Tasting Room - Review

Longshot Molasses Coffee Stout
Reviewed By Andrew Ager

Bottle notes: Gravity of 14.5, 20 Hopping Units.  From a homebrew recipe.

Aroma:  Coffee hit me in the middle of the pour.  Stepping back from the glass, I could smell it a good 5 feet away.  Actually sticking my nose into the glass revealed molasses hints, some roasted malt hiding behind/blending with the coffee.  I really love this aroma!

Flavor:  Coffee dominates the initial flavor, molasses sneaks in toward the end.  Very full-bodied, with a dry finish, more from the roasted malt and coffee than from hops.  The coffee maintains its flavor dominance throughout the pint.  However, as the beer warmed up the molasses sweetness grew, although never to the point of competing with the coffee.

Overall:  I liked this beer a lot more than other coffee stouts (OK, RedHook's) I've had, primarily because the coffee wasn't as strong in flavor as RH's Starbucks blend.  Problem is, the coffee really overpowers the more subtle roasted malt flavors that I really enjoy in stouts.  There are some hints of sweet malt in the finish as the stronger flavors fade away, but most of the malt flavor is overwhelmed by coffee, eliminating a lot of complexity.

Really, this is good beer, and while I enjoyed it, it wouldn't top my list as a frequent addition to the fridge.  People more partial to strong coffee flavors in their beer will enjoy this beer a lot.
 

Rating:  2.9