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

jtierney89

New Jersey

2.3/5  rDev -41.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a deep deep velvet color, close to black, no light comes through it. Thin coffee colored head which recedes quickly. Without even sniffing it I can smell the coffee in this beer. If you put this beer up to my nose with my eyes closed I would tell you it's a fresh brewed cup of roasted black coffee. Hints of chocolate and vanilla bean.

Unfortunately the first sip was somewhat unimpressive. Not really much going on up front with a thinner body than expected for a double stout. The back end is nothing but bitter black coffee on the other hand, and lots of it. Seriously tastes like an iced black coffee pumped with some CO2. The body holds up well and all but the coffee dominates the pallette lingering long after the sip has finished. If you look really deeply into the beer you can find notes of vanilla and chesnut but you really have to dig. If you really dig coffee than yeah you might like this. But for me, the beer qualities are masked too much by this monster Vermont coffee bean and I feel like it's a brisk early morning where I have no energy and Im sucking back whatever coffee I can find. (Hey! maybe i'll drink this before work tomorrow morning!)

The brewmaster series led me on with their incredible DIPA. Centennial red and Coffee stout havent been great.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 05:29:21 | More by jtierney89

mjn5036

New Hampshire

2.78/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I have actually been anxiously waiting to try this particular beer because of how wonderful I hear it is. We shall see...

22oz bomber poured into a White Birch glass. The initial pour looks promising, although most stouts are able to achieve a modest appearance. It pours a near opaque black with dark brown highlights. A large, two and a half finger head quickly rises from the pour. It is mocha in color and resides in my glass for approximately 3 minutes before dying off for the most part. As it fades, there is an initial wave of thick, intricate lacing left behind. After a few moments these thin and begin to disappear.

The nose on this is predominately coffee along with some* of the typical stout characteristics. Maybe a hint of chocolate sneaks past the charred coffee smell that pillages the olfactory senses. Honestly a bit lackluster and average at best.

The taste follows suit with the nose; in this case, it's not really a good thing. A harsh amount of bitter coffee glides over the other glaring flaws in this beer. There is a really unpleasant burnt characteristic that lingers for far too long and the alcohol is noticeable, despite having a moderate abv. Faint chocolate is barely recognizable, but there nonetheless.

The carbonation is just fine in this beer. For me, it is really quite thin. I realize that we are dealing with a plain old coffee stout, nothing of the imperial type, but it is still far too thin for me. EDIT** Alas, I have lied. This is in fact an American Double Stout (just because of the abv?) Really quite a fail in the mouthfeel department then....

Overall I was let down by this one. Maybe it was better in previous years but this just did not do it for me. It drank plenty easy enough but the nose and taste were not very good at all. I'm going to cross my fingers and try this one again in a few months.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 04:48:07 | More by mjn5036

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

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

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

Appearance: Pours a black motor oil. Head forms and dissappears leaving a sticky black resin of a substance in the glass, damn, You'ze thick.

Smell: Aroma of chocolate malts and very faint coffee.

Taste: Roasted malts coupled with a pretty big alcohol bite. Some bitter cocoa. Coffee? Where? A little coffee flavor on the back end, which saves on the overall score. This one is more or less a hot mess.

Mouthfeel: Like beer syrup?? Thick, oily, low carbonation.

Drinkability: Initially I thought the beer was served too cold, but as it warms astringent alcohol comes out to the point of being overbearing. Got a bottle? Age it.

Notes: Also recently tried this on tap. A bit more pronounced coffee character, but a rather dull and unimpressive outing.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 05:15:20 | More by Stinkypuss

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

charlesw

New York

3/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours thin and dark with tiny dark head that is quickly gone.

Smells of smoke and espresso.

Sadly it's listed as an RIS right now. Which is silly 'cause it's just not quite there. Yeah. An RIS is over the top. And thicker. This is a coffee stout, like it says on the bottle, eh? Smoked meats, dark coffee, hints of chocolate milk. Some sourness (hops, maybe?). Weird with the citrus aftertaste. Whoa. It seemed OK and pretty well balanced (for an RIS) up to the aftertaste. OK for a porter. Probably pretty close for a porter. A bit much smoke and the sour is annoying but pretty close.

Of course, the body isn't up to the RIS name either. Definitely a porter.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2009 22:40:21 | More by charlesw

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.05/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Dark as a cup of coffee (duh) and without even a hint of head this beer simply delivers more coffee than beer. I suppose that's a good thing if you really like coffee but I was hoping more for an actual beer with some of the richness of coffee. Oh, and I don't mind taking my coffee black but it could have used a touch of sweetener.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 11:54:57 | More by MoreThanWine

Bslied

Maryland

3.05/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

I would like to start this review by saying I am not a coffee drinker and therefore might be biased when analyzing this beer. The beer poured a dark black with very little head. Immediately I picked up the strong aroma of coffee. This was further enforced after my first sip, which was filled with a very pronounced coffee taste. It was almost like drinking a very dark, alcoholic frozen coffee. Not being a fan of coffee, I did not enjoy this beer very much. It was tough to drink and I was glad when finished. Some of the redeeming qualities of the beer were that it had a nice mouthfeel, indicative of other imperial stouts. Additionally, I feel that the brewer executed the concept of a coffee stout very well. Not being a coffee drinker just turned me off to enjoying the beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 01:41:16 | More by Bslied

BigMike

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours almost pure black with a fluffy coffee icecream colored head.
Nose consists of dark roasted chocolate malts and coffee the coffee is pretty light.
Maybe it's just me but I like really strong coffee. I mean strong enough to put hair on your chest. So when I drink a "coffee stout" I expect to taste coffee. The amount of coffee on the tongue is disappointing. Is extremely light and weak. There's a good amount of chocolate in the background and the alcohol is noticeable on the finish.
Mouthfeel seems light for a stout bordering on the watery side. It is however pretty smooth and easy to drink but the body is a letdown.
Overall not a very exciting beer. Light body. Light coffee. I would like a bit more flavor. Probably not something I would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 16:15:28 | More by BigMike

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.2/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Certainly poured like an Imp Stout. The classic head that forms from within the beer and looks like an eruption of dark brown foam rising from within the beer. Beer itself is almost black with some brown tones along the edges. Some spotty lace.

Aroma is no surprise and of coffee. Some chocolate notes as well.

Flavor was pretty nice, but I thought the coffee flavor wasn't my favorite. Sometimes the notes are more like coffee grounds vs. a nice coffee flavor. A touch more sweetness I think would have rounded this out nicely. Almost tasted a little burnt.

Mouth feel was slightly acidic and the body was full.

Pretty enjoyable, but not among my favorite Imp Stouts.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2009 01:58:53 | More by Reagan1984

JRed

New Jersey

3.2/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Opaque, black hole in body with small coffee-with-creamer head. Creamy aroma of coffee, chocolate, cocoa, cinnamon, alcohol burn, roasted beans. Coffee flavors with cocoa undertone that is struggling to break free. Pop in some prunes. Hop bitterness interrupts toward the finish and the scale tips towards hops, an alcoholic burn and a sharp tang/prune-filled aftertaste. Hmm...a coffee prune stout? Yeah, it's as unsatisfying as it sounds. Cola mouthfeel and medium-heavy body. This stout is still waiting to mature. Don't worry, puberty is almost over. Go back to the brewery and figure yourself out. This beer has as much personality as Randy Jackson.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2010 01:48:49 | More by JRed

drinkiusmaximus

New York

3.23/5  rDev -18%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-pours black as midnight with a three fingers width head nice retention and plenty of sticky lacing.

S- roasted coffee ash and burnt toast.

T- very one dimensional it tastes like coffee and I guess it should being a coffee stout a little residual ashiness.

M-not an imperial so it is medium but very watery, slightly disappointing.

D-nice roasted coffee flavor but thin in the mouth leaves one somewhat wanting.

Prost!!!

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 03:20:34 | More by drinkiusmaximus

philmorepunk87

Delaware

3.25/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- nice and black with a 1/2 inch brown head

S- like a coffee stout should all coffee in the nose

T- coffee but a little to bitter on the back end not really a fan of coffee but usually love coffee stouts this one is a little to close to coffee

M- nicely carbonated but a little to thin

O- a decent representation of a coffee stout but there are several others that top it

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 03:18:13 | More by philmorepunk87

oglmcdgl

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap at blue dog.

A- very dark brown almost black in color with a small finger of tan head that settles to a mirror finish.

S- medium roasted coffee and some dark malts. Ovaltine I shit you not, but I love ovaltine.

T- slightly burnt coffee and cocoa powder. Dark bread and postem.

M- on the thin side as far as body goes and a mid level carb.

D- well its tasty enough and rather easy to drink. Just not that great.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2010 02:57:56 | More by oglmcdgl

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber with a date of 2/1/10 into a SA sensory glass. This brew appears a dark brown color that shows some clarity and lighter shades of brown around the edges when held to the light. A finger of dark tan head appears and retains pretty decent. Spotty amounts of lace adhere to the glass.

The nose of this brew is a mixture of stale coffee, solvent alcohol and citrus hops. Minor indications of roasted grain provide some chocolate notes. Overall I am not really impressed with the nose of this brew.

The taste of this beer includes the coffee character that was described above, it comes across as being musty and not fresh. A dark grainy character is noted and in the background hops are evident with a flavor that is lightly bitter and somewhat tangy.

This is a medium bodied brew with a prickly level of carbonation. It leaves a lingering aftertaste of burnt grains and musty coffee inside the mouth. The alcohol is not hidden very well but is acceptable for the 8% abv. However, the alcohol comes across a bit solvent/fusel. As this brew warms there is more chocolate character that comes out which was very subtle initially. Overall this brew was a bit more citrusy and tangy than I like my coffee stouts to be.

I know there are several different ways to deliver the coffee addition to a brew which include aging the beer on beans, cold steeping and just outright adding the brewed coffee to the beer. I am not sure what was done here but the coffee character does not seem fresh, it is borderline musty smelling and has suggestions of tang/acidity which do not compliment the coffee addition all that well.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 16:30:39 | More by stakem

ne0m00re

Ohio

3.35/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

07/27/10- Had a 22 oz bottle of this.
A: Jet black, it poured with a nice chocolate head that died to a good collar and film.
S: Espresso, dark chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla oak (especially strong), banana caramel rum.
T: Vanilla oaky character comes through bitter, thin coffee. The rest of the flavors are dim but true to the smell. As the review lets on, the taste is kind of disappointing.
M: Thinner than expected, with less carbonation than the appearance implies.
D: OK.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 14:43:02 | More by ne0m00re

cope0021

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours thick, dark, black and heavy. No legs or head

Mellow aroma of coffee and faint hints of alcohol

Taste is a bit watery and tart. Not at all what I expected. Not nearly as much coffee flavor as I would have thought.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy

This beer deffinitely pours better than it tastes.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2010 03:27:29 | More by cope0021

mcallister

Ohio

3.38/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a chestnut deep brown with little head leaving a foamy topper.

Soft coffee and cream aromas with a mocha like aspect. Zinfandel grape like aromas oddly enough.

Not to much going on. Tannic coffe with hints of chocolate and a bit of roast not much else. Mouth shows a bit of creamy texture.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2009 19:19:07 | More by mcallister

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes.

Poured into a snifter. The color is near black and is quite still. There's not much even after a good swirl, though that will create a bit of a head for a second or two. The nose is some roasted malt and roasted coffee, but nothing terribly deep. Taste is the same with the coffee taking over. Feel is roasty with a medium body. The roast gets to be a bit much in the end without any other components to complement it.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 04:22:24 | More by Thorpe429

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This brew poured out with a nice dark brown color to it. There was a decent size head on top that didn't have much lacing but the retention wasn't too bad. The smell of the beer had a lot of coffee on the nose, there may have been some chocolate mixed in there as well. The taste of the beer wasn't overly impressive, it tasted like coffee pretty much, there wasn't much depth to this one. The mouthfeel wasn't terrible, there was a nice amount of carbonation, the body was full and had a slight thickness to it. Overall this beer wasn't too bad, but still not overly impressive in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 22:02:43 | More by Knapp85

jwc215

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle -
Pours opaque black with a tan head that stays before collapsing to a wisp. Not much lacing, but some "legs" stick.

The smell is of coffee with a hint of licorice and some fruity alcohol.

The taste is of coffee - a nice, but nothing particularly rich, coffee. Not that roasty - quite mild. It has a sweetness to it. There's a bit of astringency with some stickiness. It is very coffee-ish (more coffee than stout).

It it medium-bodied, with a watery touch (even at room temp.)

If I had had this colder, it would be spiked iced coffee with a touch of licorice. Since I let it warm to (near) room temp., it is tepid spiked coffee with a touch of licorice. Not particularly complex or rich. They say "coffee stout", but I'm thinking "coffee porter with noticeable alcohol". Without the licorice touch, I would have thought this to be lightly carbonated coffee with a touch of alcohol, more than a coffee-flavored stout. Still-in-all for a coffee/beer blend fix, not bad for about three and a half bucks a 22-ouncer.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2009 01:39:03 | More by jwc215

paco1029384756

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours black with a large tan head and good retention.

Scent of bitter coffee, roasted malts, chocolate, and dark fruit. A bit different, the coffee is the main feature here, but it has a strange funk to it. Doesn't smell bad or oxidized, just a bit strange.

Taste of coffee, chocolate, roasted malts, and some dark fruit. Somewhat off kilter here as well, seems lacking for the style.

Mouthfeel is medium full bodied and smooth, with very low carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2009 00:19:22 | More by paco1029384756

Arenbeer

Connecticut

3.43/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a Snifter

A- Pours a solid black with a nice lighter brown head, about 1 finger. Leaves pretty decent lacing on the way down.

S- Nice roasted notes with a strong coffee and chocolate background.

T- Dark Roasted malts with a brutal coffee presence. I wouldn't believe this is beer if you didn't tell me. Chocolate is also apparent.

M- Medium body with moderate carbonation and a decently dry bitter finish.

SkÅL!

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2010 22:14:42 | More by Arenbeer

lazyboy247

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

bottle dated 01/19/11

A:color is dark and head a deep brown. as I was drinking the beer it left a nice brown lacing down the side of the glass.

S: Deep coffee notes here, slight sweet aroma.

T: Dry stout with a ton of coffee flavor. slightly bitter aftertaste with coffee. No real sign of hops

M: light on the palate, very smooth not a lot of body.

D: High very easy to drink no problem taking down the whole bomber to myself.

Overall a decent coffee stout.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 23:51:14 | More by lazyboy247

Retsinis

California

3.43/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bomber I got off of half time beverage, dated 02/15/11

A: The beer pours black with just a small quarter inch of light brown head that slowly formed, and then quickly receded to just a ring of bubbles, no discernable lacing.

S: Scents of fresh roasted espresso, as expected, but also some scents of light vanilla, roasted malt, rich caramel, and cream.

T: Layers of finely blended espresso coffee, thin cream, roasted malt, vanilla, smoke, tobacco, and mild bitterness.

M: light mouth for the style, a little sticky, lingering coffee bitterness, mildly carbonated.

O: Decent, but only slightly above average for me. I'm really big on quality coffee (buy fresh roasted whole bean, Burr Grind and brew fresh pots at home) so the quality of the coffee bean, as well as when it is added during the brewing process all affect the outcome. The beer tasted as it should for the style, it just lacked in the flavors notes I preferred, and the ones it did have, they were somewhat muted. For me, I prefer say Victory at sea from Ballast Point, or Java from Bells as better examples of this style.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2011 01:01:58 | More by Retsinis