:51:25 | More by ClarkHimself

warrenout330

Ohio

3.45/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle

A- pours a opaque black colors... vigorous pour yields a 2 finger khaki colored head. Quickly disappears to a thin slurry over the beer... no lacing

S- faint coffee smell. Roasted barely, hint of chocolate

T- coffee forward, roasty chocolcate ting throughout the taste

M- very thin body for a oatmeal stout, even if this is the actual beer style. Average carbonating, so thin that its almost oily in the throat

O- a mediocre attempt at a Java stout from a prestigious brewery....

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2012 00:38:38 | More by warrenout330

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a tulip. The pour is not black, but a very dark mahogany with very little light getting through. A rough pour produced a massive frothy light tan head. On the nose I get coffee notes as well as some semi-sweet chocolate and a bit of an astringent, solventy kind of note.

The beer has a medium to full body and a thinner feel than I anticipated. I also anticipated more intense coffee flavors than I experienced. As is, this strikes me as a fairly conventional stout. It is a bit more on the creamy-tasting side than it is on the roasty-tasting side. It doesn't have intense coffee, chocolate, or burnt fruit character. it is not very complex. It's just semi-sweet, smooth, and tasty with a bit of roasty bitterness on the finish.

Overall, this is a decent stout. It's not extreme and it's not over-the-top. It almost drinks like a porter. Not bad, but I probably won't buy it again. I should mention however that I just love the label on this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 18:07:45 | More by deadonhisfeet

madvermin

California

2.65/5  rDev -29.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured very, very dark brown with a light tan head. Very fine bubbles and a creamy, lasting texture to the foam. Left nice lacing on the glass.

Smells weakly of coffee and grain, with not much else. Weak overall, which is not what I was expecting from a coffee stout. A bit of dry fruit perhaps, but not really.

Taste is a nice oatmeal followed by very bitter coffee. Tasty for sure, with some chocolate coming out as the beer warms. It's a simple flavor profile, but a good one. Maybe just a bit too astringent on the finish.

Mouthfeel is thin and not very satisfying for a stout. I like the acidity, but its almost gritty and not balanced by anything else. Drinkability suffers due to the basic taste - doesn't really develop other than the chocolate, and it gets a bit boring to drink to be perfectly honest. Not one of the better coffee stouts I've had.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 02:30:20 | More by madvermin

tdm168

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - brown with a lil, soft, off white head

S - coffee, some faint roasted malts

T - coffe, roasted malts, a nice bitter hop finish

M - medium bodied, well carbonated

This is a nice, simple, easy to drink beer. It has just enough flavor to keep you interested, but it's simple enough that you can have a couple of them without worry. I enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 08:11:41 | More by tdm168

jtd1969

North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Oil can darkness, with brownish head and good lacing

S - Dark roasted malts and coffee, some chocolate

T - Very dark malt taste with some coffee. Not overly sweet, somewhat creamy, but a mild dark chocolate in flavor

M - Medium body and with low carbonation

O - Not my favorite. A good beer. I love coffee stouts and this one is unique to others...

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 23:53:02 | More by jtd1969

eriktoyra

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A dark Coca-Cola colored liquid. The toffee colored head is about two fingers high and uneven. Lots of lacings on the glass.

S: Smells roasted barley, milk chocolate, dark chocolate and some coffee. There is also some smokiness and toffee.

T: Tastes dry chocolate and dark roasted coffee. The aftertaste leaves a long lasting dry chocolate and coffee taste. I can also find some oat tones and smokiness. Some alchohol at the end.

M: The body is medium but towards the lighter end. The carbonation is medium with small bubbles.

O: Not great, but a decent stout I would buy again if given a chance.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 18:45:31 | More by eriktoyra

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-dark black brown color with a nice tan head and good lacing

S-dark roasted malt, hints of coffee and chocolate

T-dark roasted malt dominates with some light coffee and chocolate flavors, burnt sugar, and a bitter hoppy finish

F-medium body with moderate carbonation, creamy and smooth

O-a decent oatmeal stout but a little overpowered by the malt, not enough coffee

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 19:24:37 | More by MDDMD

jones3aj

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Troegs Brewing Company - Java Head Stout

12 oz. bottle into glass

Appearance: Pours a dark cola-color with 1 finger of meringue-colored head. Shortly after the pour, it lessens to about a half-finger. Micro bubbles line the glass with each drink.

Smell: A slight chocolate aroma, mixed with booze, and the smallest amount of coffee. Dark fruits like raisins or dates.

Taste: At first, very bitter. Instant thoughts of grapefruit. Hops, dark malts, and a hint of cocoa. Hints of coffee. Coffee and cocoa increase as it warms and breathes. Leaves a strong metallic aftertaste. Bitterness hangs on for a very long time after you're finished. Reminds me of watered down version of Samuel Smith's oatmeal stout.

Mouthfeel: Tingles as you take it in. Moderate to low amount of carbonation. Leaves a bitter film in your mouth. Very dry finish.

Overall: I'd like to have a little more coffee flavor in something called "Java Head". No comparison to some other coffee stouts (Bell's Java Stout still rules the category in my book). Not much complexity here, but not bad, either. A lot of bitter and dryness. Let it warm and breathe, and then sip it.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 01:05:19 | More by jones3aj

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some light dark brown highlights when held up to the light. The beer has a finger tall dark tan head that quickly reduces to a medium sized patch of extremely thin film and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of coffee with lighter notes of dark roasted malts. The smell of this beer intensifies as the beer warms.

T: The beer has a moderately strong flavors of dark roasted malts in the body with some moderate amounts of bitterness that truly lingers. Lighter notes of freshly brewed coffee in the background.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with moderate amounts of dryness in the finish.

O: The coffee flavor in this beer is really nice but unfortunately there is not enough other notes or complexity in this beer. It is quite bitter and the dry mouthfeel makes this not the easiest drinker, this is a slow sipping beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 01:58:01 | More by dbrauneis

williamjbauer

West Virginia

3.78/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled served in a pint glass

A - Black with 1.5 finger foamy tan head with good retention and excellent sticky lacing.

S - Coffee, chocolate, caramel malt

T - A nice mild coffee and chocolate start with a smooth oatmeal climax and a slightly bitter herbal hops finish.

M - Full body, moderate-low carbonation. Smooth.

O - Pretty good, the coffee or the chocolate flavor has some room for improvement, need a little more boldness. Good winter beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 20:43:33 | More by williamjbauer

flagmantho

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: extremely dark brown, allowing nothing through when held up to the light except some dark brown around the edges. Head is a one-finger cap of frothy tan foam. I like it.

Smell: roasty, somewhat astringent aroma with some nice chocolate character. There's also a vegetal hop aroma that I usually associate with this kind of acidic roastiness. Not bad, but not very clean.

Taste: very much like the aroma but with a very creamy chocolate character. The vegetal hops don't bother me as much here as in the smell. Bitterness is moderate but balanced. I like it.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a silky texture and a good level of carbonation lending a smooth creaminess. The balance and combination of body, texture and creaminess are almost perfect for me. Love it.

Overall: this is a pretty decent beer. I feel like the aroma is a bit muddled due to the vegetal hops, but there's a wonderful texture here and a good flavor to boot.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 23:26:40 | More by flagmantho

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This one i purchased at the brewery, it pours a nice dark as night body with a nice thick tan head that hold for a long time. The smell has nice roasted malt aroma and some hop aroma. The taste has a decent coffee flavor up front but not too strong, then i detect a hop flavor on the back of the tongue. It has a nice mouth feel, very smooth and leaves just a little bitter after taste in your mouth. Overall thsi is a good stout, even though the coffee flavors are over taken by the malt and hop.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 02:29:19 | More by chefhatt

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Troegs Java Head Stout
12 oz. bottle

A: Typical "black" body beneath a frothy head of dark tan. The head retention is excellent, and the lacing is very good.

S: Nutty dark malt with a touch of sweetness. Caramel. Cocoa. Subtle black coffee/roastiness.

T: Fuller than the aroma suggests with notes of bread, toast, nuts, toffee, cocoa, fruit (raisin, red apple, orange, grapefruit), grain/cereal, soft roast, coffee, and later on in the dry, bitter finish, espresso (as well as more citrus fruit). It's very well done. Often with coffee beer there's too much acidity across the board, and then in the finish it's kind of like licking an ashtray, but there's none of that here. Interesting.

M: Medium to medium-light in body with a median carbonation level that falls toward the lower end. It foams as it warms in the mouth leaving it creamy and smooth.

O: An impressive coffee stout. It's quite unique in the way that the citrus flavors break up the coffee and caramel flavors as it crosses the palate. Well worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2012 20:51:44 | More by NeroFiddled

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

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

Bottle was purchased at the brewery less than 8 weeks ago. It pours a dark brown, almost black, with limited head and no sign of lacing. Decent carbonation level, but a thinner mouthfeel than I would have expected for 7.5% ABV, and none of the creaminess typical for an oatmeal stout.

An amazing aroma of roasted dark malts, with brewed coffee notes prominent. Likewise in the taste, flavours of many different caramelized malts, but the lingering bitter aftertaste is very coffee-forward.

Definitely a beer I'll buy again and one I'd recommend.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2012 17:59:26 | More by hopsolutely

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.05/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer, which has been in my fridge for almost a year now, pours a jet black with a 1/2 inch of tan head. There is considerable lacing and a speckling of fine sediment on the bottom. What surprises me the most is the longevity of this head throughout drinking.
I've let the beer warm considerably so the nose ranges from sweet, sticky toffee to bitter, roasted coffee. The taste is just as potent with upfront grain sweetness teeming with hints of coffee, chocolate, followed by a dry, bitter finish. The mouthfeel is smooth as velvet, but I would have liked more of the grain to linger. The carbonation and full body made this a perfect dessert beer. Definitely up there with FBS and WnB, but not quite there yet.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 00:11:47 | More by ThePorterSorter

jnc007

Maine

2.73/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

In a word "meh." Nothing great, not horrible but the six pack I bought was definitely more of than I want to drink. You can actually taste the grittiness of the coffee beans, but no actual coffee. There's some chocolate overtones, but in a powered box kind of way. It leaves a hell of an after taste, and again not in a good way. The more I write, the more I don't like the beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 21:32:30 | More by jnc007

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.18/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured out a dark brown, looked thick, mild head on it, about 1/2" in height. Aroma, lacked the java component I was looking for at the time. I'm starting to think these oatmeal coffee stouts really absorb the coffee or something, they don't really lead to a coffee forward experience.

Taste, just kinda meh, still missing the coffee component, seems like they just roasted a shit ton of malt for a regular kind of stout (non imperial nor barrel aged) to lay this down on. Tastes a little too bitter, I wonder if this is relatively over hopped or something. Different amalgamation of stuff going on, but this should be a beer that is straightforward with the coffee, and ultimately, is somewhat of a letdown because it lacks that component.

I would drink again, merely to confirm the absence of the coffee I had. Man, this year is taking longer than ever to get the reviews in from March Madness, thanks to koufax21 for bringing this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 03:39:19 | More by Beerandraiderfan

yamar68

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle to dimpled mug:

The body is in fact reminiscent of a fresh poured dark roast, capped with a dense mocha head.Good lacing.

The nose shows roasted malts of many kinds, soft coffee presence, some vanilla, milk duds.

The taste is pretty straight forward - fresh American stout base with the addition of a coldpressed black coffee. Nice and creamy. This would likely be a routine purchase if I had this one in distribution.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 03:24:47 | More by yamar68

YuenglingMike78

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Like most of Troegs brews, the Java Head Stout get high marks in my book. It had a nice dark consistent color. Slightly reminding me of a Manhattan Special with a kick, it went down smooth and easy. I could almost taste the hops and coffee beans mixing together in my mouth for a very complex, but soothing taste. It is a little heavier than a Guinness and probably best paired with a good meal.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 20:28:17 | More by YuenglingMike78