I always look forward to trying a new Coffee Stout! I am sure my taste in coffee stouts might not match those of others since I truly love a good cup of bold coffee. The scale I came up with for rankings is called the Holy Grail Scale It is located at the bottom of every page and is as follows:
10. Bold rich coffee flavor with smooth creamy stout
9. Rich coffee flavor with smooth creamy stout
8. Rich coffee flavor with somewhat creamy stout
7. Bold rich coffee flavor with a good rugged stout flavor
6. Rich coffee flavor with a good rugged stout flavor
5. Rich coffee flavor and a solid stout
4. Good stout flavor with medium coffee flavor
3. Solid Stout just not enough coffee flavor for me
2. Weak coffee flavor
1. No coffee flavor
I decided to break down my top 2 local to Nebraska and top 2 across the United States.
Top 2 Local Coffee Stouts
Lazy Horse Canyon Coffee Breakfast Stout
Thunderhead Calico Espresso Stout
From the two top picks that I chose, one has been around for several years and the other is a newcomer. The Thunderhead Calico Espresso Stout was the first World Beer Cup Gold Medal winner for Thunderhead brewing. This is not a seasonal beer for me, matter of fact it is my go to when I visit the Thunderhead Brewing taproom in Omaha, Nebraska. The espresso flavor is top notch. A true coffee lover's beer!
The newcomer in the field of Coffee Stouts was a home run for Lazy Horse Brewing. The Canyon Coffee Breakfast Stout had the strongest coffee aroma out of any of the stouts I had in 2017. The other unique part of this one is the creamy head and finish. I was completed stunned when Jim Stutzman, owner and head brewer from Lazy Horse Brewing, told me it wasn't a milk stout. I am anxious to see how this one will rate in competitions!
TOP 2 UNITED States Coffee Stouts
I have to say, I have so many more Coffee Stouts to try out in 2018. Please keep the suggestions coming and I won't turn down any that might appear at my doorstep.
Epic Brewing Company - Son of a Baptist
Bell's Brewery Arabicadabra
Bell's Brewery Arabicadabra is a fine milk stout in its own right. Add a great robust blend of Nicaraguan and Sumatra coffee beans to this stout and it becomes something really special. This was one I told many close friends about and they got the same smiling face that I got after the first sip.
Epic Brewing Company Son of a Baptist is brewing masterpiece. The attention to detail for the coffee selected for this beer is top notch! The silky stout and hint of chocolate round out a coffee stout that is hard to forget. An excellent recommendation from a coworker who I thank for introducing me to this beer.
There you have it for the 2017 Coffee Stouts. I would love to get your opinion and suggestions on others. Please add a comment or send me the information through the Contact section of the site.
Cheers!