Espresso Stout

So I wrote a post back in November on coffee wine, and I figured it was only appropriate to follow it up with a post on espresso beer. That’s right. Whether you’re a wine drinker or beer drinker, there is something out there for all coffee addicts.

I first came across Morning Glory Espresso Stout at the Whole Foods in Foggy Bottom. The beer buyer was stocking the shelves and I asked him what he thought was the best coffee flavored beer. He pointed me to this one saying you could truly taste that this beer was espresso flavored and not coffee flavored. I had to try it.

I finally had the chance to crack open the 22 oz bottle this weekend while watching the Caps play the Rangers. I am more of a wine drinker, but even I can’t qualify red wine as “Rocking the Red”.

The beer poured as dark as black coffee, and only slightly thicker. The beer is 9% abv and has very small head that fades quickly.

I love porters but I am not a huge fan of stouts. I was surprised the beer brewers chose to make an espresso stout instead of a porter because porters are made with roasted barley, which is unmalted and is often described as having coffee aromas and flavors.

The Dominion Brewing Co., which brews the Morning Glory, wrote that this beer is the final pin-up inspired Bomber Girl for 2012.

The beer company partnered with a local coffee shop to make the brew:

“For us, the concept of this beer was all about collaboration: both in the partnership between our brewery and the local coffee shop, Espresso-N-Ice, and the blending of toasted, chocolate stout flavors with coffee beans. We chose to seek out a local coffee roaster for this beer to make sure that the coffee beans used would be up to our standards. With the help of Espresso-N-Ice, we were able to participate in perfectly roasting the 65 pounds of coffee that the stout was warmed on for 13 days. That extra effort has allowed us to create an exquisitely balanced, full-flavored espresso stout and a community partnership that will extend well beyond the production of this beer.”

After reading this and listening to the Whole Food beer buyer’s description of the beer having a unique and distinct espresso flavor, I guess I expected it to have more of a punch when I took my first sip. The beer itself tastes like a stout with little hint of coffee. However, the after flavor did leave a mouthful of espresso flavor. So while I didn't taste the flavor in the beer itself, I still got a lingering taste of espresso.

I think I would have enjoyed it more if I were having chocolate cake with it instead of sausage.