Great Divide - Espresso Oak Aged Yeti

I've been breaking out some decent bottles in the last month or so, some of which are documented in this blog.  Today will provide no exception as I'm finally ready to crack open a bottle of Espresso Oak Aged Yeti from Great Divide Brewing Co. out of Denver, Colorado.  I'm pretty excited to say the least.  I've only snagged tastes of Yeti before and one of those was a bottle that was shared at the 2012 Dark Lord Day, but it had soured.  I tasted it anyway just to see the off flavors.  As with many beers, this one is not immediately available in my area, so you know that when I saw it at a beer store when I was out of town, I had to snag it.  Especially after being subject to its reputation for too long.  Let's pour!

Oh baby.

Aroma 12/12

Even before opening the bottle I was expecting a monstrous coffee aroma in proportion to the mythical creature of its namesake.  Thankfully, I was mistaken.  Yeti did not try to bowl me over with overpowering coffee.  I was apprehensive after seeing "with coffee added" on the label instead of being brewed with coffee or a malt that might elicit the same flavors.  As mentioned, Yeti does sets aside all those worries and gives the drinker something truly special.  It's not often one is comforted by a Yeti.  You may quote me.

Surprisingly, the first to the nose is a dark, dark chocolate malt and is followed closely by brewed espresso (naturally), and a lesser sweet oatmeal or lactose note.  The coffee is anything but overpowering even as the drink warms, and I give this beer high praise for its restraint.  When chilled, the beer initially makes the sweet creaminess easy to detect.  Eventually a bit more balance appears and a bitterness begins to grow on the palate.  The final stage is a glorious one as chocolate and heat step forward a bit, and the coffee + chocolate blend begins a perfect harmony.  I mean perfect.  I can hardly tell which one is more present.  Is there one that's 51/49?  55/45?  Couldn't tell you.  They are wondrously blended.

Yeah.  Pretty sure even the head could be SRM rated.

Appearance 3/3

I should just be able to write, "This looks like one of the best stouts you've ever had" and you would know.  However, in the interest of maintaining a high level of detail I shall elaborate.  It pours black and thick and raises a generous, two fingers of chocolate mousse-colored head.  The head nearly has the appearance of cake it is so thick.  Look at the below photo!  I had to take one, it was that striking.  I mean, c'mon, it even could have its own SRM rating!  Its longevity was also impressive as was its lacing.  There is nothing to complain about here and if I could give it more points I would.  Maybe I can just send money to Denver and tell them to buy themselves something pretty.  They deserve it.

Look at that head!  It makes you wanna slice it up and
serve it with ice cream!

Flavor 19/20

So maybe now is when I'll be overwhelmed with coffee, right?  Right?  Well, perhaps not as this particular bottle was born on December 19, 2011.  Maybe I should just drink it and find out.  The first sips are absolutely saturated with flavor and only once the tongue begins to acclimate to this tsunami of goodness can one begin to pick apart the flavors.  A burst of dark roast comes first, but is instantly washed away, almost literally, by the foaming action of the beer and an intense dollop of extremely dark chocolate.   The chocolate sits heavily in the mouth and refuses to be moved, but instead is paired with a salty flavor and bits of char from the malt.  I must commend the chocolate/salt blend.  Wow. This is absolutely delicious!  The coffee flavor has faded with age, but it still provides a general bitter to help darken the beer as a whole.  The bitter is, of course, more present in the finish as the beer flows over those 'bitter' taste buds on the back of the tongue.  The mouth remains coated with chocolate and coffee flavors and only much later in the aftertaste are we treated to any hint of warmth in this beer.  It comes with a lingering chocolate java and ties things together nicely.

Mouthfeel 5/5

After swallowing, I found myself wanting to chew this beer.  Some part of me needed to get every last savory bit of flavor out of this brew.  I even chewed the sides of my mouth a little bit just so my teeth could scrape off any lingering dark, smoky goodness.  This is unquestionably a full-bodied, big ol' beer and packs an absolute flavor bomb.  It offers a carbonation a smidgen higher than I might expect, but it also might be necessary as this beer is extremely sticky in the mouth after swallowing.  When the beer is still chilled, that carbonation offers an neat foaming action, but later on is there to simply provide texture for a very large beer.  Warmth is invisible save for its brief cameo in the aftertaste.

Overall Impression 10/10

I'll try not to gush, but.... WOW!  What a beer!  The flavors are massive and the chocolate espresso blend is a home run.  The coffee flavor itself had faded (I'll never know how much), but even in its current state adds a solid bitter that lends itself well to portraying a darker chocolate than perhaps was intended.  Please keep in mind that even though there are many mentions of chocolate, this beer is not what one would call sweet.  Just as a 90% cacao chocolate bar isn't exactly something you offer to the kiddies.  Superior appearance, amazing aroma blend, massive flavor, and it absolutely slides across the bottom of your mouth.

Total 49/50

If you see this, buy it.  Even if it's $20, buy it.  It would be a bargain and one of the few beers at that price point that actually deserves to be there.  I'm pouring the second half of this bomber bottle and loving it even more.  When it's more chilled, the beer foams up in the mouth nicely, but really smooths out as it warms.  i know I've mentioned that before, but it's a really cool effect and I can't tell which mouthfeel I appreciate more.  It is simply excellent on every level.  I'm glad the coffee wasn't immense, but that the flavor was definitely Sasquatch-sized.  My wife likened the brew as a whole to Cuban Coffee.  For those that don't know Cuban Coffee is essentially espresso that is brewed over several table spoons of sugar.  Any sugar that is not immediately dissolved is taken care of in the next step as the steam wand of the espresso machine is placed deep in the brewing vessel to almost super-saturate the espresso with the sugar.  This results in a a delicious, sweet, thick concoction that is the equivalent of nitrous oxide for pretty much anything that is alive and brave enough to not fear its heart exploding.  If a cardiologist sees a cup of it, it spontaneously bursts into flame.  Heart issues aside, I also really appreciate the fact that they make no qualms about wanting you to drink this for breakfast (see below picture).  If I could I wouldn't even wait til breakfast in my morning routine to enjoy this brew; I'd bathe in it.

A wise man once said, "Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things."  I hope that I can make an addendum to this sage wisdom with, "but always drink the Yeti things."

Word at both top and bottom indicate that this is a "breakfast beer."
Whatever that is, I love it.

Founders - Kentucky Breakfast Stout

Today friends, I review a beer that needs no introduction.  I knew that cracking open my sole bottle of KBS was drawing near immediately after I was unable to procure tickets to this year's KBS Release Party due to some errors on the part of some 3rd party ticket brokers.  I, like many people, had a ticket in my cart, but to no avail.  But I'm not worried!  The past has passed!  I will not be broken-hearted or bitter over things I cannot change nor correct.  All I can do is enjoy the current bottle I possess, given to me by my good friend Matt D.  The last time I was fortunate enough to get a pour of KBS was at 2011's Screw City Beer Festival in Rockford, IL.  It looked a little something like this.

This is what it looks like when I poo my pants.

I think it goes without saying that I have been looking for an excuse to drink this beer for quite some time.  Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12

This is like dark, melted chocolate made violent love to black, gourmet coffee after a bourbon-soaked evening.  The coffee is bitter and strong, burnt, dark roasted malt is abundant, and dark chocolate's sweetness rounds things out nicely.  Warmth is more present than the actual aroma of bourbon at this point, but it is not overpowering and you'd never guess this was an 11.2% ABV beer.  I want to wear this as cologne.

Appearance 3/3

I hate to make the generic simile that this beer pours like motor oil, but... it's more like filthy motor oil.  It's a host of cola and coffee browns with a yellowish tinge around the edges.  The head was barely present, but was a shockingly dark shade of brown.  This beer had legs like road tar.  It stubbornly hung on the sides of the glass and refused to be moved.

Flavor 19/20

I don't believe that there is one milliliter of this beer that is not dedicated to being saturated with flavor.  It's not the most intense thing I've ever tasted, but nothing is wasted to deliver all the intended flavors to your waiting taste buds.  It begins with a oatmeal-y, sweet creaminess, which blossoms beautifully into the sweeter aspects of the rich, rich chocolate.  Then the bourbon rolls in and things get rowdy.  This goes from being a luscious, savory, delectable slice of German double molten chocolate cake with a side of coffee, to a beer that tastes like every bite of cake is first dipped lightly in bourbon.  The chocolate and bourbon are definitely the stars here and the coffee takes a supporting role.  When held in the mouth, however, the coffee is the most persistent of the flavors and makes itself known once the others have faded.  Be patient though because, sweet Holy delicious chocolate booze cake, are those flavors strong and it's going to take a while.  The finish is mocha coffee sweetness plus the tingling heat from the bourbon while the aftertaste is pretty much the same aftertaste if you combined how your mouth feels fifteen minutes after drinking coffee and two minutes after sipping bourbon.

Mouthfeel 4.5/5
Wait, can I even give half points?  To that I say in my best Eric Cartman voice, "It's my blog, I do what I WANT!"  I've never done it before, but I've never felt compelled to do it before.  I basically want to say that the mouthfeel of this beer is remarkable, but I cannot say that it is perfect.  The bourbon is simply too strong and covers some of the other flavors that I know are in there.  To add to that, this beer is from 2012!  It has aged for almost an entire year!  I can't imagine how aggressive this beer would be were it fresh.  It is just shy of being full-bodied and while the carbonation is wonderfully subtle, the alcohol warmth adds enough tingle to be as interruptive as a higher level of bubbles.

Overall Impression 9.5/10 
Well, if I'm gonna start issuing half-points I might as well use two so that the final score is a whole number, right?  This is a supremely tasty beer and for a guy that hasn't eaten dinner yet, its 11.2% ABV is definitely a force to be reckoned with.  This coffee-licious, chocolate oozing, bourbon monster simply must be tried.  It tries extremely hard to live up to its gargantuan reputation and does an admirable job, even if it doesn't taste like God himself lactated it into each and every bottle.  This is a chocolately delight that I will be aging even more next time to mute the bourbon into submission.

Total 48/50

I know, I know... It doesn't take a whole lot of fortitude nor prowess to drink a great beer and give it a high score.  Big surprise, right?  However, I was expecting to give this beer a perfect score and perhaps that expectation worked against it.  It is a towering giant of chocolate and bourbon warmth with coffee riding its coattails the whole time.  The warmth is not insane, but it is enough where I do feel that it overpowers some of the other flavors that should definitely be making a contribution, namely the coffee.  If you're fortunate enough to see some after the April 1, 2013 distribution date, buy it.  Even if it doesn't live up to its ludicrously lofty expectations (and what could), you won't be disappointed.

New Glarus - Coffee Stout

Well, gang it was the first blustery, cold day of the season and that put me in the mood for a stout.  Also, today the Chicago Bears play the Green Bay Packers and I'm going to need a good, sturdy beer to fuel me through that 60 minutes of intense rivalry.  Not that I'm a fan of either team (go 49ers!), but I always enjoy watching a hard fought game.  Football aside, I have no idea how long this beer has been in my fridge.  I assume somewhere around the 18 month mark.  It's not one that New Glarus currently brews and they currently have it listed in their "Beers We Have Known and Loved" section on their webpage.  I don't know if they'll brew it again, but I sure hope so because it's a solid go-to offering when it's available.  Let's pour!

Aroma 11/12

This is an absolute truck load of delicious malts.  Chocolate comes first, is followed by some smoke, and a lovely dark roast.  The coffee is very muted until the beers warms to an appropriate level and then... Look. Out.  The aroma almost doubles in intensity and richness as a rich, dark coffee jumps out of the glass and all but covers the chocolate.  

Appearance 3/3

A gravity-defying tan head floats atop an all but completely black beer.  True to its name, only some coffee-toned browns are visible at the top most edge when the beer is held to light.  The head offers excellent size and retention.

Flavor 17/20

A surprising sweetness starts this beer.  It's a much brighter sweetness from the malts than one would expect in a coffee stout and feels like a combination of chocolate and black malts, but also gives a hint of lactose as in a milk stout.  The beer then flashes the palate some rich coffee goodness before fading gradually back to a smoother blend between the coffee and the darkly roasted chocolate/mocha malts.  A nice light char has been overseeing this whole process and making its presence known throughout - another nice layer of flavor complexity.  The finish again provides that lighter, brighter malt sweetness and mixes it with the coffee, which seems to rob the brew of some of its richness.  There's plenty of coffee flavor, it just doesn't seem as bold and dark as it could be.

Mouthfeel 3/5

This category is clearly the weakest part of the beer.  One generally expects a thicker, chewier experience in their stouts.  The label claims this beer to be "full-bodied," but it's medium-bodied at best.  If it is truly a full-bodied, then it is done a gross disservice by both its boisterous carbonation and the coffee.  As in the aroma, the coffee pushes the malts around in every aspect of this beer and mouthfeel is no exception.  The big chocolate malts are made to feel thinner by the coffee, just as a glass of chocolate milk would suffer a lighter body if you poured an iced coffee into it.

Overall Impression 8/10

The lightening of key elements by the coffee is truly the beers Achilles' Heel.  When the beer is cold the malts are quite impressive and shine on their own, AND there is a point in the temperature transition that is ideal where both of these elements embrace each other and absolutely sing in harmony.  However, past that point, the coffee sandbags what could be a remarkable beer.  Not that it's short on flavor by any means!  It has loads of flavor, unfortunately it's all too easy to see what this beer could be.

Total 42/50

For a beer sold in a six-pack, it's definitely one to purchase.  Heck, the aroma alone is almost worth the price of admission.  As indicated in the previous paragraph, my main problem resides where the coffee meets the malt.  A coffee stout needs to have that big body to carry the big flavors.  That in mind, a coffee stout should always be malt-based with coffee added and not appear to be coffee-based with malts added.  That in mind, this is a super tasty stout that I have enjoyed, and will continue to enjoy, if and when it becomes available, on a number of occasions.  The lighter mouthfeel and carbonation keep it ridiculously drinkable for a stout with this much flavor, but the char and coffee give it enough bitter so that it falls far short of being a lackluster brew.  I don't know when New Glarus is planning on brewing this again, but it would be a welcome addition to any fridge for the fall season.

Bent River - Jingle Java

Gang, I've got good news and bad news.  Bad news is my job "restructured" on Friday and restructured me right out of a job.  It's a job I was planning on buying a house and starting a family with and now I'm set back a bit on those plans.  The good news is that there will be a significant increase in posts for the foreseeable future.

Don't think that this "job" thing is going to hold me back.  I've already got a good application in at a local craft brewery (today's review actually!) and can fall back on some substitute teaching to help make ends meet.  Who trusts me around children?  I'm not sure, but I'm glad they do.  In any case, I had big plans for 2012 and I'm not about to let them die.  I'm.  Still.  Here.

Personal stuff aside, today's review is for Bent River's Jingle Java, a seasonal treat that I look forward to every year.  In fact, Bent River recently started selling this in growlers at local supermarket chains!  A very exciting development for a local craft brewer.  Today's sample was originally to be given to a friend in trade for some East Coast beer, but that trade fell through for good reasons and now I'm left with a very tasty option for a winter seasonal beer review.  Before I get started, I would like to make it clear that just because I've got an application in at this brewery, does not mean that I'll be brown-nosing this review.  However, I have had this beer before and know it to be very, very tasty - and that is the only bias I'll be allowing.  Now it's time to drink this stuff before it goes too flat!  Let's pour!

Black as the growler it came from...

Aroma 12/12
Opening the growler releases a belch of coffee aroma (still carbonated!).  Dark chocolate abounds, cappucino roasts float in the nose, fresh ground coffee permeates the air, and is all followed by a secondary molasses note.  This smells EXACTLY like you have walked into a gourmet coffee shop.  Simply awesome.

Appearance 3/3
As you can see from the picture, this beer is as dark as the growler in which it came.  Only when held to light does one get a dark chestnut brown at the beer's surface.  I'm allowing for a little less head in this review as this growler has been in my possession for more than its allotted time.  Even with that allowance, as I poured no initial carbonation rose to the top and I was worried.  Then, ever so slowly, carbonation started to appear and rise to the top.  I'm very impressed that it has held its carbonation this long!  This beer has more legs than a centipede.

Flavor 18/20
First to the palate are darkly roasted, smoky malts with a bit of a salty tinge.  The backbone is righteously smooth, and brings authentic coffee flavors, rich thick chocolates, and touches of charred malt.  The coffee and char take over, leaving the chocolate not as much of a starring role as in the delicious aroma.  However, this is a coffee stout, not a chocolate coffee stout.  When heading into the finish, the first thing I noticed was the prick of pepper on my tongue.  Not something I was expecting, but there is a hidden spice element in this beer.  The finish is a lighter coffee than in the aroma or the backbone, but unlike coffee, leaves the mouth dry and relatively clean (again, compared to regular coffee).  A bitter remains that shows a hint of grass or herbal hops and that sensation lingers as a nice aftertaste to a flavor-filled beer.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Again, this category becomes a little harder to judge.  Because I've had it in a growler longer than intended, the carbonation was not at its optimal levels.  In fairness, I've never had a complaint with it before and I'm not about to start now.  Even in its current state, the carbonation is wonderfully present, lending the beer a silky, foamy quality to compliment the heavier-than-average body and the wonderfully rich, smooth nature of the beer.

Overall Impression 10/10
This beer is a winner from start to finish.  The aroma is one of the best introductions to a stout that I recall and the flavor is nothing short of filthy rich.  Bent River offers more than just the coffee/chocolate combination that many breweries can ride to success.  Instead choosing to imbue its beer with molasses, charred malt remnants, and a light hop bitter in the finish.  This beer is truly a holiday treat that I, like many a petulant child, wish I didn't have to wait for the holidays to receive.

Total 48/50
Full disclosure, this is my favorite local brew available, but I'm not the only one that thinks so.  Bent River's Jingle Java is so popular that they have hosted an event called "Christmas in July" where they tap a keg or two of Jingle Java in July just to satisfy their customers' cravings (as if their Uncommon Stout wasn't enough!).  This beer makes me swear every time I take my initial sip.  It's just that good.  Silky, rich, chocolatey, coffee-drenched goodness awaits you all.  Now if only I can make it until July...

Today's Song of the Moment

Blue Cat - Mississippi Mocha Coffee Stout

Blue Cat Brewing Co has long been a staple in the Quad Cities area.  Heck, it even gets to claim that it is the second longest running brewpub in IL!  I have spent countless nights there during, but mostly after, college and it is definitely a favorite hangout for many.  A relaxed vibe, two stories (the upstairs being solely a bar area), and their own varieties of craft beer all go toward making this brewpub a both a general crowd pleaser and still friendly to the craft beer drinker.  From time to time they also serve ridiculous 4-5 course beer dinners with the type of gourmet dishes and ingredients usually reserved for more upscale urban establishments.  These are always paired with their beers and finished with a cigar (if you so choose).

All this in mind, a review of a Blue Cat beer has been absent too long!  On Wednesday I got my first paycheck in almost 9 months and I knew of no better way to celebrate than to head down to the bar that has helped me celebrate (or drown) so many other events.  This review is not for their stout that is part of the “regular rotation.”  Let’s pour!

Aroma 10/12

There is plenty of exactly what the name implies.  A light char, mocha powder, and an aroma of cold coffee are abundant, but not overwhelming.  Just for fun, there are some toffee notes thrown in the background for good measure.  Simple, but very nice and well-blended.

Appearance 1/3

Served from the tap with no head, but a gorgeous espresso black hue with subtle walnut edges.  No clarity.  No lacing.

Flavor 15/20

This starts out remarkably crisp for a stout with the relatively zippy carbonation and some lighter malts.  The backbone gets progressively darker, but never really delves into the realm of a big bodied, bitter, heavy stout, instead preferring to keep things light and refreshing without the sacrifice of flavor.  The main theme here is chocolate malt which is gradually joined by a very light coffee bitter and that is about it, though a “milk stout” flavor does emerge more as the beer warms.  Genuine coffee was definitely used in the brewing as it has a similar finish to my morning cup o’ joe, but with that tinge of mocha sweetness before beginning its descent.  The aftertaste is also very coffee-like though the bitter is more pronounced than in other areas of the beer.

Mouthfeel 4/5

There is a nice level of carbonation going on here.  More than a stout usually has (perhaps because I’m used to sampling from bottles and not taps), but this is not a problem in this craft beer.  The bubbles are tiny enough to not be prickly, yet more present than usual to make this stout refreshing and not heavy.  The lighter body also helps this by weighing in at “medium” at best.  Despite these “lighter” qualities, it still achieves a pleasant level of creaminess that is not contradicting to the rest of the beer.  This is especially apparent when held in the mouth.

Overall Impression 7/10

This is a lighter offering for a stout and would be considered anything but large.  However, it is over 90 degrees today and a huge stout would definitely not fit the bill; this did.  The simple coffee flavor, delicate cocoa proportions, and complimentary mouthfeel are all components to a unique idea: a summer seasonal stout.  It was not laborious to drink, nor too thick, nor syrupy.  Not necessarily my cup of tea, but still a good beer.

Total 37/50

I normally take offense at stouts that would attempt to offer me a flavor this simple or this light.  However, in most of those cases, they have promised me a big bodied, full, warming, flavor-laden stout and then fallen far short.  This brew, long name aside, does not insinuate those promises.  This is perhaps due to the distinct lack of marketing, but with its 15 IBUs (!) and 6% ABV, it makes no “robust” claims and results in an pretty good stout for the summer months.  If it were a stout I was randomly trying and assumed it to be a regular stout I would probably be not pleased, but because I know this is not their “standard stout” (the Arkham Stout), I can safely classify as almost a seasonal offering even if it does not get placed on their seasonal beer list.  While this beer still has the coffee and bitter to keep away those more accustomed to the macrobrews, it is something to seek out for the regular stout crowd  during these hot summer months when a thicker, less carbonated brew simply will not do.  If you’re looking for a light stout flavors that probably come as close to sessionable as a stout gets, seek this out.  If you’re still looking for big flavors and mouthfeel, look elsewhere.

Photo blatantly stolen from their website.

Lakefront Brewery - Fuel Cafe Coffee Stout

Time to give some credit to a smaller brewery that is definitely doing its part to make me some tasty beer.  This review is for Lakefront Brewery based out of sunny Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I came upon this brewery in my research for breweries to which I would  like to roadtrip.  One problem - I had not yet sampled its beer.  I reasoned that I should know first what I am getting into and made it part of a "variety pack" sixer at my local establishment.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 10/12

Quite a few things going on here!  They label this as a coffee stout, but the aroma is primarily a chocolate-coffee blend (I suppose that would be a "mocha").  The malt is present also with a deep roasty aroma that might even be a bit burnt.  I had trouble discerning any hops.  I know that stouts are not known for a strong hop presence, but they do depend on them to balance out all the dark, inherently sweet malt that they use.  I did not even get a hint of hops in this.

Appearance 3/3

It looks like a stout should - opaque, black, and a nice tan head.  It pours thick into the glass and produces a moderate-sized head, which dissipates quickly.  When present, the head is fantastic!  It is like a light, whipped chocolate whose flavors meld into bitter coffee.  What a great way to start a beer! EBC is right where it should be, around a 70+.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 13/20

While this score does not reflect a beer that is lacking in flavor and technical merit, it does indicate a beer that is not brewed to style.  The aroma, as it is time and time again, is an accurate foreshadowing of the flavor beneath it.  The sweet malt is first to be noticed, with its dark, smoky flavors.  Soon after comes a strong chocolate sweetness which makes up the majority of the palate.  Holding the beer in the mouth, it does not vary much: you get the malt up front and the chocolate sweetness.  To  Fuel Cafe's credit the two flavors do blend very well together and you get a dark, sweet, malty sensation.  However, this is a coffee stout and unfortunately the coffee does not make itself known until the finish.  At first I wanted to classify it as "subtle" in its coffee flavor, but I now believe that to be the dark (a bit burnt) malt blending with the chocolate.  There is very little in the way of a bitter aftertaste.  In fact, this is one of the cleanest finishing stouts (if such a thing is possible) I have ever had.

Mouthfeel 3/5

A bit light in the body for a stout.  The carbonation was also a little high for the style, but turned more appropriate as the pint continued.  No warmth or creaminess of which to speak.

Overall Impression 7/10

In summary, a darn tasty beer that I would not mind picking up again.  The aroma was exciting as was the appearance and the pour.  However, the flavor and mouthfeel were as if they were from a different beer.  With a bit more bitter (coffee flavor or hops for balance), this could be a superior coffee stout.  As it stands, it is closer to a milk stout or an aggressive winter brew without the warmth and spices.

Total 36/50 (Very Good)

This beer is in the middle of several styles and that is the only thing holding it back.  The aroma and head are phenomenal!  The taste is simply too sweet for a true coffee stout.  This brings up an argument I have with myself - "Where is the line drawn between stylistic accuracy with one's own added nuances and plain old going off on your own?"  I like to think that a strong base in the intended style is key to success.  You have to build a good lamp before you can build a chandelier.  I suppose the same dedication to fundamental excellence (e.g. Larry Bird) is what can also contribute to an excellent beer.  This one, while definitely adding their own twist, strayed just a bit too far from the path.  It is a fine line to tread and I would be excited to try their other offerings.  After all, who does not approve of experimentation and variation in their craft brews?