A handful of D Magazine staffers sipped a selection of Texas coffee beers. Here’s what they had to say.
[Editor’s note: There were no beer experts on hand for this taste test. Just people who enjoy drinking beer.
Also, I was sent the following statement from Rahr & Sons Brewing Co.:
“The first batch of Iron Joe last year ended up developing off flavors and Rahr ordered it to be pulled from shelves within a week or two of its release last spring, so it shouldn’t have been for sale. We noticed that the bottle in the photo has an old label; the series that the beer is a part of was renamed to Den of Sin (vs. Hell’s Half Acre).” The taste testers tried the new batch of coffee beer from Rahr and agreed that the beer is much better than the one they tasted last week.]
The beer:
A. No Label Brewing Co. Boomstick
B. Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. Iron Joe
C. 903 Brewers Crackin’ Up Coffee Pecan Porter
D. Deep Ellum Brewing Company Oak Cliff Coffee Ale
E. Community Beer Company Ascension Coffee Porter
F. Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. Buffalo Sunset
Tasting notes:
No Label Brewing Co. Boomstick
- Dense, malty notes, aroma light on coffee.
- Sooooo bitter.
- It tastes like coffee and beer equally. Which is what you want, I guess. So there you go.
- Hoppy like a bunny.
- Some malt to it but way too bitter.
- Tastes more like beer than coffee, but it’s got a good flavor. This wins my silver metal.
- Has a coffee aftertaste.
- Acidic and coffee-like.
Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. Iron Joe * See editors note
- Grassy and peppery nose. Good head, thin, and dark. Weak aftertaste.
- Sour. Can’t really taste the coffee. Smells almost fruity?
- It touched my tongue, and I was like, “Oh no!” And it only got more intense from there. It was offensive.
- Maybe this is a trick beer? Or it’s a sour coffee ale?
- A little funky, and I like it. Is this a sour? Fun.
- First off, this smell is aggressive. I don’t want this.
- Tastes fruity. It’s a little like cold crew coffee.
- Coffee forward but watered down.
903 Brewers Crackin’ Up Coffee Pecan Porter
- Chocolatey nose. Sweet and malty. Thin and wimpy.
- I smell vanilla. Not a real strong coffee flavor.
- This is the most coffee-esque one that I’ve tried.
- Smoky and in need of a side of s’mores.
- Has the most coffee-flavor. Tastes like chocolate, but smells like cigarettes.
- Nope.
- Sour, coffee seems under-extracted. Ew.
- Balanced and smooth, sour on the backend.
Deep Ellum Brewing Company Oak Cliff Coffee Ale
- Nice hop presence. Malty finish. This is good.
- Tangy. Good balance.
- This one is sweeter. I can’t really taste the coffee, but maybe that’s because beer B decimated my tastebuds and my soul.
- Drinkable but lacking coffee.
- Too sweet.
- The first sip was weird compared to the others, but the more I drink it the less I hate it.
- Smells sweet.
- Smooth and easy to drink.
Community Beer Company Ascension Coffee Porter
- Heavy coffee nose. Some hops.
- A little overpowering. Bitter.
- Nope. My tastebuds are fine. All the coffee is in this one.
- Espresso first, beer later.
- Solid. What I would expect from a coffee stout.
- Smells like coffee. Tastes like coffee beer, straight up. I like it.
- Has a strong coffee taste. Most like a black coffee but hoppy.
- Fruity with a lingering finish.
Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. Buffalo Sunset
- Fruity nose, plum and blueberries. Good body. It’s a little bitter with a lingering tanginess.
- Nice and smooth. Balanced. My favorite by far.
- I don’t know. I just don’t know. I’m OK now, but this didn’t make me feel anything.
- Awesome.
- Also sweet, but just the right amount. I’d pick this as my favorite if I didn’t like B so much.
- I kinda feel like I’m drinking a soda instead of a beer.
- This is really good and hoppy.
- Good carbonation. Very smooth.
Tally up:
A. No Label Brewing Co. Boomstick 1
B. Rahr & Sons Brewing Co. Iron Joe 1
C. 903 Brewers Crackin’ Up Coffee Pecan Porter 1
D. Deep Ellum Brewing Company Oak Cliff Coffee Ale 3
E. Community Beer Company Ascension Coffee Porter 1
F. Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. Buffalo Sunset 1
The winner is:
Deep Ellum Brewing Company‘s Oak Cliff Coffee Ale is the winner of the taste test. The rich and sweet ale is made using beans from Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters. The beer is 7.5 percent ABV.
So what do you think of coffee beer? Do you have a favorite? Let’s talk about it.
