Oh coffee porter, what are we going to do with you. You’re the merlot of the beer world; flavours that should be palatable and familiar to many, and yet most people who make you do an ass job of it. I tend to stay away from coffee porters, as they often are really just mediocre porters with a heap of coffee dumped in them. Okay, to be fair, I’ve actually had two noteworthy beers that include coffee recently, Dark Star Espresso Stout (available at the LCBO in the fall release) and BrewDog AB04 (might still be available via http://www.BrewDog.com). But aside from these, the samples I’ve had have, at best, been “okay”. So why would I have saved this particular bottle as a special review, and kept it till the end of my birthday four-beer review? Well, for one, it was given to me by Adam Grant, landlord at the Monk’s Table. And Adam doesn’t really serve “okay” beer. Secondly, Meantime wins awards like Ussain Bolt wins medals. So I have high hopes.
Coffee Porter - Meantime
From a crazy chianti-esque bottle with a freshness date on the neck, the beer pours dark chestnut brown, with a light tan head that drops to a ring and a bit of film. Aroma is amazing, a huge hit of fresh roasted coffee beans, smokey and a little woody. A touch of vanilla and burnt sugar are in there too. OMG, as the kids say. The taste is possibly even better. More porter up front, caramel and burnt sugar and smoke, but the finish is all coffee again, and not cheap coffee, fresh-roasted-at-the-shop-down-the-street coffee. Rich and heady, almost oily with a bit more of that vanilla and an incredible linger that is a great compliment to the porter. Mouthfeel is very carbonated, and while I think I would prefer this on cask, it’s not at all detrimental. It might even lighten-up what could otherwise be a fairly over-bearing beer. While I wouldn’t drink one of these quickly, I could see myself spending a night in with a six of these, a bar of good chocolate, and a playlist heavy on the jazz.
This is exactly what a coffee porter should be: an excellent porter, with a gorgeous coffee that balances with it in such a way that the sum is greater then the parts. If you have chance to get this beer, do. Get many. Get enough that you can give me some; I’ll pay well.
Thanks to Adam, and the folks at Meantime. What a great finish to a great day of tasting!
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