Coffee Stout (Brewmaster Series) - Long Trail Brewing Co.

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: Deep dark brown/black coming off completely opaque. Bubbles light on the body considering the rise of the head. Tan head rose to about 1/4" with a gentle pour.

Smell: Light coffee but seriously pretty irresistible.

Taste: Smooth coffee, though advertised as a coffee stout I was definitely expecting a deep espresso which didn't exactly happened. More creamier and chocolatey.

Mouth: Average medium carbonation, not exactly as sticky but very smooth compared to most stouts out on the market.

Overall: Picked this up in substitution to one of my favorite coffee stouts and though not as "good" as what I preferred still a quality brew. All you need is a glass and maybe a friend to share it with. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 20:29:47 | More by BlurryVisi0n

gr0g

New Jersey

3.89/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle marked "112612" poured into a snifter. Black, like black coffee, capped with not quite two fingers worth of foam. Some spotty lacing but it's not very sticky. Nice coffee presence on the nose. It's got that "freshly ground" character that reminds me of Founders Breakfast Stout. Aroma becomes sweeter and more chocolatey over time.

Flavor profile is quite dry, again with a nice coffee presence (though not as strong as in the aroma). Bitterness remains fairly constant throughout. Some coffee and roast astringency, but otherwise not much else going on. Mouthfeel is slick and smooth, but otherwise a bit too thin.

Long Trail's coffee stout is firmly in the "good, but not great category." It's still a very nice, coffee-forward stout, even at four months old if the bottle marking is truly a bottling date. The $5-ish price tag and the overall solidness of this beer make it a worthy introductory coffee stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 02:49:26 | More by gr0g

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.53/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a glass. Imagine that, huh?

A: Poured out pretty much pitch black, with a spider-webby head that was only a couple of shades lighted than the liquid below it.

S: I got some coffee scent, but it was more like a buttercream frosting with coffee ground additive. Still, as a non-coffee person (I sip Diet Coke for my caffeine fix), I dug it.

T: Much more assertive coffee-wise on the taste than on the nose, but I still not to the level to my mind. One-dimensional, but still good.

M: Ridiculous lacing, appropriately bitter coffee component, and no "over the top" sweetness.

O: Sort of a blah coffee brew. Vermont has better.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 01:26:34 | More by Chaney

ESeab

New Jersey

2.88/5  rDev -26.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

22oz Bomber poured into standard pint glass

A- Black with a one finger white/tan head. Not thick, lacing in the glass

S - Smell of roasted coffee, malt, a bit of dark chocolate, dark fruit, and alcohol but very faint

T- This is where I was underwhelmed. Coffee stouts are arguably my favorite style of beer and this one just did not do anything for me. THe coffee wasn't strong, the chocolate was a bad bitter. Not complex but not too smooth either. I could taste the alcohol in this one which I usually don't in stouts unless they exceed 10%.

M- Thin to medium body. moderate carbonation. Leaves a sticky feeling behind

O - I bought two of these for $4.99 so I'm more underwhelmed than disappointed. I have never found a coffee stout I did not enjoy as much as this one.

I drank the second bottle and more of the same. I will not be seeking this beer out again

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 04:25:34 | More by ESeab

wisrarebeer

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: jet black, poured with nice brown head that dissipated
S: chocolate, dark plums, leather, deep roasted malt, nice coffee that's not overpowering
T: deep roasted malt, some coffee in taste but well-balanced, somewhat lower carbonated
M: decent up front and nice hop balance finish, mouthfeel is lighter for ABV
O: decent beer and nothing wrong with it but just didn't 'wow' me

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 01:03:00 | More by wisrarebeer

Ego

New Jersey

2.85/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

eyes...
a full finger of milk chocolate color head, beautiful and uniform bubbles form a cell wall that undulates against the glass as a solid mass exercising their will in unison, from the sway is left remnants tracing the trails and waves along the direction to the bottom of the glass, although strong looking the head is not furious and calms down to a mere simmer within a minute or perhaps less when I was not staring intently, light chooses to bend around this rather than make the perilous journey through the dark interior, this is good looking but not perhaps curl your feet wizard of oz bad witch ending.

nose...
for some reason it reminds me of unbrewed coffee, just the beans, mixed with some tart notes, the alcohol notes mix well into the nose but is detectable, I get a slightly woody type smell, like wet oak or some such with also a hair of vanilla, the nose has plenty going on but I just don't love it, hey, some people dig angelina jolie, some people dig jenifer aniston, such is life...

taste etc...
I am a bit miffed by this one... the great coffee flavor is there on a linger on the after taste, the initial (and majority) of the taste is sort of a sour carbonated thing, it really wallops the sides of the taste buds in the middle of my tongue only then retreating into a nice coffee flavor, it is almost like a cup of joe gone wrong, but you know it is good joe.... so you keep sipping it (and in the case of joe you are looking for that caffeine fix of course). Like coffee you want to love this, but you don't... but you keep drinking it expecting something to happen, but it doesn't. There is some mild warming from the ABV but this at celler temp is just not happening for me...

verdict?
the aftertaste is great.. getting there? oy....

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 06:35:47 | More by Ego

Beer_Runner

3.63/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottled on 01/19/12 and opened about 9 months after bottling.

A: A slow pour into a standard point glass produced a one-finger head that was very dense and the color of dark mocha. Over a few minutes the head dissipated to a thin and patchy layer and a collar, and it also left some good lacing. The brew is pitch-black.

S: The aroma consisted of black coffee and bready yeast, with a touch of malt sweetness and just a small hint of maraschino cherry.

T: The taste consisted of black coffee, chocolate, maraschino cherry, and some sweet malt and bready yeast along with just a bit of booziness.

M: The body to the lighter end of the medium range and it did not have very much carbonation. It was also fairly smooth and just a little sticky.

O: This was an interesting coffee stout. The blend to coffee, chocolate, and maraschino cherry worked very well, and this blend of flavors was nicely balanced by the sweet malt, bready yeast, and the slight booziness. The result was an enjoyable enough beer, but one that is pretty much in the middle of the pack for this style of beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 16:43:23 | More by Beer_Runner

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 22oz bottle into HF tulip glass. Bottle dated 01/03/12. Pours a deep dark black with a good amount of tan head. Really nice coffee chocolate and a bourbon-aged type aroma. Taste of sweet chocolate coffee, roasted malts. Its a tad sweet, but finishes with a slight bitter coffee. Its actually a really great imperial stout for the money - I think I paid $4.99 for thr bomber. what a great brew, especially for the price. I recommend this one for sure.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 22:56:29 | More by DrinkSlurm

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours deep brown-black with a sudsy khaki head. Foam topper isn't going anywhere anytime soon. 4.0

Rich malty roast and some fruity coffee in the nose. Some char and prune. Bite of booze makes an appearance as it warms. 3.5

Flat-out roasty with acrid charred flavors, light smoke, burnt coffee, dark fruits, and almost a brandy-like character paired with the booze. Slightly medicinal-tasting, like a coffee and kilned grain elixir. Finishes with some heat and lingering bitterness. There may have been a few tangy lactic flavors intended, but the oppressive dark roast burns that out. 4.0

Smooth medium body feels milky smooth with the slight rush of evened carbonation. Low carb works very well here. 4.5

A coffee stout that is light on the coffee. Not overblown and sweetened. I appreciate what Long Trail accomplished with this brew. Enjoying it. 4.0

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2012 01:09:51 | More by thecheapies

ckollias

Maryland

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

Enjoyed this tall bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a dark black hue with a 2-finger brown hue that slowly dissipates leaving a decent head.

S: Strong malt and coffee aroma with hints of chocolate.

T: Deep malt flavor with a great coffee middle and follows with hints of chocolate.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Very coffee stout – not too astringent as I have seen some of the coffee stouts. Would pick this up again.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 02:52:17 | More by ckollias

lurpy1

Minnesota

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Good luck to Long Trail, they are in danger of getting lost behind all the great breweries in Vermont.

The pour is great, deep black, 2-finger cappucino colored head which sticks around a while. The beer lives up to it's name in aroma. Coffee comes first, followed by roast and malt. Taste is a good news/bad news kind of deal. Good news: Tastes good. Bad news. Not so much a coffee stout, as fruity esters take over. Coffee's there, but it's crowded out by vaguely cherry taste. Mouthfeel is all right, would have liked more viscosity.

There are better stouts out there and many truer coffee stouts, but this was still a good beer. Get if the price is right.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2012 13:43:27 | More by lurpy1

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass

A- pours black with a one finger brown head that fades pretty quick. Man, I loved how dark the head was, but it hardly stayed around. Disappointing

S- nice strong coffee aroma

T- light coffee, more chocolate comes through actually. Not overwhelming by any means, not overly strong...and at the same time, it doesn't stand out at all

M- medium bodied, which is a little disappointing

O- disappointment is the word of the day with this one. Then again, it's Long Trail, so I probably shouldn't be surprised

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 00:48:26 | More by bigfnjoe

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.58/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a beautiful dark brown almost black pour with 2 fingers of tan head that gave off some great lacing. smells of coffee, chocolate, tobacco, dirt, toasted grains, lightly hopped. taste is phenomenal. a perfect breakfast beer.lightly roasted, milky sweet, chocolate malt, coffee flavor.. it's wonderful, really. medium body, nice creamy texture, medium carbonation. silky smooth.
overall this is an excellent stout. slightly on the light side for an imperial stout, but it's all about the flavor with this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 10:58:02 | More by facundoCNB

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at MexiBBQ in Queens, NY

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color. The beer has a finger thick creamy dark mocha head that has great head retention properties - the head reduces by the thinnest of margins such as that a solid 3/4 finger of head reamins evenly covering the entire surface of the beer even as I am getting to the finish. Significant amounts of lacing are observed, it coats the entire glass.

S: Light to moderate aromas of dark roasted malts with moderate to heavy aromas of coffee. There is also a light presence of chocolate.

T: Similar to the smell, the beer has a light amount of dark roasted malt body with some complexity. There are strong flavors of coffee including fresh ground and espresso bitterness. Light notes of bittersweet chocolate.

M: On the lighter side of full bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Creamy and smooth with some light dryness in the finish.

O: This is a great brunch beer, with the strong coffee smells and flavors. I really enjoyed this one and found it really easy to drink - definitely a beer that is easy to sip on. This is probably my favorite beer from this brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

07-16-2012 00:23:50 | More by dbrauneis

puboflyons

New Hampshire

4.43/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

From the bottle stamped 011912-1921. Sampled off season on July 12, 2012. The pour is a deep dark brown to black with a soft, silky, beige head with great retention. The aroma is vibrant with coffee malts, chocolate, caramel, dark malts, and sweetness. The body is categorized in the medium range with a slight acidity to it. It was probably the weakest part of the beer because the taste was full of dark chocolate, coffee, and caramel with a medium bitterness on the tail end. An excellent coffee stout.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 23:13:16 | More by puboflyons

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours jet black with a tan head. In the aroma, a dry coffee roast. In the taste, a sweeter malt and a dry coffee roast. A smooth and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry coffee and small acid like aftertaste. Nice coffee, a sweet malt, small acidity, and hides the 8% well.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 17:19:28 | More by OWSLEY069

4thelvofbeer

Virginia

3.73/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoying a big glass of this beer as I am writing this review. Just cracked open a 22oz bottle fo this. Nice dark, dark brown color and thin foamy head. Beautiful taste and smell of coffee and some chocolate. Taste is not overpowering---I don't want to say weak, but it is nice, has really nice flavors. Mouthfeel is nice and smooth. A very good, solidly above average coffee stout!

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 21:02:26 | More by 4thelvofbeer

cvm4

Mississippi

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours dark brown with a modest half finger than head.

S - Gobs of coffee followed up with roasted malts. There's a sweet lingering smell as well.

T - Taste doesn't follow the nose. I'm getting subdued coffee along with dark chocolate. It has a sweet finish, may'be dark fruits show up.

M - Thick & creamy with low carbonation. Spot on for me.

O - It's a good above average coffee stout. Not WnB or breakfast stout territory, in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 21:39:56 | More by cvm4

BigPlay1824

New York

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed in a snifter

A: pours a deep midnight black with a finger and a half of frothy large bubbled head that is milk chocolate in color and lingers nicely before dissipating and leaving a very nice amount of lacing in rings around the glass
S: has great chocolate malt notes right up front and coffee notes which only kick in at the very end
T: nice complexity and depth, begins with a nice sweet malt character which is then backed in by a bit of nice chocolate and finally finishes with very nice coffee notes and a noticeable bitterness from the coffee beans
M: smooth and with a nice viscosity which lets it slide across the palate, almost zero carbonation tingles and leaves the palate with a nice bitterness which lingers nicely
O: i have yet to have a bad brew from long trails brew master series, they are always high quality and highly drinkable. this one is no exception

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2012 01:00:58 | More by BigPlay1824

CaptDavyJones

New York

3.93/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured pitch black from a 22 oz bomber with ABV on the label and date of bottling on the neck of the bottle.
A very thin dark mocha colored head that dissipated fairly quickly.
Aroma is coffee, coffee, and oh, did I say coffee ? Lots and lots of coffee on the nose. Nothing else but coffee comes through.
The taste likewise is also all coffee. Pretty one-dimensional in terms of flavor, but since it is advertised as a coffee stout, it definitely lives up to it's name.
The one good thing is the coffee is not too overpowering or overwhelming.
Easy to drink and the alcohol cannot be felt at all.
A very good dessert beer. Worth a try if you enjoy lots of coffee in your beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 21:22:52 | More by CaptDavyJones

IKR

California

3.53/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Very dark brown with a modest-sized medium beige head.

Smell: Predominately coffee with some roasted malt notes. I also get some faint dark fruit overtones.

Taste: Coffee and some roasted malt notes for the most part.
The beer finishes fairly dry with the coffee and roasted malt notes. The alcohol presence is very subtle for the ABV.

Mouth-feel: On the light side of medium-bodied, with an modest level of carbonation for the style.

Overall: For me, not a "wow" Imperial Stout, but a good beer non the less.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 21:12:34 | More by IKR

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bomber into a CBS snifter.

Pours a jet black hue typical of most stouts. Despite pouring the entirety of the bottle into the snifter from nearly 6" above the rim of the glass...I could only generate about 3/4 a single finger worth of head. Smell has a very generous amount of coffee in it, which is just what you want from the style. The taste however, is a bit light on the coffee. There's an almost cherry like sweetness/tartness to this. It's a bit acidic and acrid. It's decent, but I've had much better. The mouthfeel is ridiculously thin. Like...thinner than a porter. I can't believe this is a stout. There's also a real bitterness to this that isn't pleasant in the finish. Overall... decent stout, but not one I'd look for again in any capacity.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 02:31:53 | More by Retail1LO

CloudStrife

New York

3.98/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a chalice. Bottled 01/03/12

A: Pours a fairly thick black with a large 2 finger khaki head. Lots of fisheyes disintegrate the head within a few minutes. A fair amount of lacing.

S: Loads of coffee on the nose, some chocolate in the background. Also dark fruits are present.

T: Somewhat mild taste, there is some coffee and some chocolate in there but neither overpowers. Balanced with some hops at the end.

M: Nice creamy mouthfeel. Low carbonation. Smooth and velvety, I like it. Pretty darn drinkable.

Overall a decent coffee stout, one of the more session-able imperial stouts I have had. With this comes a slightly lackluster flavor, but tasty nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 00:33:58 | More by CloudStrife

Maxwell

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance:
Pours a red coffee black. Very thick. Little tan head on top, kind of expected a bigger head, though the retention is good. Lacing is thick and frothy.

Smell:
Heavy chocolate malts and coffee tinges to the smell. Slightly tart on the back end.

Taste:
The initial taste is smoky with malts and some chocolate lingerings. The after taste is bitter with black coffee.

Mouthfeel:
Thick and creamy as it travels down the throat, there is a harsher tingle in the aftertaste on the tongue, with a thicker overall feeling lingering in the mouth.

Overall: Nice coffee stout, a nice mix of coffee and beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2012 23:30:33 | More by Maxwell

YouSkeete

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Flat black appearance with a short dark khaki head. Nice lacing. Dark roasted coffee, coffee and chocolate malts, molasses and hints of whiskey and sour cherries. Big roasted coffee and bittersweet cacao on the first sip, into a sour vanilla/cherry flavor with a strong malt backbone. Bittersweet, dry coffee finish. Sticky mouthfeel. Pretty average overall.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 23:55:49 | More by YouSkeete