Tröegs Java Head Stout - Tröegs Brewing Company

WesM63

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz Bottle poured into a Deschutes Tulip

A: Pours a very dark brown with a beautiful 3finger deep brown head that sticks around a while before dissipating.

S: Coffee! Some malts and a very light hint of chocolate.

T: Coffee sweetness to a slightly hop bitterness then to a malty finish.

M: Light-Medium creaminess.

O: Overall a decent Coffee Stout. To me, it's easily drinkable and one of my goto coffee flavored stouts.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 01:37:35 | More by WesM63

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.43/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in a pint glass

Appearance – Served a deep brown nearly black color. The head was almost non existent upon serving, with only the lightest amount of foam on the surface of the beer.

Smell – The aroma is of coffee and some roasted malt and chocolate notes. There is a very light sweet sugary aroma as well, giving a somewhat sweet coffee drink smell.

Taste – The taste is quite roasty malt up front. The coffee then shows up on the scene more toward the middle of the of the taste. It starts out more on the bitter side but then sweetens slightly with some more milk chocolate coffee toward the end. Towards the very end the sweetness seems to lose ground however, giving way to the more bitter detected earlier on. At the end it leaves the tongue with a malty and oaty bitterness.

Mouthfeel – The body is a little above average in creaminess and quite fitting for the style. Being a cask, this beer was quite low in the carbonation level; enhancing the creaminess, but yet a bit too low and leaving something to be desired.

Overall – It was an alright drinking experience, although I do remember it being better when had from a bottle (non-cask).

Serving type: cask

04-18-2012 23:38:13 | More by Darkmagus82

wac9

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +23%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

what a wonderful beer i didnt know it was an oatmeal stout or i would have tryed it sooner love it . great black color and some bitter hops that works in this beer , and coffe i taste coffe some body some they dont taste coffee my son says he can smell it from across the the room . great beer gonna drink this all the time when i cant find anything else hmmm good

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 02:31:08 | More by wac9

ksimons

New York

3.3/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A-very dark brown with no highlights seen. A tan colored head that very quickly disappears and leaves some lacing around the top

S-light roasted malt, roasted coffee, and some sweet oatmeal

T-roasted malt and coffee, some bitter hops, and a light sweetness from the oatmeal

M-the taste has all the makings of a full body beer, but this one is sadly more light to medium. Light carbonation, leaves a roasted drying taste.

Overall I probably won't be getting this again. The taste is decent though super dry and the mouthfeel just doesn't do much in the way of adding dimension to the beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 21:44:07 | More by ksimons

BeerForHokie

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a large DFH snifter which may be the reason for its little to no head. The pour first came out a medium brown color, looking almost like syrup. Beer in glass is very dark.

The oatmeal smell is very apparent, any coffee smell is lacking.

The beer is extremely drinkable with a very smooth mouthfeel, I find my glass with much less in it than expected every time I look at it.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 04:51:05 | More by BeerForHokie

russwbeck

Virginia

4.15/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I enjoyed this beer at Troegs' new brewery, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream added.

Appearance
The ice cream takes this beer from black to a coffee brown with a huge brown head. The crazy mix of melting ice cream and head build a shield on the glass and lace beautifully. Ice cold to the touch. The head retention is unlike any other, and honestly is part of the treat.

Aroma
The smell is crazy sweet with a really nice added amount of coffee roast. The ice cream really dominates the aroma, but I love it.

Taste
Again the taste has been dominated by the ice cream, but what I have in my hand is delicious. Coffee and roast remain from the Java Head but the sweetness and vanilla from the ice cream add a really decadent character. The head can even be assessed in this category, as it acted like a thick sort of syrup atop the beer.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability
The beer is thick--like a dessert get it? The huge sweetness does hurt the drinkability a tad, but I'm not complaining. The beer stays really cold forever.

Value
$7 for a pint is pretty high for PA, but I'd say if you're at the brewery you have to try it. I also recommend you tweak it at home to your preference and save a few bucks.

Overall
Overall a phenomenal new experience. As the ice cream melts it blends even more with the beer. It's unreal. I really hope they do a big chocolate stout, the float of that would be amazing.

Serving type: on-tap

04-05-2012 01:10:39 | More by russwbeck

BeerBuckeye

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a lighter brown with 1 finger, tan head.

S - Fairly sweet licorice smell, notes of chocolate and oatmeal, dark fruit.

T - Starts rather sweet and chocolatey, like cocoa. Fades into some bitter hops and finishes with a good amount of bitter coffee. Not at all unpleasant, but nothing really standing out here.

M - A bit thin-bodied, even for an oatmeal stout.

Overall - A decent brew. Not outstanding by any means, but pleasant and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2012 00:42:27 | More by BeerBuckeye

Arborescence

Finland

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

Appearance: Black, pours a nice brownish head.

Aroma: Toast and roasted coffee.

Taste: Dry and toasty with roasted malt; not a very strong coffee flavour.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body, smooth and creamy.

Overall: Solid dry stout, rather tasty. Coffee isn't very strongly present though.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2012 01:03:40 | More by Arborescence

BdubleEdubleRUN

California

3.85/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks Tanger.
A- this beer rests in the glass black with a brown edge in the light. Has a solid and very bubbly tan head that is very sticky, it finally rests as a film over the beer and solid ring on the edge.
S- Espresso on the nose with some chocolate and roasted malt.
T- Coffee takes the for front with some bitter chocolate roasted malt and toasted brown sugar.
M- Light to Medium body, I wish this one was a tad thicker, the carbonation is a little high at first but a few swirls gets it just right.
O- Another solid beer from Troeg's

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 01:32:14 | More by BdubleEdubleRUN

draheim

Washington

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

12oz bottle (bottling date illegible) (thanks again IrishColonial) into a snifter. Pours a deep cola brown w/ a thick fizzy mocha head that settles slowly.

Aroma is a lot of dark fruit - prunes mostly. No sign of coffee, need to let this warm up a bit. (later) Still no coffee, but now I'm getting tons of dark fruit, black cherries and a nice earthy, nutty aroma.

Taste is very different from the nose. Dark roasted malt, bitter coffee, some hops. Some of the dark fruit in there too but nothing like the aroma. Overall kind of a mishmash.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy.

Overall this is just an average stout, nothing really makes it stand out.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2012 04:00:26 | More by draheim

FosterJM

California

3.48/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

1134th Review on BA
Bottle to Snifter
12 oz bottle

12/2011 bottling

Thanks to TroyG2352 for this one

App- A darker brown with some red highlights in the glass. A one finger khaki head formed and slide a little bit and left minimal cling.

Smell- A nice bit of pressed espresso with some slight notes of citus and a little note of bitter came wofting up. Wasnt overly scented but nice coffee notes.

Taste- I did enjoy it but wanted to enjoy it more. I paired this with some Ranger IPA waffles for breakfast. The beer was a tad bitter with some tangerine citrus and missing a small vanilla note that wouldve put it over the top.

Mouth- A light medium body with a lighter medium carbonation. Too much roasty bitter on this one. Needed a backing smoothness.

Drink- Overall, I enjoyed. Its a risk to do a coffee beer and it could be my fault I waited to long to drink it. I'd do the same pairing again.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 14:57:58 | More by FosterJM

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.9/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass. Bottled on 12/16/11.

A - Pours a very dark brown, nearly black with a two finger fluffy tan head. The head stays around for a while and a nice tiered lacing is left on the glass. There are a ton of tiny suspended tan yeast floaters speckling the dark body. They are totally stationary, so it gives this beer a neat look.

S - Some coffee, but not as much as I expected from a beer brewed with coffee, called Java Head. There is also toasted malt, oatmeal and dark chocolate. Some hops in there too. Good.

T - It becomes immediately apparent where the name comes from. Coffee throughout, as well as burnt malt, and some drying pine hops. The aftertaste is of bitter coffee and pine sticks around for a while after the beer has gone down. It is certainly on the bitter side as far as stouts go, but I like it. No alcohol presence.

M - A little bit thin with medium-low carbonation. Comes off a bit like skim milk. Disappointing, but in general I find oatmeal stouts to be thinner than american/russian imperials. This is a definite weakness of the beer, but I suppose it isn't absolutely terrible.

O - It is a good coffee stout with a great aroma and taste. The flavors favor bitter more than sweet, but there aren't any flavors that don't belong. I enjoy most of Troegs beers and this beer is good, but not outstanding. There are some better options, but this one is good, cheap, and available.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 05:28:00 | More by NoLeafClover44

brystmar

New York

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

Thanks to kenatbeerswap for the bottle! Bottled 10/14/2011.

Beautiful pour, plenty of head and lace. Toffee, java, and roasty malts in the nose, plus a tiny bit of musty malts.

Not super complex, but what's here is good. Predominantly deep, dark java. The oatmeal contributes a thick, creamy body. A solid beer with wide availability, but it can't touch Breakfast Stout. :)

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 00:44:22 | More by brystmar

microbrewlover

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This brew pours a very dark brown color but looks black once it settles in the glass. There is a small head which quickly dissapates and minimal lacing.

The smell is of coffee, brown sugar and burnt grains.

The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy.

The taste begins with the malts and the brown sugar, (possibly some carmel), then the coffee taste hits. This is followed by the burnt grain taste then some light hops. Overall the taste is very well balanced.
No discernable alchohol taste.

Overall this is a flat out good, well balanced malt forward beer. The coffee taste is not as strong as most Stouts nor is there any discernable chocolate taste however the balance in this brew makes up for any shortcomings.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 22:30:27 | More by microbrewlover

Neorebel

New Jersey

4.23/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A completely opaque, extremely dark brown color topped with a light tan/cream colored head. Great lacing on the glass, but the head goes down rather quickly. Aroma is sweet, with the presence of grains and the coffee bean. Taste has a 'roasted' grain flavor with coffee is in the forefront. There are hints of brown sugar and dark chocolate as well. The finish leaves you with a certain earthiness. The coffee aspect is not as nice as FBS, but I still am pleased. I wish this was thicker/fuller bodied, but it is very smooth and goes down very easily.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 03:28:00 | More by Neorebel

ehammond1

California

3.4/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle

Acquired via trade
Thanks, whartontallboy!

The beer pours a dark brown with some clarity. The edges are a dark mahogony ruby. There isn't a particularly sizeable head, and this eventually leaves dots of stick down the glass. This looks a bit thin, but the color is pretty.

The aroma is a pleasant, above average combination of coffee, brown sugar, and roast. The coffee element doesn't seem particularly fresh or vibrant, but seems a bit stale, unfortunately.

The coffee flavor dominates the flavor as well, as expected. Again, the coffee flavor seems a bit muted and stale. There's a bit of sweet and earthy brown sugar, roasted malt, and a touch of chocolate to round this beer out. Nice.

Lower-medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

I wish this beer was a bit thicker and the coffee flavors were a bit more pronounced and fresh. That being said, this was still a fine coffee oatmeal stout and paired well with my breakfast.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2012 16:06:34 | More by ehammond1

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Now that I've had FBS before and have one more bottle of this remaining, I feel like I can give it a more fair shake. Poured into a tulip.

A: Pours a very, very dark red color that has small amounts of light coming through the glass and a three finger mocha head. Great lacing, but only average retention.

S: Roast, coffee, a hint of chocolate, and oaky notes. Not as nice as FBS, but it still works well.

T: About three months of age and a warmer serving temperature seemed to smooth out the roasted coffee notes, and made the hop character a bit more prevalent, which is slightly amazing considering. The faint, piny hop bite on the end really helps its drinkability. Still, it could use more chocolate notes on the front end, and it's a little too mellow for its own good.

M: Very smooth, but a little thin bodied. The finish is bitterly dry, but doesn't linger on the palate like it could. Much like FBS, it drinks like a good porter instead of a good stout.

O: It seems almost unfair to compare this to FBS, but since it's such a benchmark for coffee stouts, this really has no choice but to do so. Fresh, it's only decent, but a little age helped smooth out some of the harsher notes to make it wonderfully drinkable. Of course, it's still not a FBS killer by any stretch, but it's well worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 01:48:51 | More by ThisWangsChung

rlee1390

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A-Black in the glass, with a one finger creamy light tan head. However it seems more of a dark brown than black.

S-Lots of coffee and roasted malt

T-Starts with coffee and roasted malts. Finish has decent and balanced bitterness.

M-Medium bodied but a little thin and lacking in carbonation.

O-A decent beer, however as it warmed more of it's flaws came out.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 14:26:51 | More by rlee1390

pearljam118

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pitch black with very little head

S - Funky coffee smell with some chocolate

T - Well balanced between hop bitterness and coffee flavors

M - A little thin for a stout and pretty highly carbonated.

O - A tasty beer I would definitely try again. I feel like its hard to make a bad coffee stout. I think the carbonation could be stepped back a bit though.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 00:49:36 | More by pearljam118

hopfacebrew

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Received in trade from Hudak, thanks man! Poured from bottle dated 10/26/2011 to a pint glass. The beer pours a deep black color with deep brown edges when held to light. A nice 1.5 finger thick brown head with good retention and lacing throughout. The nose consists of a pleasant blend of espresso and coffee tones. A hint of malty sweetness on the back end. The flavor begins with a roasted coffee flavor along with hints of chocolate malt and vanilla smoothness. Mildly bitter. Finishes smooth. No hint of alcohol. Creamy. Overall, this was extremely enjoyable. Another beer I wish I had access to more often. I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2012 15:05:05 | More by hopfacebrew

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +19%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ba Review #126
Served On: 02/10/2012
Glassware: Tumbler Pint
Labeled ABV: -
Date/ Code: 10/26/2011 (Bottle On Date)

This was from a 24 pack I found at Brewsky's of New Oxford. They never seize to amaze me with their selection.

Look: Poured a super black viscous color with a thick 1 finger of mocha brown head. The head reduced to a thin consistent layer of foam.

Smell: Robust coffee notes with a sweet lactose sugary backbone. Also there were some sweet notes of brandy soaked oats.

Taste: First was a creamy vanilla with roasted coffee bean to follow. The middle was slightly bitter with a pleasant coffee astringency. The finish was an unsweetened baking chocolate with an alcohol warmth that coated the entire mouth. Finish was an earthy coffee bean with a roasty note dominating the aftertaste.

This is a phenomenal Stout. The oatmeal really adds substance to the complexity.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 20:29:06 | More by CraftBeerTastic

josefnewsong

New York

4.22/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a - black with creamy light tan head that leaves nice bits of lace
s - coffee and sweet oats, faint roastiness and some chocolate
t - sweet oatmeal flavor dominates with coffee filling out the rest and some pruney/raisin flavors, flavor is balanced out with bittersweet chocolate and a bit of hop bitterness in the back but not much
m - medium to full bodied, creamy and smooth with a tingle of carbonation
o - great with breakfast, great in general

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 18:34:25 | More by josefnewsong

TheAdventurella

Pennsylvania

2.42/5  rDev -36%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 1 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

SPOILER ALERT! This is not a stout! The name "Java Head STOUT" is (or at least should be) a misnomer; the Java Head Stout is actually a Porter.

Troegs Java Head Stout pours a deep brownish-black with a good amount of medium, tan head. Its smell is a complex, sweet smell with a traditional beer undertone mixed with a slight bitterness. The mouthfeel is a good one: though it is not chewing for a beer that claims to be a stout, but it is one of substance.

The taste is what makes this "stout" a porter. A stout should be malty and sweet, as much of the oat and other grain's starches have been converted to sugar without a large amount of fermentation, as most stouts have a relatively low abv (unless it is an imperial stout, in which case the high amount of alcohol will dominate the taste).The Java Head does not supply this. It, as porters characteristically are, is bitter. The Java head does not have a hop-bitterness like many of the pale ales and IPA's, it is a bitterness from coffee (hence the "java") and bitter chocolate.

Let me point out that the Java Head Stout from Troegs is a fantastic porter, but it is a porter, not a stout,nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 16:32:55 | More by TheAdventurella

drtth

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Duvel glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: As poured the beer is a dark brown almost black color as it should be. The ¼” light brown head recedes slowly to leave a ring of foam and some islands of foam on the liquid. There is not much lacing on the glass as the head recedes, but sipping leaves a circle of foam on one side of the glass and some speckles and leggy lacing on the other.

Smell: The aroma has the chocolate and espresso that I expected, but I had thought the coffee would be more prominent. There are traces of hops in the background of the nose as well.

Taste: The favors are pretty much as expected from the nose, with some semi-sweet chocolate, some coffee, and some hop bitterness (mostly grapefruit although not strong or prominent).

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is medium bodied with some light but persistent carbonation. The finish is medium long and begins with chocolate and sweetness followed by the emergence of the espresso coffee bitterness and concluding in the dry hop bitterness.

Drinkability and Overall Impression: Easily drinkable but is a beer that should definitely be allowed to warm to about 55 degrees before drinking. The full complexity of the flavor is hidden a bit until the beer warms. On the whole what I would expect from Troeg’s, a good solid beer that works well. That said I’m learning I don’t prefer coffee stouts and so will probably leave this one on the shelf or pick something else from the tap list.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 02:30:10 | More by drtth

bigdeuce

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The pour has a nice milky tan head and some lacing on the glass. Almost a black non-see through, terrific looking stout. Not much on the nose. A bit of chocolate and cocoa but very faint. Medium bodied with a creamy mouth. To my surprise, extremely hoppy for a stout. Would not classify as an "oatmeal stout". To me, more of an imperial stout. Nice cocoa, liquidy chocolate taste with an unexpected hop flavor on the back end. A pretty good brew, maybe well above average.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 02:59:51 | More by bigdeuce