Sample at Great Taste of the Midwest on 08/09/2014: Brownish-black color with a medium foamy tan head that diminishes gradually. Partial rings of lacing. Aroma of roasted malt, coffee and chocolate. Medium-bodied with a roasty malt and coffee character, with a bit of dark chocolate in the background. The mildly bitter with an espresso aftertaste. Above average overall.

12oz pour at Binny’s into thin tall tulip. Completely black body with tan head. Aroma is strong: dry coffee pops first. The thing to a coffee beer is don’t fuck up the coffee and it isn’t. Very perfumey with roast coffee, no green pepper. Past that is a very well made impy stout, clean black malts, no ash or bitterness. Just fumy. Flavor has lots of coffee and less stout, almost a bit of a watery stout behind the coffee. Moderate acidity for the style. Kind of gets in the way of the mouth feel. Its too acidic and too coffee not enough stout in favor but it smells really well balanced. To be fair, I’m not a coffee beer guy but I didn’t know this was a coffee beer.