Alley Kat Coffee Porter

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

The new winter seasonal from Alley Kat, brown 341 ml bottle, from a 6 pack. I have really liked other coffee beers, so was excited about this one. Black in color, with reddish highlights when held up to the light. Thin tan head quickly forms then disappears. The smell is full of coffee, but not like a fresh brewed pot. Instead it is kind of like cold coffee grounds. The taste and mouthfeel is a bit thin, not a big robust flavor like some others. The coffee is there, but not overwhelming. Decent, but I still prefer Yukon and even Mill Street coffee beers ahead of this one, but better than their Smoke Porter from a couple years back.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

First thing, there is obviously a shitload of coffee in my glass...man, it's a pretty intense brand of coffee. But the only thing this reminds me of is camping when I was young, the parents would wake up early with obvious hangovers and then they would stoke up the stove and make endless coffee. This beer smell just like the leftover still filled cold coffee filters. A good flashback memory but that's about it. Not quite black (initially - 1/3 of a glass left shows that the beer is actually just a very dark brown) with ample redness on the bottom bit of the glass. Light brown cap that needs to be thicker, survives as a skim, minor slippery spotty lacing. Like I said, the aroma is intense but this smell doesn't do it for me...I think I prefer a milder coffee. Memories of cigarette cannot be shaken although that smell is not part of the beer. This coffee smell sucks. Cold coffee. That's it. Thick dusty bitter coffee flavour that comes across quite a bit softer when really warm. I've probably found the weak berry flavour that mmmmbeer mentioned along with the chalkiness and sourness. Really, this beer has no depth in the flavour department. Mouthfeel is a bit thin even though the coffee hammer tries to make it appear thicker. Smooth beer overall though. Near zero carbonation. I have brutal coffee mouth. Finishes with some bitterness that surprised me. OK brew and decent brew for followers of the local brew.

update on appearance: It was obvious that I had poured this poorly on my review. The other bottles all did this consistantly: poured out a very thick and tall crown with ample retention and 360 degree silty lacing.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Brew looks extremely black and slight flicks of ruby red light come through when held up directly to the light, a thick brown cap sits on top of the beer and is leaving behind massive amounts of lacing. Wholly fawk that’s a crap load of coffee in the aroma it smells as if you where snorting lines of ground coffee instead of cocaine, this could be set in front of me and if I was told it was coffee I would believe them based on smell alone. This has an extreme coffee flavor the most I’ve ever tasted in any coffee beer this almost all you taste, this taste stronger then coffee I actually brew for myself in the morning. When warmer I believe a very burnt tasting malt comes out and is awesomely bitter this is somewhat offset by a sweetness that has a berry like quality. Flavor is slightly chalky a mildly sour, feel is full and fizzy after taste is bitter. This surprisingly drinkable Alley Kat might have actually pulled one off here, its way better the Mill Street coffee porter. Tasty, drinkable but very one dimensional and probly would have got better marks if it didn’t only taste like coffee.