Cowboy Coffee Porter - Big Sky Brewing Company

zhanson88

Montana

3.6/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Cowboy Coffee pours a very dark brown --close to stout-looking-- color with about a finger of khaki head. Retention is really good, and lacing is good as well. I enjoy the hell out of rich, dark porters, and so far this one fits the bill very nicely. Great looking beer.

Smell: Lightly roasted malts and a good deal of coffee by far the strongest scents I pick up on. I do get some floral hops as well. I would say that the coffee scent is a bit on the acrid side, but not at all unpleasant.

Taste: Once again, lightly roasted dark malts and coffee make up a lot of the flavor in this beer, with some floral hops on the back end. I'd say that the coffee flavor does get a touch acrid, but nothing is a major turn-off on this one. It may be a bit one-dimensional but still, pretty good.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability: Ah, mouthfeel shows up again in a Big Sky beer. In my opinion it's something that is a bit lacking in a lot of their brews. This beer is definitely light bodied with quite a bit of carbonation. Definitely light for the style. Overall, drinkability is pretty good. I enjoy the flavor of this beer quite a bit. It seems that there are some mixed feelings about it, but I would buy it again. I find it to be a pretty nice coffee-infused porter.

Edit: If you are going to drink this beer, go ahead and drink it at room temp. Either that, or don't be too quick to judge while it's cold. It does get a lot better as it warms.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2011 04:50:37 | More by zhanson88

MatterOfOpinion

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

05-20-2013 03:45:07 | More by MatterOfOpinion

Hopheadjeffery

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

05-12-2013 23:45:43 | More by Hopheadjeffery

kguard

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

05-12-2013 04:18:22 | More by kguard

Ivegotmule

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-10-2013 02:30:48 | More by Ivegotmule

dunix

Vermont

3.75/5  rDev 0%

05-07-2013 14:22:18 | More by dunix

canawler

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

05-04-2013 01:47:58 | More by canawler

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

05-03-2013 13:26:29 | More by Thorpe429

cosmicevan

New York

4.03/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

big thanks to Rathakem for the sweet extra! enjoyed from a sam adams snifter.

a - brew poured a watery black with a thin head that was gone quick leaving hardly any lacing at all.

s - smell leads with a really nice milk chocolate. followed up by some mild roast and big vanilla and coconut notes. smells really nice - gourmet coffee for sure.

t - like a cup a joe...big coffee taste followed by some roast and vanilla and finishes with some porter char. really nice.

m - soft, easy drinking. not too much char.

o -overally a rather nice coffee porter. the coffee really compliments the porter and brings it to a new level. enjoyable. quite good.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 04:36:27 | More by cosmicevan

Localdrinklax

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +6.7%

04-23-2013 06:10:25 | More by Localdrinklax

PStriedl

Maryland

4/5  rDev +6.7%

04-20-2013 22:10:29 | More by PStriedl

archyquaffer

Montana

3.74/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Served from a 12 ounce bottle into a standard pint glass. The label has a painting of a cowboy cooking coffee over a fire in the midst of a melted area of earth and stone surrounded by snow. His horse, fully tacked and ready to ride, waits in the snow in the right mid-ground, the reins drooping onto the snow. In the background is a central Montana landscape of low mountains surrounding a windswept and snow covered prairie. The cowboy wears a hat with cavalry braids and appears to wear sheep skin chaps. Intently gazing at the coffee pot, his hat obscures his face. A legend on the side describes the contents as "malt beverage with coffee added". No freshness date can be seen.

Appearance: Very dark brown- nearly black, from which light cannot escape, even when held in front of a glaring incandescent bulb- more like a stout than a porter. The dark brown color is apparent only in the punt at the bottom of the glass. A 1/8 inch head lingers for a bit. As it dissipates, it leaves an inky black hole in the center fringed by a thin bog of pale brown froth which thickens at the edges and clings to the sides.

Smell: You can really smell the coffee- and it wakes you up to the fact that "coffee" is not a mere evocative term, but a real ingredient in the beer. The coffee aroma pretty much overpowers any other aromas except for the malt background.

Taste: The coffee taste is definitely not subtle, but bold and yet not like burnt or old coffee at all. I think the key is keeping the beer at a cool temperature away from lights. If I saw this beer sitting around getting warm under fluorescent lights, I would not buy it, because I think the coffee would develop a stale, acidy and overly bitter taste, like gas station coffee. However, this coffee taste is bold yet rich, creamy, and earthy, like a good French or Italian roast. In the background is a generally rich malt flavor, with undertones of citrus or ripe cherries. The malt flavor is more apparent in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Somewhat thinner than expected, since the coffee gives it more of a stout-like character. A lingering aftertaste of coffee bitterness is apparent. Enough of a burp to be satisfying, which floods the inner recesses of the nose with coffee and malt aftertaste.

I was a bit put off by this beer at first. Even though I love coffee, I consider it more of a morning drink- and drinking coffee at 7 PM reminds me of the good-bad old days of the graveyard shift. Nevertheless, on a second tasting, I have to say that I think the brewers have definitely achieved the goal of a beer that tastes just like good, strong coffee, such as might warm a lonely soul on a windswept and snowy prairie.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 06:06:46 | More by archyquaffer

NilocRellim

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served from the tap.

The beer looked thick, creamy, and dark in colour. It had a VERY malty nose, with notes of coffee, and hints of hops. The beer tasted malted with a VERY strong coffee flavour. Despite the intense flavours it was smooth and the flavours blended well together. There was a lingering roastedness as well. It was not heavy, but quite flavourful.

Would I buy it again? Yes.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2013 02:04:49 | More by NilocRellim

bluckbeyes

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

04-13-2013 02:41:16 | More by bluckbeyes

mkennedy119

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

04-11-2013 01:22:33 | More by mkennedy119

kemoarps

Washington

3.75/5  rDev 0%

04-08-2013 19:59:29 | More by kemoarps

danieelol

Australia

4.05/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

With great thanks to MrKennedy.

Pours a dark black with a light white head.

Smell is big earthy, soily, gritty coffee. Some fairly potent banana-y esters. Kind of a bit like a coffee banana split, with some whiteboard marker (alcohol).

Taste gets more of these weizen-coffee flavours, along with some alcohol.

Mouthfeel is decently thick, carbed and finishes bitter and soily, probably more from coffee than hops.

Nice beer, has quite a lot of alcohol presence for its ABV. Like a coffee with a shot of mild liqueur (Frangelico perhaps).

Flavours meld better than in the To Øl coffee brown ale, which is otherwise somewhat similar.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 11:13:13 | More by danieelol

siddhartha

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

04-06-2013 01:24:38 | More by siddhartha

harrymel

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

04-05-2013 04:09:26 | More by harrymel

johnnyboy76

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

03-31-2013 03:55:25 | More by johnnyboy76

Kerrie

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev 0%

03-30-2013 05:22:59 | More by Kerrie

Texasfan549

Texas

4/5  rDev +6.7%

03-30-2013 04:30:10 | More by Texasfan549

PintOHops

California

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Glass - Pint

A - Wow that's a dark Porter! Super black color with practically no light coming through. It produced a 1-finger head that fizzled away quickly.

S - Initially couldn't smell much. After it warmed up i picked up dark chocolate, roasty coffee, soft hop oils, and raisin. Great aroma and very inviting.

T - Wonderful mix of savory dark chocolate, bright coffee and hop oils. Just balanced so well. Low, lingering coffee and bitterness on the tongue. Sweetness is low.

M - Medium-full bodied brew with a velvety like texture and soft carbonation.

O - What a wonderfully balanced Porter. Robust, savory, drinkable, just a great example of the style. I picked up mine in a mix-pack for $14. I'd definitely buy this one again. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 01:36:33 | More by PintOHops

JosiahS

California

4.65/5  rDev +24%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

a: A thick, dark brown liquid with a 1 finger tan colored head.

s: Aromas of milk, coffee beans, chile and floral hops.

t: Rich roasted malt with flavors of coffee and faint cocoa. The hops lend a perfect compliment, adding bitterness, a slight spice flavor and a floral component.

m: lively yet somewhat thick and full bodied.

o: Awesome brew, a near perfect combo of hops and malt for a porter.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 01:35:40 | More by JosiahS

Razorback09

Oklahoma

3/5  rDev -20%

03-29-2013 20:47:58 | More by Razorback09